Given the explicit link between energy policy and climate change targets in the European Union, the paper investigates the role that formalised stakeholder consultations can play in addressing climate change issues. More precisely the paper focuses on the formal stakeholder consultations of the DG Energy and investigates how diverse they are, how they evolve, and whether they can help integrate climate change in energy policy. It is based on an empirical analysis of all formal consultations from 1998 until 2009, using both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results indicate that even though stakeholder consultations are increasing in importance with respect to EU energy policy, there is certainly room for improvement. The oldest formal consultations have become rather insular, with limited flexibility, and limited diversity of participation. The newest formal consultations seem to be more attuned to climate change considerations. These differences seem to relate to the aim of the Forums, and whether this is to reach a consensus and produce soft law.

The talk will be held in English. The Berlin Sustainability Talk is a monthly brown bag seminar at the Environmental Policy Research Centre (ffu). It presents a forum for discussion and exchange about ongoing research projects and recent trends in environmental policy research with scholars of other institutes, business representatives, politics, and public administrations as well as the interested public.