Nordic Toolbox for a Just Green Transition

Engage people

To be successful, ambitious policies for a just green transition should be designed with the involvement of communities, social partners, interest and civil society organisations, young people and other stakeholders. The goal should be to tap into their expertise and develop better-targeted policies, to co-create innovative solutions and to enhance the fairness and effectiveness of measures and initiatives.

Key messages:

Empower diverse stakeholders to co-develop green transition policies from the start.
Ensure that the most affected groups are heard during the process and reach out to those groups that are underrepresented in the political debate.
Make participation processes accessible, inclusive and meaningful.

What are the challenges?

1. Lack of opportunities

Civil society organisations, labour unions and other stakeholders state that they would like to be more involved in the green transition. Currently there are not enough opportunities to share their ideas and concerns in the fora where plans, policies and decisions are made.

2. Lack of accessibility

Participation processes can be inaccessible due to practical challenges such as timing, accessibility of meeting rooms, language barriers or other constraints. For example, online participation may exclude older adults or people with disabilities who have difficulties using digital tools. Meetings during working hours can limit the attendance of students or employees. Participation processes that rely on volunteers and unpaid engagement can make it more difficult to involve hard-to-reach groups.

3. Unclear impact

Participants are not always provided with a clear explanation about the goals and impact of participation processes. Moreover, opportunities for participation often come too late to make a difference. According to civil society representatives, that can lead to discouragement and frustration.

4. Increased polarisation

Nordic societies have become more polarised with respect to sustainability and the green transition. Bridging those emerging gaps and enabling constructive discussion is seen as crucial for the just green transition.

You have a green movement that is visible and that can engage a lot of people. But it can also create a counterculture that is a barrier to the green transition.
- Youth representative

What can policymakers do?

1: Map stakeholders who should be involved

Map and identify groups and communities that should be invited to engage in participatory processes. Depending on the context, that could include communities, workers, industry representatives, civil society organisations, minority groups and young people. Engagement processes should be open to all interested individuals, but priority should be given to involving groups that are more likely to be affected by a planned policy or initiative according to impact assessments (see priority area “Assess and mitigate social and regional impacts”). Efforts should also be made to include hard-to-reach groups across a range of geographical locations, ages, abilities and socio-economic backgrounds.

C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. (n.d.). How to engage stakeholders for powerful and inclusive climate action planning. C40 Knowledge Hub. Available at: Guided Learning (c40knowledgehub.org).

2: Make meetings accessible and inclusive

Different forms of engagement suit different participants and their needs, including discussion groups, assemblies, surveys, targeted interviews, digital participatory platforms and written input. In some cases, reaching out to stakeholder groups in their natural environments (e.g. schools and online platforms in the case of young people) can be beneficial. Ensure that meetings are inclusive and can be attended by all interested parties by giving consideration to location, time and accessibility issues, as well as by covering the costs of participants’ accommodation, meals and transport.

OECD. (2022). OECD guidelines for citizen participation processes. OECD Public Governance Reviews. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-guidelines-for-citizen-participation-processes_f765caf6-en.html.

Have meetings online so that people with accessibility issues can attend. Because we still live in a world that's not very accessible.
- Youth representative

3: Engage experts and facilitators

When different groups or individuals come together to participate, they may have a wide range of interests and expectations, different educational, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as different knowledge about climate change and the green transition. One way to create common ground is to start participatory processes by holding learning sessions with experts at which participants can ask questions. External facilitation to coordinate processes, kick-start discussions, draft minutes of meetings and facilitate communication between participants and policymakers has also been effective in many citizens’ assemblies.

OECD. (2020). Innovative citizen participation and new democratic institutions. Catching the deliberative wave. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2020/06/innovative-citizen-participation-and-new-democratic-institutions_11aa2baf.html.

4: Ensure engagement processes have a concrete impact

To make an impact, participation processes should not merely confirm goals or measures already set out but contribute to formulating policies and initiatives. To achieve that, participation processes should take place at an early stage of policymaking processes.

Provide clear information to involved stakeholders about how they can contribute, what they can expect and how their input will be used. Set realistic expectations about the potential impact of the input to avoid later disappointments and resentment. Once participants have shared their recommendations and conclusions, follow up with them and explain how their input is making a difference in policymaking.

Salonen, H. (2024). Between hand-outs and stand-outs: Opportunities for policy support for just green transitions. Nordregio Policy Brief 2024:1. Stockholm: Nordregio. Available at: https://pub.nordregio.org/pb-2024-1-Between-hand-outs-and-stand-outs/index.html.

5: Make citizen engagement practices a regular routine

While one-off participatory methods can be effective, they lack the capacity to have long-term structural or institutional effects, to build up a knowledge base and to allow for joint monitoring and evaluation of policies and initiatives. The green transition is not an overnight transformation, and the needs and concerns of affected groups and territories may change over time. Given those inevitable shifts, engagement practices should become a regular routine within policymaking, with citizens and stakeholder groups seen as long-term partners. That could be achieved, for example, by creating or supporting councils representing different social groups, ombudspersons or advisory boards.

Montmasson-Clair, G. (2021). A policy toolbox for just transitions. Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies Working Paper. Available at: https://justtransitionforall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TIPS_Working_Paper_Policy_toolbox_for_a_just_transition.pdf.