Patterns of Citizen Participation in Place-based Just Sustainability Transition Policies: Who takes part in the Shaping of Post-gas Futures in the Province of Groningen?

Description

Regions reliant on fossil fuel extraction and energy intensive industries face major challenges in the face of sustainability transitions. These regions suffer not only from dependence on those declining Sustainability policies must prioritize these vulnerable areas and be inclusive, considering the voices of communities most affected or overlooked. Whether initiated by the European Union or local governments, these policies should leave no one behind to avoid backlash against crucial measures addressing climate change and its uneven impacts, which in turn requires engaging a diversity of stakeholders and social groups in the processes of policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. The European Union has deployed the Just Transition Fund (JTF) as part of its Cohesion Policy, providing support for restructuring and cushioning of the negative impacts of sustainability transitions to the regions which are particularly dependent on extraction of fossil fuels and energy-intensive industries. However, the extent to which the EU-funded Territorial Just Transition Plans and the domestic policies addressing similar regional challenges actually respond to the needs of the communities within those regions remains an open question.

This paper focuses on Groningen region in Northern Netherlands, one of the regions eligible for funding as part of the JTF and targeted by a range of national sustainability transition policies. Until 2023, Groningen has been the Netherland’ country’s natural gas extraction hub and has already been facing substantial challenges related to negative impacts of this industry (earthquakes), but also depopulation, peripherality and socio-economic hardship. Building on the Horizon Europe DUST project, the study uses diverse research methods, ranging from desk-based policy analysis, citizen survey, to expert interviews, and focus groups with the citizens representing the least engaged communities. It explores and contrasts the performance of participatory practices put in place as part of the Territorial Just Transition Plan for Northern Netherlands and the National Programme Groningen, seeking to reveal the factors that facilitate and hinder participation of citizens in the shaping and implementation of multi-level place-based policies to steer regions towards more sustainable futures. The findings allow for drawing lessons for making such policies more just and participatory and adds to the debate on more active citizen engagement in multi-level policy settings.


Keywords: sustainability transitions, Just Transition Fund, Cohesion Policy, European Union, Groningen, place-based policy, citizen participation

Acknowledgement: the research on which this conference contribution builds was carried out as part of the DUST project which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101094869. The full list of contributors to this paper includes Marcin Dąbrowski, Gisela Garrido Veron, Thomas Verbeek, Verena Balz (Delft University of Technology), Neli Georgieva, and Martin Ferry (University of Strathclyde).

Period	14 Jun 2024
Event title	2024 RSA Annual Conference: Global Challenges, Regional Collaboration and the Role of Places
Event type	Conference
Location	Florence, ItalyShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International