Alpine Climate Board of the Alpine Convention and CIPRA Austria

The energy transition and the “not in my backyard” phenomenon. Exchanging views and ideas on solutions for climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps 2050

The energy transition refers to the global shift from fossil fuel-based energy systems to renewable energy sources. This transition is important to reach our goals, such as those aimed at climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps 2050.

There are many answers to the question of how this transition can be made possible. What we already know is that the energy transition needs space. We also know that space is limited and has to fulfil many – sometimes contradictory – requirements. Focusing on the “not in my backyard” phenomenon (hereafter “NIMBY”), the Alpine Climate Board (ACB) of the Alpine Convention (AC) and CIPRA Austria invite you to a workshop on The energy transition and the “not in my backyard” phenomenon.

Background

The NIMBY phenomenon, which has been empirically observed and was first identified in environmental justice movements in the USA in the 1980s and 1990s, refers to the discrepancy between general attitudes towards environmental improvement – we will talk explicitly about renewable energy technologies – and specific attitudes towards them. In other words, people are in favour of the construction of certain environmental technologies that bring about change because they make a positive contribution to the system, but they would rather not have them near their own homes.

Target groups

Our workshop is targeted to the following groups (but open to all interested individuals):

• Developers of renewable energy projects
• Scientific community
• Environmentalists
• Members of the public

Objectives of the workshop

In this workshop, we want to exchange views and ideas on solutions that work towards climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps 2050. We will discuss four main questions, focusing on the fourth:

• What is the vision of climate-neutral Alps, focusing on the energy system?
• How can the NIMBY phenomenon be overcome in the energy transition?
• What common interests do the stakeholders have?
• How can diverging interests be brought together?

A mediator will guide us through this process in order to facilitate constructive discussions.

Language

The workshop will be held in English.

Venue

The workshop will be held at Hotel Heffterhof (Maria-Cebotari-Straße 1-7, 5020 Salzburg, AT).

Registration and link

The workshop is free of charge. Please register here by 28 March 2024. The number of participants is limited (maximum 30).

Privacy policy

Due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), registration is only possible using the form. Audio or video recordings of the event and/or parts of it are prohibited for copyright reasons.

Contact

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with Katharina Zwettler from the Austrian Ministry for Climate Action (katharina.zwettler@bmk.gv.at) and/or Paul Kuncio from CIPRA Austria (paul.kuncio@cipra.org) if you have any questions.

Further information CIPRA Austria has published three interviews with three different stakeholders/experts in the field of energy transition and NIMBY. You can find the interviews here: https://www.cipra.org/de/cipra/oesterreich/alpenkonvention (103/2023, 104/2023 and 105/2023; only available in German).

Please take a look at the full programme here.