What is the role of citizens in Europe’s shift to a sustainable future and how do we make it inclusive? Transitioning into sustainability will be challenging and calls for creativity and the full involvement of all sectors of society, including citizens, to make it a success, according to a European Environment Agency briefing published this week.
People first: how do we make Europe’s shift to sustainability inclusive?
The EEA briefing presents key insights from sustainability studies and emerging practices of public participation and explains why a thoughtful approach to participation is needed for sustainability transitions. Such insights can help European policy and decision makers to better assess the role of public participation in governance processes that, until now, have focused more on scientific, technical and administrative aspects.
EU policies and programmes, including the European Green Deal and the 8th Environment Action Programme, highlight the importance of public engagement in closing knowledge gaps and call for public participation on all levels of decision-making. This resonates with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ envisaging ‘a world of universal respect for equality and non-discrimination’.
The European Green Deal in particular calls for citizens to be a driving force of the transition to sustainability and that the conditions for empowering citizens and building effective forms of public participation need to be created.
The briefing argues that public participation can unleash creativity, generate knowledge and mobilise action. It can provide a means for environmental and social concerns and conflicts to be expressed and debated, even if not necessarily resolved. Choosing the approach that is best fit for purpose in each situation is thus crucial and needs careful consideration. For the full potential of public participation to be realised, a thorough reflection is needed on the institutional conditions necessary for its outcomes to enter policy or decision-making processes.
The EEA briefing is the latest published as part of the series ‘Narratives for change’. The series explores the diversity of ideas needed to make our societies more sustainable and fulfil the ambitions of the European Green Deal.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
This is all fig leaf stuff. Public participation is code for “we (the politicos and our hangers on) make the policy decisions, you, EU serfs, are then massaged via public participation into acceptance”. The “Brussels village” and its activities are a good example of this.
ALL conferences and events where policy is discussed are now moderated such that oral questions to panels are not allowed – everything goes through Slido or some such. Also the panels at conferences and “workshops” tend to be in cosy agreement – disagreement being one of nuance.
The assorted NGOs supposedly “representing” EU serfs (I’m looking at you BEUC), have no real interest in listening to EU serfs. Lastly, the lack of technical expertise in the case of energy matters within the Commission, within the assorted lobby groups/NGOs, within the various companies from whom the Commission purchases “studies” (to reinforce already decided policy) is amazing. Economists and lawyers dominate. Mostly of the reports are trash, the lobbying brings new meaning to the phrase self interest. One of the Commission’s catch phrases is “prosumer” – hmm, how come there is no significant level of residential roof-top PV in Spain (I defy you to find any). Lobbying, national & @ EU level.
A “a thoughtful approach to participation is needed for sustainability transitions” yes it is, but it is wholly & totally absent,……….by design. After all we can’t have Euro serfs (and god forbid experts that might know something) having policy input. This must not happen, only Gods anointed, i.e. economists, lawyers and assorted “liberal arts graduates” can have input. As senior people I know in the Commission remark to me, on a regular basis, the EU is not and never has been a democracy.
You make some good points, Mike. I am getting so tired of the Slido generation. We have so many events with too many speakers and not enough time for better participation. Whether this is by design or laziness, I can’t say. Your last sentence makes an important point.