ID: 1556
Presenting Author: Tracey Hooper
Session: 639 - Contested Narratives: Misinformation, Mobilisation and Impact Assessment
Status: pending
Renewable energy projects in the Asia/Pacific region face challenges from community mistrust and misinformation, impacting engagement and delivery. This paper explores trust-building strategies and le
Many Pacific Island and Southeast Asian nations are setting ambitious renewable energy targets to reduce or replace their reliance on fossil fuels with renewals. While these initiatives are often backed by international investment, they often place small and sometimes remote communities at the forefront of development and their associated impacts.
The spread of misinformation and mistrust can emerge in many ways including disengagement from the stakeholder engagement process, public protests, mainstream media scrutiny, and refusal to grant land access. This can also highlight a disconnect between national energy targets and the goals and ambitions of local communities. When the spread of misinformation and mistrust is unexpected or arises during project delivery it can challenge the process of stakeholder engagement and the ability to openly discuss a proposal with all affected communities. This may also influence design development, delivery timeframes, cost, and challenge the social and economic viability of a project.
This paper will explore how misinformation and mistrust circulates within communities, how this is shaping engagement and project delivery, and the tensions that can arise between national goals and local priorities. It will also examine strategies used to rebuild trust, foster meaningful stakeholder participation, and counter misinformation, and lessons that have been learnt in the complexities of the renewable energy transition in the Asia/Pacific region.
Tracey is a Senior Principal Environmental Scientist with Stantec in New Zealand. She is a specialist impact assessment practitioner with extensive experience across the Asia/Pacific region.