The socio-ecological transformation of society can only succeed if there is a high level of acceptance and support for it within society. To achieve this, it is necessary for environmental and sustainability policy to better reach sceptical groups that tend not to be interested in sustainability. The project commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency, ‘Environmental Policy in Dialogue – Environment / Populism / Democracy’, therefore aimed to find out which formats can be used to better reach and involve these groups.
The final report on the project has now been published. The report describes the participation and communication formats developed and tested for and with citizens who are currently (still) opposed to or sceptical about ambitious environmental and climate policy. First, the scientific basis for this was established: through socio-cultural analyses and literature reviews, six social figures were identified who are (rather) sceptical about environmental policy and/or participation. Building on this, innovative formats for addressing and engaging in dialogue were developed and tested in practice. The format development and testing were comprehensively evaluated and critically reflected upon from a scientific perspective. Finally, operational and strategic recommendations were derived for the Ministry of the Environment's business area with regard to participation and the promotion of a broader social dialogue on socio-ecological transformation.
The full report can be found here.
More information about the project can be found here.