Regen has created a best-practice guide to community engagement for renewable energy and storage projects – a critical factor in securing local support and achieving the UK’s net zero targets. Developed with members of our planning working group, the guide offers practical advice and examples to support meaningful and effective community engagement at every stage of a project.
As the pace and scale of renewable energy and storage development continue to accelerate, it is more important than ever that communities are genuinely informed, involved and empowered to shape and benefit from projects in their area. Yet engagement practices can vary significantly across technologies, organisations and local contexts.
By sharing lessons and insights from across the sector, Best Practice in Community Engagement aims to support a more consistent, thoughtful and transparent approach to engagement – one that builds trust, improves project outcomes and helps the sector move forward together.
Setting out five core principles and eight best practices for meaningful community engagement, this guide:
“At Regen, we believe that people must be at the heart of the transition if we are to deliver net zero at the scale and pace required. We know that good community engagement isn’t just a tick-box exercise; it’s central to building consent, credibility and long-term local benefit. This guide is about sharing what works across the sector, helping raise the standard of engagement, and supporting both communities and developers to navigate the energy transition in partnership.”
– Rebecca Windemer, Regen’s planning lead
One of Regen’s strategic goals is to support a just transition that benefits all members of society while building a strong and inclusive energy sector. We recognise that less-represented groups are often not included in energy conversations, preventing inclusive decision making and hindering public support. Good community engagement practices can foster trust, transparency and mutual understanding between developers and local communities. This guide was developed with members of our planning working group looking to raise the standard of engagement across the clean energy sector and address misinformation about renewables.
“Done well, meaningful engagement can unlock opportunities creating projects that are genuinely rooted in their communities. We hope this guide provides some of the tools through which to genuinely involve people because the outcomes are always better when they do.”
– Lucy James, EQ Communications – Regen member
This guide follows the launch last year of Onshore Renewable Energy: Common Myths, a fact-filled guide developed with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Renewable & Sustainable Energy that empowers MPs and others in the public eye to advocate for renewable projects and support a transition that benefits both local communities and the environment.
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