How to engage people in climate policies?

28 April 2020

People may resist climate policies if they feel excluded from decision making. In the online magazine One Earth two UG researchers present a research agenda to reconcile legal frameworks and public preferences.

The sustainable energy transition often faces public resistance. Engaging the public more in decision making could result in more socially acceptable energy projects. Yet, there is a cleft between legal frameworks for public participation and how people wish to participate. Specifically, people want to participate most in micro-level decision making on local projects. Public influence at the micro-level, however, is constrained by macro-level decisions. Perlaviciute and Squintani present a research agenda to reconcile legal frameworks and public preferences for participation.