The power of the grassroots The Baltic Sea Region, an energy transition laboratory

• Published in: Energy Transition in the Baltic Sea Region Vol. 1; pp. 269 - 278
• Main Authors: Karimi, Farid, Rodi, Michael
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom Routledge 2022; Taylor & Francis Group
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Legal Design; Variable Re; Grassroots Activities; social acceptability; EU Policy; Green Energy Systems; BSR Country; Civil Society; Energy System; Re; Community Energy Projects; decentralised energy system; Baltic Sea Region; BSR; Energy Profiles; Lukkarinen; Energy Democracy; National Energy Policy; Centralised Energy Systems; grassroots; Energy Security; Housing Cooperatives; Energy Efficiency; Social Acceptance; Energy Policy; Energy Transition; energy law; EV; Decentralised Activities; Public Engagement; Green Deal
• ISBN: 9781032003115; 9781032003085; 1032003111; 1032003081
• DOI: 10.4324/9781032003092-19

This chapter summarises and reflects on the findings of this book. The purpose of the book is to demonstrate the potential measures and sectors for and importance of stakeholder engagement and grassroots activities, as well as the factors influencing the emergence of social acceptability in the context of the energy transition. These topics are examined using case studies mainly from the countries of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Demand-side, bottom-up, decentralised activities have largely been a ‘blind spot’ in national energy policy, even in progressive countries with ambitious goals for an energy transition. As shown in this book, bottom-up activities are critical to the decarbonisation of the economy, as well as to the provision of energy security, energy democracy and social justice, and thus to the overall success of the energy transition. This edited volume also demonstrates that the BSR is a ‘laboratory’ for ideas, approaches, initiatives and challenges associated with the bottom-up engagement of civil society in climate and energy issues. The BSR is uniquely positioned to serve as a laboratory due to the diverse socio-political, cultural and legal features, histories, and energy profiles and strategies that characterise the region. In this chapter, we describe possible forms of participation as well as the factors that foster this participation. Requirements for institutional and legal design to activate people are briefly discussed. Finally, we summarise the holistic policy recommendations that can be applied even in countries beyond the borders of the BSR. This chapter discusses the potential measures and sectors for and importance of stakeholder engagement and grassroots activities, as well as the factors influencing the emergence of social acceptability in the context of the energy transition. The interdisciplinary conceptual approaches applied in this book outline different perspectives on bottom-up and grassroots activities in an energy transition and on the emergence of social acceptability. In contrast to the conventional centralised energy systems, most renewable energy facilities are largely decentralised and thus located in the vicinity of residential areas. Social acceptance is only one of the issues that can be addressed by engaging people in an energy transition. Engaging people for an energy transition also has meaning and impact outside the context of climate change policies. Activation can promote social justice, empower civil society and enhance democracy. The legal design of incentives for social acceptability should be carried out meticulously to ensure that the end result accommodates different regional circumstances.