Revisiting the energy justice framework: Doing justice to normative uncertainties

Energy justice is often approached through the four tenets of procedural, distributive, restorative and recognition justice. Though these tenets are important placeholders for addressing what type of justice issues are involved, they require further normative substantiations. These are achieved by using principles of justice to specify why –...

A Healthy Metaphor?: The North Sea Consultation and the Power of Words

The North Sea Consultation was set up to resolve conflicting claims for space in the North Sea. In 2020, this consultation process resulted in the North Sea Agreement, which was supported by the Dutch Parliament and cabinet as a long-term policy; however, the fishing sector felt excluded, left the consultation process, and does not support the...

When controversies cascade: Analysing the dynamics of public engagement and conflict in the Netherlands and Switzerland through “controversy spillover”

Energy controversies have been widely studied. Such studies are, however, generally based on either single case studies, providing rich and in-depth understanding of (local) dynamics of planning and implementation processes, or they focus on understanding responses to a specific technology (not bound to a location). Therefore these studies...

Spillover dynamics in energy controversies

Energy justice and controversies: Formal and informal assessment in energy projects

In this paper we develop a framework for understanding how justice-related claims play a role in the dynamics of controversy in energy projects. We do so by distinguishing two interacting trajectories of assessment: a formal trajectory that is embedded in the legal system and an informal trajectory that is mainly embedded in public discourse....

Contested Technologies and Design for Values: The Case of Shale Gas

The introduction of new energy technologies may lead to public resistance and contestation. It is often argued that this phenomenon is caused by an inadequate inclusion of relevant public values in the design of technology. In this paper we examine the applicability of the value sensitive design (VSD) approach. While VSD was primarily introduced...

Responsible innovation of shale gas: Understanding the controversy

Responsible innovation of shale gas (extended abstract)

The acceptability of shale gas? Values in the design of technologies, institutions and stakeholder interactions

Shale gas is a relatively new technology that is embraced by some as the ‘game changer’ in energy land, and opposed by others because of its risks and other potentially negative impacts. Recent experiences in the US and Europe have shown that the technology witnesses divergent societal acceptance issues. The value-laden basis of such resistance...

Responsible innovation of shale gas...