Engaging stakeholders in air pollution research - Participatory assessment of mitigation measures

This paper outlines findings from a participatory research project, which assessed how effectively pollutant mitigation measures address the sustainability impacts of emissions from coal-fired electricity generation. The scope of this project was NO_x, SO_x, Particulate Matter and mercury emissions, their impact and their management, with particular reference to the Hunter Valley and the Newcastle region of Australia. This research assessed a range of pollutant impact mitigation measures in collaboration with government, industry and community stakeholders. It inquired into: Current and projected levels of pollutant emissions in NSW; Environmental and social impacts from those emissions; Potential mitigation strategies and their costs and benefits; and Gauged which strategies are most effective and most acceptable to stakeholders from industry, government and non-government groups. Although Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is commonly used in this field, it has notable flaws, especially in the conversion of complex sustainability considerations into monetary units. Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) was chosen instead, as a more progressive multi-disciplinary approach, which can assess a variety of options, on a quantitative and qualitative basis. This project examined the principle that active stakeholder engagement in research contributes to improved policy development, corporate strategy formulation and creates an informed community and NGO outlook. The dialogue enabled by this research process may also spin-off other important sustainability outcomes such as partnership development and a shared understanding of multiple stakeholder perspectives. This presentation will explore those outcomes as well as the research output - an assessment of impact mitigation measures for pollutant emissions from coal-fired electricity generation.