Ahead of the upcoming EU Citizens Energy Package to ensure a fair and inclusive energy transition, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe has published a report that underscores the need for more consistent and effective policies and practices on community engagement and benefit-sharing in order to strengthen local acceptance and foster genuine public support for new renewable energy projects.
“Renewable energy’s success hinges on communities, their meaningful engagement, and the fair and tangible benefits they receive” said Seda Orhan, Renewable Energy Programme Manager at CAN Europe. “For developers, overcoming local opposition is often one of the biggest hurdles. Our research across Europe has documented shining examples of converting potential conflicts into celebrated successes. Now is the time to elevate these best-in-class practices from exceptions to norms, making community-centered renewables the gold standard across Europe.”
Currently, community engagement in renewable energy projects can differ greatly across EU countries, reflecting a pathwork of regulatory approaches. Where countries such as France and Germany benefit from legislative frameworks that promote public participation in renewable energy development, other countries such as Spain or Poland lack these legal frameworks. This results in inconsistent practices and in some cases, the bypassing of public consultation on new projects, leaving communities and local stakeholders in the dark.
The distribution of benefits from renewable energy projects is currently largely done on a voluntary basis by developers. There are limited legal mandates for developers to financially compensate communities or offer ownership stakes for new local renewable energy projects. While there are many examples of where renewable energy developers have provided socio-economic benefits to communities, there are some communities receiving little to no tangible benefits from local renewable energy projects. This inconsistency underscores the necessity for establishing enforceable EU-wide minimum standards that guarantee fair benefit-sharing across all communities.
“To ensure more meaningful community engagement and fairer benefit sharing practices, we have developed a list of KPIs that project developers, local authorities and non-governmental organisations can use to assess projects and measure their effectiveness in engaging communities in their local renewable energy projects” added Boris Valach, Project Manager at eclareon. “This will ensure communities within Europe and beyond are not left behind, and further reinforce the goal of achieving a just and fair energy transition.”
For additional information:
