JustWind4All supports the development of just on- and offshore wind energy in the European Union. What makes the project stand out is its trans- and interdisciplinary multi-method research design, which includes holistic impact assessments, living labs, and regional case studies. In the project, we aim to develop a wind energy governance toolbox that supports participation, energy citizenship and governance processes.
Wind energy is a key part of the European REPowerEU Plan: over the coming years, the importance of wind energy as part of the energy mix will increase significantly for member states in order to realize decarbonisation goals. This transition needs to become more effective and just in terms of decision-making processes and citizen participation. Issues that are addressed include social acceptance and energy citizenship, with an explicit focus to move beyond the Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) narrative, and to capture diverse participatory practices and social innovations.
JustWind4All is a 3-year EU-funded project which aims to improve wind energy related decision-making to become more just and effective. It focuses on four domains: knowledge, justice, policy frameworks and novel resources.
A multitude of methods are used during this project, including a holistic impact assessment to integrate a wide number of indicators for improving decision making. In this assessment, energy systems and wind power are modeled on an European scale to quantify wind development areas, wind farm design and strategies. Another method is constructing a participatory database of social innovations to create an overview of practices. Regional challenges and opportunities are investigated through a comparative analysis, and practical recommendations for improving wind energy governance are co-created by facilitating labs in for example Bulgaria, Portugal and Germany.
Outcomes
The outcomes of the project are an innovative Wind Forum, open access modeling tools and a wind energy governance toolbox. The Wind Forum brings together wind energy actors to meet, network, discuss and prepare action. The wind energy governance toolbox aims to enhance participation and energy citizenship, and improve wind energy related decision making.
