ABSTRACT
We urgently need to decarbonize our energy systems to mitigate the impact of climate change. Wind power is a key component in the green transition and can provide a reliable and domestic source of renewable energy. Wind power is cost-effective, reliable, and clean, but it can impact surrounding biodiversity, communities, and land-use practices. Offshore wind power can alleviate some land-use impacts but has other challenges to overcome before it can be rapidly upscaled. This chapter provides insights from two participatory stakeholder projects that explored 1) the sustainable development of offshore wind power, and 2) citizen perspectives of mining activities, both in Finland. This chapter will discuss the process we undertook to engage with stakeholders and experts and provide practical examples and guidance. This study provides empirical examples from two qualitative case study projects in Finland. We synthesize results from these two projects to provide practical insights and guidance to aid in developing offshore wind in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner. These can be categorized into local and national approaches. By exploring these two elements, we provide a holistic approach to promoting meaningful stakeholder engagement (MSE) in large-scale development projects. Furthermore, this enables us to examine the implementation of risk-based due diligence from the perspective of local people and from the national perspective. Finally, we discuss the consequences of ineffective stakeholder engagement.
