Getting them all on board – An interactive tool for guiding meaningful public engagement in energy infrastructure projects

Introduction

Achieving international climate and energy goals will require a rapid and profound transformation of our energy system. Considering this process affects people all over the world, public engagement is therefore crucial to ensure that society’s views, needs and concerns are considered and that a truly just and inclusive energy transition is pursued.

To facilitate this, the Public Engagement for Energy Infrastructure Task has developed an interactive guide to support project promoters, policymakers, and civil society. In a step-by-step approach, the guidelines aim to deliver targeted recommendations for the users’ specific context, addressing potential challenges in different phases of energy infrastructure deployment.

The webinar was presented by the UsersTCP Public Engagement in Energy Infrastructure Task Leaders, Diana Süsser, from the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP), along with Nathália Fernandes Pimentel and Ira Shefer, from the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI).

During the webinar, the public also heard from Martin Groll from TenneT, and Jerry Mac Evilly from Friends of the Earth Ireland. The invited experts shared their experiences on the importance of public engagement for energy projects.