The Role of Public Participation in Energy Transitions

Ortwin Renn is scientific director at the International Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam (Germany). He serves as full professor for environmental sociology and technology assessment at the University of Stuttgart. He also directs the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes. Renn is Adjunct Professor for “Integrated Risk Analysis” at Stavanger University (Norway), Honorary Professor at the Technical University Munich and Affiliate Professor for “Risk Governance” at Beijing Normal University. His research interests include risk governance (analysis perception, communication), stakeholder and public involvement in environmental decision making, transformation processes in economics, politics and society and sustainable development. Frank Ulmer is a Senior Expert in Stakeholder Dialogues, Sustainable Development and Transformation at the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes. He is founder and director of a consultancy for strategy and dialogue, the Kommunikationsbüro Ulmer GmbH. His current focus of work is participation in climate protection policy making, transdisciplinary work on the Energiewende, and citizen's involvement in a sustainable municipal development. As a visiting lecturer at the Leadership Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg and the Verwaltungshochschule Ludwigsburg, he teaches participation, technology assessment, and agile administration. In general his interest includes stakeholder and public involvement in decision making, transformation processes in economics, politics, administration and society, and education for sustainable development. Anna Deckert works as a research associate at the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes, and as a consultant the Kommunikationsbüro Ulmer GmbH. Her research interest are the initiation and maintenance of citizen's involvement in a sustainable municipal development, a sustainable transition of the mobility sector, the role of guidelines for a shared participation culture and the added value of digital tools in offline-participation. Her Master’s degree in Sustainability Economics & Management (M.A.) at Carl-von-Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and research experience in living labs (Reallabor) provide her with a strong focus on and requisite know-how for transdisciplinary work.

"This reviewer notes the strong role of the states in Germany, which may be typical of states or regions in other countries. In the USA for instance, such approaches could easily be used for renewable energy development in California and New York or British Columbia in Canada or possibly other regions in Europe. Certainly on the national level, Germany stands apart with their continued support for renewable energy development or “Energiewende” as they call it. This book’s blurb stated would be useful for practitioners and energy planners, but it also could be used as a supplemental textbook for energy policy or participatory methods courses. This reviewer wished he had such a book that he could have used for a public participation and environmental mediation course that he taught." --Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences

• 1. Introduction: Stakeholder involvement and public participation for designing energy policiesPart 1: Concepts of inclusive governance in the energy sector2. A brief history of the German "Energiewende": Targets, programs and social resonance. 3. The six approaches to inclusive governance: foundations, applications and lessons learned4. Energy Transition and Civic Engagement5. From Coal to Renewables: Changing Socio—Ecological Relations of Energy in India, Australia and Germany6. New Global Governance for Sustainable Global Energy Transformation: Democratic, Participatory-Deliberative, MultilayeredPart 2: Case Studies7. The Kopernikus Project E-Navi: Linking science, business, and civil society8. Climate change policies designed by stakeholder and public participation 9. Digital tools in stakeholder participation for the German Energy Transition. Can digital tools improve participation and its outcome?10. Citizen Participation for wind energy: Experiences from Germany and beyond 11. The contact group – public participation in the distribution network expansion in Baden-Württemberg12. Social sustainability: Making energy transitions fair to the people13. Conclusions: Lessons learned