Call for abstracts: ‘Public and stakeholder engagement in transforming energy systems’

Deadline for submission: February 1^st 2009

The Planning and Environment Research Group (PERG) of the Royal Geographical Society is sponsoring a session on the above theme at the 2009 RGS-IBG CONFERENCE 'GEOGRAPHY, KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIETY', to be held at in Manchester, on 26th - 28th August 09. Conference website: http://www.rgs.org/AC2009

It is increasingly accepted that energy systems with high carbon emissions are not environmentally sustainable and require transformation. The proposed RGS session is intended to provide a timely review of research on public and stakeholder engagement, in contexts of diverse, innovative energy technologies. Public and stakeholder engagement is conceived broadly - as the interaction between how developers and statutory actors engage (or fail to engage) with publics and stakeholders in relation to energy technologies (including assumptions held about the methods used, such as the provision of financial benefits or the holding of deliberative events), and how individuals and groups engage with energy policies and projects (including indirectly through the media and directly through emotional and behavioural responses).

Organisers of the session ‘Public and stakeholder engagement in transforming energy systems’ are Dr. Paul Upham, Tyndall Centre Manchester, University of Manchester; Dr. Patrick Devine-Wright, Manchester School of Architecture, University of Manchester; Prof Rob Flynn and Dr Miriam Ricci, Institute for Social, Cultural & Policy Research, University of Salford.

Please email abstracts of 150-200 words by February 1^st 2009 to [log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask]