Imagine trying to change a whole town's economy from coal to wind, but the people who live there feel ignored and angry. This work creates a digital and physical toolkit to make sure the people most affected actually have a say in the plan. It's like giving a megaphone to the quietest voices so that big changes don't lead to protests or failure.
Companies and governments face social unrest and project delays when transitioning to green energy because the most affected people are often the least involved in planning. This creates a 'winners and losers' perception that kills project viability.
The Stakeholder Engagement and Participation (STEP) Index, a tool to measure how well people are actually involved in sustainability policies.
If you are a renewable energy developer dealing with local protests against new wind farms — this project developed the STEP Index that helps you measure and improve how you involve the community to reduce resistance.
If you are a regional planning agency dealing with high youth unemployment in old industrial zones — this project developed digital tools for citizen deliberation that bring young people into the design process.
If you are an ESG consultancy dealing with clients who struggle to implement 'just transition' policies — this project developed a mix of design-led territorial tools to ensure vulnerable groups are included in the strategy.
Based on available project data, no pricing or cost information is provided as this is a Horizon-RIA research project.
The project aims to combine digital tools for citizen deliberation at scale with territorial tools, suggesting a design intended for wide application across regions.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not mentioned, though it is developed as a tool for measuring engagement in sustainability policies.
It provides policy recommendations for inclusive engagement of civil society, helping organizations align with EU-led governance arrangements for place-based approaches.
The project runs from 2023-02-01 to 2026-01-31, meaning the final tools and recommendations will be fully operational by early 2026.
The consortium is heavily academic and research-oriented, consisting of 13 partners across 7 countries. With 5 universities and 3 research organizations, and 0% industry representation, the project is driven by theoretical and experimental validation rather than immediate commercial product development.
Contact the Technische Universiteit Delft for access to the STEP Index
Contact us to find out how to integrate the STEP Index into your ESG strategy.
