A Decolonial Approach to Strategic Energy Management for Urban Indigenous Housing Providers in British Columbia

Abstract

The transition to low-carbon energy systems is recognized as a critical response to climate change, while housing quality and equitable energy access are now understood as essential determinants of well-being and health. Across Turtle Island, growing attention is being directed toward the intersections of housing, justice, and Indigenous self-determination as critical pillars of a just energy transition. For Indigenous peoples, climate vulnerability cannot be separated from the ongoing legacies of colonialism that continue to shape housing conditions, infrastructure quality, governance structures, and access to energy services. In British Columbia, where most Indigenous peoples live off-reserve, Urban Indigenous housing providers play a vital role in delivering affordable, safe, and culturally safe housing, yet often operate within conditions plagued by chronic underinvestment, aging infrastructure, capacity constraints, and fragmented policy and funding systems. Existing energy management and retrofit programs largely prioritize technical performance, cost-effectiveness, and greenhouse gas reductions, while giving limited attention to Indigenous sovereignty, cultural safety, well-being, and community-defined measures of success. This study sought to explore the role of a decolonial, Indigenous-led Strategic Energy Management Plan (SEMP) for Urban Indigenous housing providers in breaking the insidious loop of coloniality at the urban frontier and building equitable, low-carbon energy solutions. Drawing on lived experiences of Urban Indigenous housing providers, external partner expertise, and insight from the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) staff, this research shows that conventional energy management approaches are insufficient to meaningfully address the interconnected challenges of housing quality, energy poverty, climate vulnerability, and Indigenous self-determination experienced within Urban Indigenous housing. The findings reveal that energy-related struggles are not simply technical problems but manifestations of broader colonial structures that continue to shape housing and energy systems. Participants consistently identified capacity limitations, fragmented funding programs, culturally unsafe processes, and denial of Indigenous self-determination as significant barriers to improving housing quality and climate resilience. The research further demonstrates that Urban Indigenous housing providers prioritize tenant well-being, safety, belonging, and long-term organizational sustainability above conventional energy metrics such as energy use intensity or greenhouse gas reductions. These findings extend existing scholarship by demonstrating that strategic energy management can be reimagined as a pathway for restorative justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and community well-being rather than solely a tool for energy conservation and emissions reduction. The study proposes foundational principles for an Indigenous-led SEMP, including cultural safety, energy justice, energy as a service, climate resilience, Two-Eyed Seeing, technological and data sovereignty, and community-defined measures of success rooted in human flourishing and a “Good Life” (Soh Kyo U’liih). This research contributes to emerging conversations on climate justice, energy justice, decolonization, and the invisible realities within urban sites by centering the experiences of Urban Indigenous communities, a population frequently overlooked in both academic research and climate initiatives. It argues that equitable energy transitions require more than technological innovation; they require structural transformation that restores Indigenous sovereignty, supports community well-being, and recognizes housing and energy as fundamental foundations for health, human flourishing, and collective resilience in a changing climate.