Defending the territory by the rules: The role of environmental law in Yucatan’s renewable energy conflicts

• We study the role of laws and policies in renewable energy conflicts in Yucatan. • We discuss collected information leveraging environmental justice frameworks. • Environmental justice is not addressed through existing laws and land use policies. • Environmental defenders face problems pursuing their struggles within the rule of law. • A fairer distribution of institutional powers may prevent environmental injustices. To what extent do environmental laws and policies aid in the pursuit of territorial defense and environmental justice? This article contributes to ongoing discussions on the environmental justice implications of existing institutions mobilized in the context of extractivism. It focuses on the legislative and policy frameworks and instruments influencing the development of industrial-scale renewable energy projects in the Mexican State of Yucatan. Through the analysis of nine environmental conflicts related to wind and solar parks in the region, we problematize the role of environmental laws and policies in governing Yucatan’s renewable energy deployment as ‘double-edged swords’, disproportionately disadvantaging those defending their own territories. Controversial projects are frequently legitimized by the law, yet the procedures that authorities and developers follow are tendentially flawed. At the same time, local and Indigenous communities, along with environmental defenders, face limited access to legal recourse. We frame this analysis within critical environmental justice debates and explore how a fairer allocation of institutional power to local authorities, peoples and Indigenous communities could address environmental injustice in Yucatan.