Associate professor Goda Perlaviciute will spend the next three months in Paris as an Embassy Science Fellow, where she will be working together with the Dutch embassy to better understand France’s policies on public values in climate and energy. “Fellowships are a special way to exchange knowledge, because fellows are really placed in the national context and able to communicate directly with local partners.”
1. What does an Embassy Science Fellow do?
Embassy science fellows contribute to scientific and societal issues identified by Dutch embassies and consulates around the world. I am representing the Environmental Psychology research group and the Public Participation Center, so this fellowship will help build bridges to the relevant institutions in France.
2. What will you be doing with the Dutch embassy in France?
I’ll be examining the institutional facilitators and bottlenecks for better incorporating people’s values better in climate and energy policies. I will conduct interviews with key stakeholders in France’s energy landscape, namely public officials, industry representatives, energy companies, NGOs, and scientists. I’ll also organise a workshop together with public officials so we can see how to better incorporate people’s values into policymaking.
3. Did you choose to work in France specifically, or did they choose you?
It went both ways. France and the Netherlands have agreements about working together towards future-proof energy systems, hence the Embassy’s call for more research on the social aspects of future-proof energy systems in France. This is my core research area, so it was a good fit.
France is an interesting country to look at from my research perspective due to their long history of nuclear energy, in comparison to the Netherlands’ dependency on gas. France also organised a famous climate citizen assembly to involve citizens directly in climate- and energy-policy-making. The Netherlands are working to create a similar national climate assembly at the moment, so gaining experience in France is a very useful and timely opportunity for me.
4. How important is it for embassies to be aware of citizen assemblies and the role of public participation?
There will be no future-proof energy system unless there is enough public support. The question is how to better align climate and energy policies with people’s most closely held values and thereby securing public support. Public participation, of which citizen assemblies are one example, is a promising approach, but we need more insights into how to best use them in order to develop socially acceptable policies.
5. What are France’s policies on public values in climate and energy?
That is what I am going to find out. France is facing changes: for a long time, the energy policy has been very much top-down and centralized in the form of nuclear energy, which is largely government-owned.
Shifting towards renewables means decentralization, and there is public unrest, such as the yellow vests protests. France needs to learn how to deal with public acceptability, whether and how to engage the public more in decision-making, and how to align energy policies with public values.
6. Why do you think these kinds of fellowships are important?
They’re important for knowledge transfer, and to make sure that knowledge is shared and enriched. Sharing experiences between countries is valuable. Fellowships are a special way to do it, because fellows are really placed in the national context and able to communicate directly with local partners.
These are experiences and insights that one cannot get out of scientific publications alone. Direct contact is also important for building a network and starting new collaborations.
7. How big of a role can public values and public participation play in the energy transition in Europe?
They can play a huge role. They can be a game changer for mobilizing public support. Policies are no longer just place upon people, but they are made with the people by placing their core values at the heart of decision making. Public participation can be a key to unlocking better, more sustainable, and more socially acceptable climate and energy policies.
Associate professor Goda Perlaviciute is a member of the Environmental Psychology research group in the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen. She is a co-founder of the Public Participation Center, and was a Ben Feringa Impact Prize nominee in 2024.
