Development and implementation of stakeholder engagement strategies from a governance perspective

Legislation establishes the regulatory framework for decision making in support of licensing, including the role of the stakeholder involvement in the licensing process. In the Swedish context, through both the Environmental Code and the Act on Nuclear Activities, this has enabled municipalities and environmental organisations to contribute to evaluations undertaken by regulatory authorities, defining questions to be discussed and requesting additional investigations and information. Importantly, as part of pre-licensing decision making, it has also enabled public consultation on the research, development and demonstration (RD&D) program for the safe management and disposal of nuclear waste in Sweden. Such consultation has resulted in a transparent and open process, enabling stakeholders not only to receive information but also to have an impact on the content of the RD&D program as well as on the siting process. Equally important is financing legislation enabling to non-profit organizations and concerned municipalities to be an active part of the process.  

Other important pillar in a long-term stakeholder engagement governance strategy is to clarify roles and responsibilities, not the least regarding who will be responsible for the closed repository. The municipality of Östhammar, the planned host community for the spent nuclear fuel repository in Forsmark, emphasized during the national consultations a need for the post-closure responsibility to be clarified and specified. It must be clear at all times who is responsible for the final repository in the event that something happens after closure that requires action to be taken . The 2020 amendment to the Nuclear act clarified the state responsibility for a permanently sealed geological repository.

The Environmental Code also give a potential hosting municipality veto right to the establishment of a repository for spent nuclear fuel. This veto right is a strong incentive for the implementer to invest time and resources in the engagement with the local community in order to build and develop relationships and achieve a high level of trust. There is a formal possibility for the government to allow location despite a municipal veto, but not if there is a suitable location in a voluntary municipality. However, the government has stated that for a spent fuel repository, voluntariness is a prerequisite for the site selection process .

It is also worth mentioning the subtle but important change in the legislations when the Nuclear Power Stipulation Act (1977), requiring an absolute safe disposal of nuclear waste before new reactors are fueled, was replace by the Act on Nuclear Activities (1984), requiring safely handle and finally dispose of the radioactive waste from the nuclear power plants. The expression “absolute safe” forced the siting process towards a technocratic path where the goal was to find the best site Sweden could offer. Changing to “safely handle” opened up the siting process to other factors than the suitability of the site from a geological perspective, factors that also include the social dimension.