Deep discussions and reflective insights at the 5th DUST Consortium Meeting

On May 21 2025, the DUST (Democratising jUst Sustainability Transitions) consortium held its 5th consortium meeting, bringing together project partners and members of the DUST Advisory Board (AB) for a full day of thoughtful discussions and productive ideation. With the project entering its final phase, this meeting focused on how the results from the project can be shared to maximum input across Europe, and particularly how they can be contextually grounded in the lived experiences of those working in or impacted by regional sustainability transitions. Below, we walk through the outcomes of the meeting, focusing particularly on the rich exchange with members of the DUST Advisory Board. 

An update on project progress: We have a lot to share 

The first half of the consortium meeting involved internal discussions on outstanding tasks across all DUST work packages. Each session provided space for partners to share progress, identify challenges, and strategize about concluding deliverables. 

Dissemination, Engagement and the DUST Academy 

Discussions were held on the upcoming launch of the DUST Academy, a task that involves synthesising key transferrable results from the project and using these to build capacities with key audiences across Europe. The consortium is also preparing for a series of national and international workshops designed to extend the project's reach. Our focus on storytelling, digital tools, and network building highlights a shared aim: to engage audiences beyond academia and ensure DUST’s findings resonate across territories. 

Valorising Analytical Findings 

The first two years of DUST involved enormous efforts from partners in exploring the implementation of Just Sustainability Transition policies and the barriers and enablers to citizen participation. This work is now being translated into accessible outputs such as handbooks, policy briefs, and other accessible mediums, to bridge analytical insights with the practical needs of communities and policymakers.  

Our Regional Future Literacy Labs are steaming ahead 

Our partners working on the Regional Futuring Living Labs (RFLLs) in four of our case study regions have a lot to share on how the methodology has unfolded, its successes and its challenges. Key lessons learned focused on issues of time, local identity, and pragmatic needs, particularly as these factors shaped how different communities—especially youth and older citizens—imagined their futures. So much has been learned through this process that points to an exciting new way to organise citizen engagement in regional policy implementation. Catch up on these findings by reading our recent news updates. 

Dialogue with the DUST Advisory Board: Deepening the Policy Conversation 

A standout feature of the 5th Consortium Meeting was the dedicated session with DUST’s Advisory Board. Drawing from analytical findings and local case experiences, the session aimed to translate research into concrete, actionable policy recommendations for just transitions. Moderated by Dr. Martin Ferry (University of Strathclyde), this exchange illuminated many of our results within the contextual experiences of our AB members. 

Framing Transitions for Positive Engagement 

Apostol Dyankov (Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria) illustrated the power of narrative framing, noting how Bulgaria’s shift from "energy security" to "energy sovereignty" redefined public perception. Advisory Board members emphasised the need for flexible, empowering policy framings that reflect local identities and support shared ownership of transition pathways. 

Power, Participation, and Local Capacity 

Dr Riel Miller (Senior Fellow at École des Ponts Business School and University of New Brunswick) posed a provocative question about how power is embedded in transition processes. His call to move from “fixing problems” to co-designed learning processes resonated strongly. Others, like Dr Cristina Cavaco (Associate Professor, Universidade de Lisboa) and Dr Paolo Graziano (Professor, Università di Padova), highlighted the necessity of territorial polities and local knowledge inventories to root transitions in place and empower communities structurally—not just symbolically. 

Building Trust in Times of Uncertainty 

Trust was a recurring theme. Anna Dudek (Silesia Marshall Office) and Kenneth Sjaunja (Region Norrbotten) described the stress of rapid transition timelines and the limits of top-down communication. Their recommendation: build credibility and continuity into policy instruments and establish clear but flexible frameworks that can adapt to regional needs. Stefan Simonides-Noack (City of Cottbus) added the importance of new outreach mechanisms, from mobile info buses to local ambassadors, especially for hard-to-reach rural populations. 

Making Participation Real and Reciprocal 

Several AB members critiqued the often one-sided nature of participatory processes. Dr Cristina Cavaco stressed the need for mutual respect, where governments recognize communities not just as beneficiaries but as equal partners. Apostol Dyankov recommended involving trusted, locally embedded interlocutors to mediate deliberative practices. The message was clear: true participation must be deliberate, representative, and relational. 

Final Reflections: Mutual Respect and Inclusion at the Core 

The meeting concluded with an open reflection on mutual respect and inclusion and the importance of maintaining these values in the DUST project, as well as more broadly in international research spaces. These values, foundational to DUST’s approach, were reaffirmed as essential not only within the consortium, but also in its engagement with communities navigating sustainability transitions. 

Closing on this reflection, the 5th Consortium Meeting reaffirmed the importance of community-rooted, context-sensitive, and power-aware policymaking. By grounding its work in ongoing dialogue with advisors and communities alike, DUST continues to shape what a just and democratic transition can look like—not just in theory, but in practice. We look ahead now to our last consortium meeting in the autumn in Bulgaria, and look forward to sharing our project results far and wide.