A new review report highlights the critical role of public trust, risk perceptions and local context in shaping acceptance of emerging energy technologies such as green hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and small modular nuclear reactors.
As governments increasingly turn to these technologies as options to decarbonise energy-intensive sectors, questions around public acceptance have come to the forefront. Despite growing political momentum, projects could face resistance at the community level—potentially slowing or complicating implementation.
The report, based on a comprehensive review of 155 sources published between 2000 and 2025, offers one of the first cross-technology comparisons of how social acceptance and public engagement unfold across these emerging energy systems.
Across all technologies studied, trust in project developers and public authorities emerges as a decisive factor. Perceived risks also play a major role in shaping public attitudes. However, the report stresses an important distinction: while people may express general support for a technology in principle, acceptance often becomes more conditional when specific projects are proposed in their local area. However, empirical studies examining how acceptance evolves in concrete project settings remain limited, particularly for newer technologies.
One of the central findings is that public engagement is still largely treated as a tool to secure acceptance, rather than as a genuine process of participation. Most engagement efforts remain limited to information campaigns, consultations, and surveys, with more participatory approaches—such as co-creation or collaborative planning—still relatively rare.
The analysis also identifies several conditions that can enable more meaningful and effective public engagement. These include early and continuous involvement of communities, transparent decision-making processes, inclusive participation, and efforts to build trust over time. Creating spaces for dialogue and collective sense-making is also seen as essential.
By bringing together insights across multiple technologies, the report aims to inform policymakers and practitioners working on the energy transition. Its findings underline that achieving decarbonisation goals will depend not only on technological innovation, but also on how societies engage with and shape these developments.
The work is funded by the Task participating countries from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden and Austria and will be further continued.
Read the full report or download the slide pack