The Influence of Public Participation and Energy Justice on the Heating Transition in Mariahoeve, The Hague: An explorative case study on the heating transition

The thesis analyses the role of public participation and energy justice perceptions of local stakeholders on policy-making in the heating transition in the district Mariahoeve in The Hague. The thesis shows that the municipality of The Hague approaches public participation both top-down and bottom-up. Participants mainly expressed justice concerns in relation to communication, outcome fairness, outcome favourability, and distribution of responsibilities. In reaction to the preferred scenario of the municipality, participants proposed to include a low temperature district heating system in the assessment for the most suitable heating solution. Analysis of the interactions between policymakers and stakeholders indicates a willingness of policymakers to hear the concerns of participants. However, the municipality can be more clear in its communication about how the heating transition will be organized in Mariahoeve. / Industrial Ecology