How can sensitivity mapping help to take into account political and societal challenges in renewable energy planning?

Expanding the use of renewable energy is important, but it must be done without compromising other important objectives such as biodiversity conservation, water management, cultural heritage and public health. The public must be actively encouraged to participate. In a case study on Slovenia, the authors Dr. Danijel Crnčec, Assistant Professor; Dr. Marko Lovec, Associate Professor, members of Centre of International Relations, and author Dr. Jerneja Penca (Science and Research Centre Koper), present how sensitivity mapping can help to take into account political and societal challenges in renewable energy planning. 

Sensitivity mapping enables:

• planning and expanding renewable energy sources without compromising other policy objectives protected by existing legislation, which may increase in importance (e.g. health, biodiversity, water). 

Sensitivity mapping in Slovenia is a key basis for achieving the target of 27% renewable energy by 2030 in conflict-free areas. The target was set on the basis of an expert assessment of energy potential, but without a comprehensive analysis of the impact on other factors. The results show that the potential in conflict-free areas is higher than expected, which puts Slovenia in a good position to meet the 2030 targets.

• the results by identifying more precisely the policy or regulatory measures that would be least harmful in the light of existing environmental laws.

In Slovenia, vulnerability mapping has helped to identify new no-risk or low-risk areas that were previously undetected, while at the same time highlighting regulatory and administrative barriers that make it difficult to implement some low-conflict solutions, such as the installation of solar panels.

The study also highlights the limits to the deployment of renewables if safeguard regimes are to be maintained, and raises questions about how feasible it is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 on a country-wide scale.

You can read the full study on conflict-free renewable energy planning here.

Photo: Gustavo Quepón, Unsplash