Central European Stakeholders Workshop

Central European Stakeholders Workshop

Participatory processes in development and implementation of climate and energy strategies

September 23th, 9:50-14:30 CEST

Public participation is key for decision makers to identify wider public concerns, share information, gather expertise opinion and build legitimacy. Participatory planning is also considered to improve planning process in terms of increasing acceptance of final plans and ability to generate public support. With the workshop “Participatory processes in development and implementation of climate and energy strategies” we want to provide knowledge on how to implement participatory processes that can be legitimatized by the involvement of citizens, stakeholders, and public administrations, and be able to influence the policy process, focusing mainly on development and implementation of climate and energy strategies. However, there is no “one-size-fits-all” principle that can be applied to civic participation, and existing knowledge and success stories should be adapted to different national contexts. In this regard, second part of the event will be dedicated to presentations of good practices from Central Europe and discussion on how the existing knowledge and lessons learned can be used to effectively engage the public in designing and implementation of long-term climate strategies.

 

AGENDA
9:50	Introduction
10:00	Public Engagement: The Road to a Good Strategy or Development Document Speaker: Tina Divjak, CNVOS - National NGO Information Centre Engaging with the public at an early stage in the decision-making process can prevent possible subsequent disputes in practice, but above all it makes sense to obtain additional arguments, positions, opinions, information as well as critical considerations, which certainly contributes to a better quality of decisions. Q&A/Discussion
10:30	Role of investors in participative processes Speaker: Senka Šifkovič Vrbica, PIC - Legal-Informational Centre for NGOs Q&A/Discussion
11:00	Good practices of public participation in formulation and implementation of energy and climate strategy documents / Part I Experiences from Central Europe and beyond: Innovative public engagement approaches, success stories of public participation Speakers: Barbara Gindlová, Office of the Plenipotentiary for the Development of the Civil Society, Slovakia. Increasing participation in national, regional and local policies in Slovakia Tomáš Rakos, Participation Factory, Czechia. Strategic participatory planning best practises: Prague examples Jernej Stritih, Stritih sustainable development. Public participation in the preparation of Slovenian national energy and climate plan
12:00	Break
12:30	Good practices of public participation in formulation and implementation of energy and climate strategy documents / Part II Experiences from Central Europe and beyond: Innovative public engagement approaches, success stories of public participation Speakers: Attila Sütő, Chief Planner, Unit of Climate Protection Planning and Strategy, Department of National Adaptation Centre of the Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary Alexa Botar, NSC-Friends of the Earth Hungary. Participation in national, regional & local climate/energy policies, strategic plans and programs in Hungary Hanna Uhl, Director of the Low Emission Economy Department, Ministry of Development, Poland. Participation of the civil society in development of low-emission strategies and policies
13:30	Interactive Speakers & Participants Roundtable How can existing knowledge and good practices be used to effectively engage the public in designing and implementation of long-term climate strategies?
14:30	Summary of the workshop