Grounds for Dispute: Land, Property, and the Path to Just Transitions

Los Angeles, USA — As governments, companies, and cities ramp up efforts to reach net zero, a growing number of land disputes are surfacing beneath the surface of climate ambition. From utility-scale solar farms displacing rural communities to Indigenous lands being repurposed for carbon offset projects, the land footprint of the energy transition is fast becoming a central equity challenge.

The Net Zero Conference 2025 will convene climate leaders to collaborate on global solutions for change in the built environment. It is considered a important platform for bridging knowledge gaps, and inspiring a net zero future.

This year’s Net Zero Conference in Los Angeles takes on the theme of climate leadership — but for many land and property stakeholders, the question is: who decides what leadership looks like, and who bears the cost?

Clean Energy, Complicated Claims

Across the American Southwest, vast solar and wind installations are expanding — often onto leased tribal lands or contested public acreage. While marketed as green solutions, these projects have sometimes triggered backlash from communities left out of the consultation process.

“We support the transition,” says Mariah Yazzie, a Navajo Nation land advocate, “but not when it repeats the extractive logic of the past. Renewable doesn’t always mean responsible.”

The Carbon Offset Conundrum

Carbon offset projects, particularly in the Global South, have raised red flags around land tenure and consent. In parts of Southeast Asia and Central Africa, forest conservation programs funded by corporate offsetting have reportedly restricted access to ancestral lands, sparking resistance from Indigenous groups and NGOs.

Without robust safeguards, observers warn, net-zero strategies could fuel a new wave of land grabbing under the guise of sustainability.

Property Markets and Renewable Real Estate

In countries like Brazil, Kenya, and Indonesia, the rise of green energy has sparked speculation and rising land prices near proposed project sites. This trend is driving up the cost of housing and agricultural land, pushing vulnerable groups further to the margins.

Land market volatility — a hidden consequence of decarbonisation — is prompting calls for better regulation of renewable land deals and transparent benefit-sharing frameworks.

Building Just Transitions

Speakers at this year’s Net Zero Conference are urging a more inclusive approach — one that incorporates community voices, recognizes land rights, and links energy equity with property justice.

“The energy transition must not be a land injustice in disguise,” says Dr. Andrés Chavira of the Global Just Energy Coalition. “A just transition means consent, compensation, and community-led planning.”

Looking Ahead

As governments update climate pledges and corporations ramp up net-zero commitments, integrating land governance into climate strategy will be crucial. Transparent land acquisition, participatory zoning, and social safeguards aren’t just ethical imperatives — they’re foundational to long-term sustainability.Land is not just a site for technology. It is a place of life, history, and rights. And if climate action is to succeed, it must start — and stay — grounded there.