IRENA Launches Toolkit to Strengthen Stakeholder Participation in National Energy Planning

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has launched a new toolkit for national energy planners under the title “Participatory processes for strategic energy planning.” This publication emphasizes that the future of energy transitions depends not only on technology and economics but also on the involvement of people and communities who are directly impacted by these changes. The report highlights the critical need to integrate stakeholder engagement into long-term energy strategies, especially for achieving a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition. It warns that ignoring public and stakeholder involvement can lead to obstacles such as opposition from local communities, legal disputes, and an overall lack of trust in energy policies.

According to the executive summary, the toolkit is intended to serve as a practical guide that offers both recommendations and clear steps to strengthen participatory processes. It focuses on three key aspects: what participatory processes are, why they are needed, and how they should be conducted. The report argues that successful energy transitions are not only built on technical assessments or economic models but also on social legitimacy and a shared sense of ownership. By actively engaging civil society, industry leaders, academic institutions, and local communities, energy planners can create strategies that are more durable, inclusive, and widely accepted. This approach ensures that plans are aligned with the broader goals of national development and that they resonate with the people most affected by them.

The toolkit outlines several guiding principles that national planners should adopt. Among these, inclusivity, transparency, and early engagement are highlighted as the most important. The report makes it clear that participation should not be treated as a one-time consultation but as a continuous process throughout the entire energy planning cycle. This means that engagement must begin at the early stages, continue through the drafting of strategies, and remain active during the implementation and monitoring phases. Such ongoing interaction ensures that stakeholders feel valued and that their input has a meaningful impact on the final plans.

The document also underscores the importance of establishing a solid legal and institutional framework to support participatory processes. Without such a framework, the contributions of stakeholders may be overlooked or only superficially acknowledged. By creating systems that guarantee that feedback is taken seriously and incorporated into decision-making, planners can significantly improve the quality of energy strategies. This approach also strengthens accountability, giving the public confidence that their voices matter in shaping the future of the energy sector.

In its conclusion, the report calls for a fundamental shift in how energy planning is carried out. It urges a move away from traditional top-down models, which rely heavily on experts and centralized decision-making, toward more inclusive and collaborative methods. IRENA presents the toolkit as an essential resource to help planners embrace this shift. It equips them with tools to handle the challenges of engagement, balance differing interests, and build consensus around transformative policies. The toolkit also provides methods to manage expectations and foster dialogue among groups with varying perspectives.

The ultimate goal, according to the publication, is to accelerate the global energy transition in a way that is not only technically possible but also socially fair and politically stable. By fostering inclusivity and co-creation, the toolkit aims to ensure that the transition to renewable energy is embraced widely and carried out smoothly. It stresses that the energy future is a collective responsibility, one that demands cooperation across all levels of society.

In essence, the new toolkit serves as both a roadmap and a reminder for national energy planners. It demonstrates that meaningful participation is not an optional extra but a core element of sustainable energy planning. By involving all stakeholders and maintaining open, transparent communication, countries can create strategies that are stronger, more resilient, and more reflective of the needs of their people. IRENA’s effort represents a significant step toward ensuring that energy transitions worldwide are not only effective but also equitable and inclusive.