Page 71 - Waste-to-Energy in the Danube Strategy Region. Challenges and Prospects

4.6 Social acceptance

Generally, the problem with social acceptance/rejection is driven by psychological, social and

economic factors. According to Davison (2012) three steps are crucial to gaining public support
for a WtE project. First, the project must be situated within a bigger picture by explaining national

policy with a clear goal and predictable setting and giving people time to adapt to changes. The

next step is to engage the local community and support them with all necessary information and
to involve them in the planning process in order to address their needs. Stressing community

benefits such as employment opportunities can be key. Thirdly, an open dialogue must be

established amongst all parties concerned, wherein their interests can be presented and

compromises achieved.
Firstly, national policy should be introduced and explained to citizens, offering them a clear

image of the situation where change is needed. As mentioned under section 4.2 above, the first

national initiatives in Austria in this area started at the end of the 1980s and gradually introduced

changes in the waste management system. Citizens were thereby convinced of the importance of
reducing the amount of generated waste and fulfilling the potential of creating energy from waste

at the same time. Moreover, the history of the Lower Austria region had a positive impact on social

acceptance. Industrial plants have a long history in the region, beginning with coal in the early

20th century and continuing with chemical plants and oil refineries for the aircraft industry during
the interwar period (Alfons 2018). As regards Zwentendorg, to be assured of local citizens’ support

13
a consultative referendum was organized in June 1997 before the environmental impact
assessment procedure and technical planning started. Voter turnout was 72%, and the result was

that 74% of voters expressed agreement with the decision to build the plant (EVN 2010,
Niederösterreichische Landesregierung Stabstelle Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und Pressedienst 2004).

Secondly, the important role of community engagement and education is also confirmed

in the case of Zwentendorf. The main benefit for Zwentendorf and the surrounding area was the

promise of qualified jobs for locals. As a result of this project, 75 new jobs were created on site

13 This particular kind of referendum was non-binding. Without the binding function, the referendum serves as an orientation
aid for politics. Nevertheless, according to the statistics, no legislator in Austria has yet ignored the result of a referendum
(Martinovsky 2012).
Project co-funded by the European Union
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