Social Impact of Offshore Renewables

Social Impact of Offshore Renewables

Exploring participatory budgeting and social impacts for new offshore renewable energy production projects across Scotland.

Commissioned by Marine Scotland, we worked with Collingwood Environmental Planning, Nereus Environmental and the University of Strathclyde, to design and run a public dialogue on the social impacts of offshore renewables; bringing together specialists and members of the public to discuss the topic in an accessible and engaging way.

We spoke to communities across Scotland: in Kirkwall, Port Ellen, Helmsdale, Stranraer, Glasgow and St Andrews over two rounds of dialogues to gauge public support for and the opportunities of offshore renewables for both coastal and inland communities. The use of an 'every-town' and scenario-based dialogues brought out in-depth conversations that went beyond personal preference and benefit to explore different views and opinions on the topic and confirm approaches to support local authorities in their planning decisions.  

The dialogue project was part-funded by Sciencewise, the UK's national centre for public dialogue in policy-making involving science and technology issues, and the central focus of the project was to develop a better understanding of the things that members of the public value in their lives and how these might be impacted, positively or negatively, by the development of offshore renewables.

Our engagement approach supported the project’s research partners to translate the findings of qualitative conversations held in locations across Scotland into the backbone of a rigorous report for governmental use in the planning and decision making around the future of offshore wind in Scotland.