The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment Citizens at the core of environmental assessments: Experiences from Denmark MKB-dagen 2017 Ivar Lyhne The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment lyhne@plan.aau.dk Thanks for invitation.. Sorry for not being good at Swedish My background, DCEA

Purposes of the presentation To give insight in Danish system To flag potentials in making citizens the core To initiate interesting discussions Welcome to interrupt – discussion points at the end Not about benefits of public participation Not about Aarhus Convention Department of Planning

Danish EA Community A “family” with constructive dialogue Annual “Miljøvurderingsdag” with 120-140 participants Continuous dialogue between legislators, practitioners and researchers Miljøvurderingsdag (since 2011) Department of Planning

Basis for the presentation ”Constructive public participation” in infrastructure development Social impacts in EA PhD within energy sector Studies of processes, e.g. radioactive waste deposit wind power projects shale gas project Survey Department of Planning

Citizens and public participation – what are we talking about? Methods, practices, people, different views Department of Planning

Citizen role in EA in Denmark Department of Planning

Citizens the core of EA Process: EA is in some sectors the only interaction with citizens Quality: Citizens have key role in ensuring EA quality Political: Local politicians focus on EA issues that bother citizens Content: Citizen concerns get more space in EA reports Planning reforms in 1970s: public role > expert committee Department of Planning

Citizens getting an increased role Political pressure in EA increasingly evident E.g. wind farm development success rate low Formal complaints have delayed many projects Enhancing quality and dialogue (Environmental board of appeal) Getting more organised, e.g. wind power Department of Planning

Asking planners of citizens’ role 80 practitioners, 2013 http://vbn.aau.dk/files/219321012/Borgerinddragelse_i_Danmark.pdf Department of Planning

Examples from practice Wide variety of tools in practice - depends on resources and political sensitivity – some of those with highest output are bus trips and dialogue at the individual citizen Department of Planning

Citizens to bring EA earlier in planning? Citizens propose infrastructure routing Insight about environmental aspects to ground proposals Local ownership of routing/EA Proactive rather than reactive integration Institut for Planlægning

Technology, interaction and citizens VR glasses to better understand visual impacts Video animations Social media bring new situations Social media: Fake news, organising, speed Developers: Primary purpose is to inform   Developer A Developer B Developer C Developer D Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram YouTube Always Sometimes No Department of Planning

Danish research on citizens in EA context Department of Planning

Research findings on citizens in EA Citizen reactions: Everyday life > projects Citizen needs differ  use complementing methods Institut for Planlægning

How do we choose the right PP tool for a specific context? … by engaging with the citizens! http://vbn.aau.dk/files/236725172/Dialogv_rkt_j.pdf Department of Planning

What is good public participation? Department of Planning

Growing awareness of flaws Bad public participation is expensive (delays, costs and PR) That traditional hearings are often merely reproducing conflicts The need to define what is debatable (what can/cannot be influenced) The need to specify ”what is in it for me” Department of Planning

Improving the vocabulary of “acceptance” “The ladder of citizen satisfaction“ Advocate Support Satisfaction Acceptance Anxiety Opposition What is ”good” PP? Department of Planning

Barriers to improved practice Improvement potentials: Clarity about scope of influence + earlier involvement 80 practitioners, 2013 Department of Planning

Discussion points What is the role of citizens in future EA practice? Quality control, content, politics? How do we as a EA community cooperate on PP? Common responsibility for PP culture? Who is to make the innovations? Public participation in the age of fake news How big is the threat? How do we handle it? Department of Planning