New policy article

Can collaboration among stakeholders be made effective to foster sustainability transformation? How?

We are pleased to share a new scientific article from our ENERGY4ALL partners at the University of Stavanger.

Led by postdoc Yonas Tesema at the University of Stavanger and co-authored with Siddharth Sareen of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, the article was published in Urban Research & Practice, an international peer-reviewed journal focusing on urban research and practice.

“Fostering sustainability transformation through effective collaboration among stakeholders” explores how collaboration among stakeholders can support sustainability transformation, and what factors enable or hinder effective collaboration and collective action.

Drawing on lessons from the Positive Energy District Hillevåg initiative in Stavanger, including industrial decarbonisation innovation involving Felleskjøpet Rogaland Agder and Skretting, the article examines the challenges of bringing together stakeholders with different interests, priorities, resources and perspectives. It highlights misaligned interests and competing priorities, policy and regulatory inconsistencies, lack of access to resources, and risk and distrust as key barriers to effective collaboration.

The authors also explore ways to enhance collaboration through co-investment and co-creation models, multistakeholder platforms for collaborative planning, and resource mobilization and innovative solutions — with co-creation understood as more than participation, giving stakeholders a role in shaping and co-planning sustainable solutions.

This is a valuable contribution from our University of Stavanger partners to the ENERGY4ALL project.

Read the full article.