Stakeholders in the Material Democracy project discuss participation in the sustainability and energy transition

The participants in the stakeholder meeting recognized the need to broaden the group of parties involved in the preparation of environmental and energy policy processes and to bring different perspectives into the preparation process. According to the participants, the same institutional actors are often invited to participate in the preparations, which may perpetuate old divisions between interests. The participants recognized that ongoing changes in government administration, such as regional government reform, may provide opportunities to challenge established practices and develop preparatory processes that strengthen participation. It was also recognized that concrete cooperation with citizens could bring additional resources to sustainability work and strengthen the legitimacy of the work done by the authorities. For example, regional energy counseling can strengthen cooperation with citizens' voluntary local and online communities, making better use of citizens' expertise and peer knowledge.

These issues, among others, will be addressed in 2025-2028 in the Material Democracy project's Democracy Workshop, which brings together officials, researchers, and civil society actors interested in developing joint participation. Follow the project's website and LinkedIn page.