Participation in regional energy transitions: impacts, dynamics, strategies and science-policy dialogues - perspectives from Germany and Austria

This Special Issue critically engages with pressing conceptual and empirical issues of governance, participation, and justice in energy transitions. Anchored in case studies from Germany and Austria, the contributions serve as analytical and conceptual entry points to explore impacts, dynamics, strategies and science-policy dialogues that resonate far beyond specific regional contexts. By examining (a) place-specific conditions, transition policy capacities, public opinion and actor constellations, and emerging pathways of participation and civic engagement; (b) the potential of new forms of deliberation, knowledge co-creation and the role of the science-policy interaction in participatory approaches to just energy transitions; and (c) the effectiveness and impacts of participatory approaches and the design of best practices, the Special Issue elucidates patterns and mechanisms with broader applicability. Overall, it aims to provide both researchers and policy makers with insightful, empirically grounded case studies that highlight the potential of participatory and deliberative decision-making processes for policy support.