Description
Shale energy development is an issue of global importance. The number of reserves globally, and their potential economic return, has increased dramatically in the past decade. Questions abound, however, about the appropriate governance systems to manage the risks of unconventional oil and gas development and the ability for citizens to engage and participate in decisions regarding these systems. Stakeholder participation is essential for the social and political legitimacy of energy extraction and production, what the industry calls “social license” to operate. This book maps the development of shale gas in multiple democratic governance systems: the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany and Poland. The authors compare these governance systems and modes of regulation, describing the opportunities that these different systems of governance present to the general public, such as opportunities to engage and become involved in shale gas decisions. They also draw on recent social science and energy justice research to develop guiding principles for community-led, participatory processes in relation to large-scale energy production that would lead to robust, socially sustainable decisions over the long term. Overall, the book proposes a systemic, participatory, community led approach required to achieve a form of legitimacy that allows communities to derive social priorities by a process of community visioning. This book will be of great relevance to scholars and policy makers with an interest in in shale gas development, and energy policy and governance.
