Community consultation and awareness
Community support plays a crucial role in determining the future of low emissions coal technologies and associated research and development programs.
A key objective of the Coal Innovation NSW Fund (the Fund) is to increase public awareness of, and support for, the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions via low emissions coal technologies.
This will be achieved by:
- providing valuable, accurate information to the community
- consulting with the community where necessary regarding existing projects and programs and
- increasing community confidence in low emissions coal technologies by leveraging the experience and data gained from research projects and drilling programs supported by the Fund.
Coal Innovation NSW has undertaken significant community consultation and awareness campaigns about its work in the community, primarily through community engagement for Coal Innovation NSW funded projects.
Managing low emissions coal technology project risk: the role of public awareness
To increase the public awareness and support of Low Emissions Coal Technologies (LECT) in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired power generation, Coal Innovation NSW funded the University of Newcastle's Research Institute for Social Inclusion and Well-being to investigate public perception of LECT and how this is formed.
Grant amount: $618,930 (EOI Round 2009)
The project: The final report, ‘Managing Low Emissions Coal Technology project risks: The role of public awareness’, investigated the organisational dynamics within the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Coal Seam Gas (CSG) industries and the question of how and why the public forms opinion around issues relating to them.
The comparative study was undertaken to further social science research in the use of innovative forms of communications and their role in public awareness.
CSG is not a low emissions coal technology. Findings from this study cannot compare CSG technologies to low emissions coal technologies and carbon capture and storage.
Enabling broader low emissions advocacy coalitions in the NSW coal-related sectors
To improve public understanding and acceptance of low emissions coal technologies as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of coal, Coal Innovation NSW funded a program by the University of Melbourne, to better understand and utilise the mechanics of ‘advocacy coalitions’ for low carbon technologies in coal and coal-related sectors to improve communication strategies and commence new coalition building.
Grant amount: $418,828 (EOI Round 2018)
The project: This social science project aimed to better understand and utilise the mechanics of ‘advocacy coalitions’ for low carbon technologies in coal and coal-related sectors (notably mining, electricity, and steel-making). State-of-the-art sociological research shows that coalitions (groups of like-minded people) have either core or peripheral beliefs, which determine the likelihood of joining other coalitions or changing their interim goals.
Further, it is key opinion leaders (KOLs) in coalitions who are largely responsible for spreading awareness of, support for, or opposition to a technology. This study examined if it could make as many NSW low-carbon advocacy coalitions as possible converge in their beliefs and goals on low emissions coal technologies. Policy proponents can leverage this knowledge for better targeting of funding and resources for low emissions coal technologies, most notably carbon capture and storage.