Recommended Innovation and Best Practice Stakeholder Engagement

The objective of this report is to inform about the existing research methodologies available for measuring stakeholder perception of renewable development, for the Eirwind team to glean an understanding of stakeholder perceptions of offshore wind development scenarios. The role that stakeholder perception plays in the success or failure of renewable energy developments, and more specifically wind energy developments, is reported on.  This review also reports on what is considered best practice for stakeholder engagement from both an international and, more specifically, an Irish context.

Stakeholder identification, analysis and mapping are essential elements which must be considered in order to ensure effective stakeholder engagement with respect to renewable energy development.  Environmental development has far reaching effects on many different sections of society; practically, economically and emotionally.  This ‘wicked’ problem is such that it is impossible to please all of the people all of the time and hence a best solution must be attained. 

A plethora of techniques exist for identification, analysis, engagement and participation, together with countless reasons for objections against, and arguments for, the development of sustainable energy projects.  Understanding what influences public perception is key to learning what triggers can be used in order to change public perception and behaviour. Effective stakeholder participation and engagement must include timely access to clear and relevant information, highly skilled facilitation and trusted intermediaries.  Factors which can enhance relationships between stakeholders and developers, and hence aid acceptance of any potential development, include community benefits, two-way deliberative learning and transparency and fairness of process. Specific participation techniques will each have different outcomes and relevance to each group involved, but common to all techniques is the importance of trust and fairness in process.

The most important aspects of best practice for stakeholder participation are reported on with a comprehensive list of participatory methods being collated from current research.  Examples of success and failures of stakeholder participation and engagement are drawn on to examine Ireland’s track record with renewable energy development. This paper examines the changing rationales and philosophies behind the varying levels of stakeholder engagement.

The report concludes that the Eirwind project is in a position to learn from countries which are the forerunners in offshore renewable energy development.  We can look to Germany and the U.K. who have made the greatest advances in the area of offshore renewable energy development, and learn from their experience, in order to develop our industry with a social licence to operate. This, together with the experience and expertise of the Eirwind consortium, provides a template for best practice, described herein.