Imagine trying to renovate a whole neighborhood, but forgetting to ask the people living there what they actually need. This work makes sure that when cities switch to green energy, they don't accidentally leave behind the most vulnerable people. It uses a set of checklists and community forums to make sure everyone is on board, which prevents protests and delays.
Green energy transitions often face fierce local opposition because they ignore the needs of marginalized people. This leads to project delays, political polarization, and failed policy implementation.
The project created regional scorecards to measure if transition policies meet the needs of marginalized groups and developed participatory governance models for local authorities.
If you are a renewable energy developer dealing with local protests against new wind farms — this project developed scorecards that identify the needs of marginalized groups to increase social acceptance of transition plans.
If you are a municipal urban planning office dealing with social inequality in city zoning — this project developed participatory governance models that ensure decarbonization strategies do not disadvantage specific social groups.
If you are an ESG consultancy dealing with complex social impact assessments for clients — this project developed qualitative research methods like mind mapping to capture the lived experiences of affected citizens.
Based on available project data, no specific pricing or commercial cost for the tools is mentioned, as the project is EU-funded research.
The project tests these tools across 10 European regions, including 7 high-risk areas with carbon-intensive industries, suggesting a scalable regional approach.
Based on available project data, there is no mention of patents or specific licensing terms for the developed scorecards.
It aligns with the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Mechanism, helping organizations meet EU requirements for a fair transition.
The project runs from 2022-09-01 to 2025-08-31, meaning the final tools and guidelines will be fully developed by August 2025.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward academic expertise with 6 universities and 4 other non-profit/public entities. However, there is a significant business presence with 3 industry partners (including 2 SMEs), representing a 23% industry ratio. This mix suggests the project is grounded in social science but has a direct line to practical application in 12 different countries.
Contact Tilburg University regarding the BOLSTER project deliverables.
Contact us to get the transition scorecards for your region.
