Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making

The development of public participation practice and supportive legislation, the spirit of which is encapsulated in Principle 10 and Agenda 21, moved a stage further in Europe with the adoption of the Aarhus Convention. This study looks at the forces shaping the public participation debate, including the historical legislative perspective; the tools available to public participation practitioners; the particular case of participation in the environmental impact assessment process; methods for measuring capacity; and finally a survey of the experiences, attitudes, and capacities of the main stakeholders in Ireland, with regard to public participation in environmental decision-making.