Corruption Risks in Renewable Resource Governance: Case Studies in Iceland and Romania

In this research, we attempt to shed light on the question of where corruption risks in the governance of renewable resources are located and how they have been addressed in European countries that have different levels of corruption. A comparative case study design was chosen, looking into the fisheries sector in Iceland and the forestry sector in Romania. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders sampled through a snowball method. Qualitative coding and systems analysis were used to analyse the interviews. The results indicate that comprehensive and ambitious legislation does not necessarily translate into successful resource governance systems. In general, the institutions that were put in place to enforce and monitor the legal codes and regulations did not have the capacity to carry out their role. Additionally, interviewees were generally found to have a widespread perception of there being a corrupt relationship between politics and big companies operating in their sectors. Our findings suggest that when people hold such perceptions, it undermines anti-corruption policy efforts in the resource sectors, which can then impede sustainable resource management

Transparency and Leverage Points for Sustainable Resource Management

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.The phrase ‘sunshine is the best disinfectant’ is commonly used to suggest that transparency can counter corruption and ensure accountability. In the policy world, several analytical tools have been developed to obtain information on what policy decision would bring about the biggest positive effect for the least amount of effort. There is a tendency to view transparency as the silver bullet in that respect. This paper aimed to shed light on how measures of transparency can serve as a leverage point for sustainable resource management. We begin by analysing the concept of transparency and then draw from Donella Meadows’ work on leverage points to analyse the transformative potential of increasing transparency towards sustainable resource management. We then demonstrate the use of this analytical approach by applying it to three case studies on resource management systems in Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. The results suggested that transparency in resource management needs to be accompanied by widely accepted standards and accountability mechanisms for it to serve as an effective leverage point. If these factors are neglected, the credibility of transparency can be undermined. Prioritising transparency as a policy intervention to alleviate corruption risks, in the absence of accountability mechanisms and clear rules, might be misplaced, and require deeper leverage points.Peer reviewe

It is best to ask: Designing a stakeholder-centric approach to selecting sustainable energy development indicators

Sustainable energy development is a complex and multi-dimensional concept that is integral to sustainable development. This paper offers an approach to selecting comprehensive and robust indicators to monitor progress towards this international policy objective. Numerous weaknesses in current indicator sets for sustainable energy development have been identified, e.g., lack of transparency, imbalanced representation of the pillars of sustainable development, and the absence of stakeholder engagement during development. Currently, no standardized approach to indicator selection exists. In this paper, an iterative process to indicator selection for sustainable energy development is presented. This process is rooted in stakeholder engagement to ensure a representative indicator set and reduce the potential for bias in indicator selection. A diverse and balanced group of stakeholders should be engaged through interviews, focus groups, and a Delphi survey to capture stakeholders' views of sustainable energy development within a particular setting. Based on stakeholder input, the main themes of sustainable energy development are identified, which corresponds to a thematic conceptual framework for indicator development. These results are connected to established indicators to produce a preliminary set of indicators. Subsequently, a set of indicator assessment criteria are applied to assess the quality of indicators and eliminate overly correlated indicators. In the end, a comprehensive and robust set of indicators for sustainable energy development is produced that reflects the context in question. To ensure the usefulness of the indicator set to decision-makers and stakeholders, information such as the necessary formulas and data sources should be provided

It is best to ask: Designing a stakeholder-centric approach to selecting sustainable energy development indicators

Sustainable energy development is a complex and multi-dimensional concept that is integral to sustainable development. This paper offers an approach to selecting comprehensive and robust indicators to monitor progress towards this international policy objective. Numerous weaknesses in current indicator sets for sustainable energy development have been identified, e.g., lack of transparency, imbalanced representation of the pillars of sustainable development, and the absence of stakeholder engagement during development. Currently, no standardized approach to indicator selection exists. In this paper, an iterative process to indicator selection for sustainable energy development is presented. This process is rooted in stakeholder engagement to ensure a representative indicator set and reduce the potential for bias in indicator selection. A diverse and balanced group of stakeholders should be engaged through interviews, focus groups, and a Delphi survey to capture stakeholders' views of sustainable energy development within a particular setting. Based on stakeholder input, the main themes of sustainable energy development are identified, which corresponds to a thematic conceptual framework for indicator development. These results are connected to established indicators to produce a preliminary set of indicators. Subsequently, a set of indicator assessment criteria are applied to assess the quality of indicators and eliminate overly correlated indicators. In the end, a comprehensive and robust set of indicators for sustainable energy development is produced that reflects the context in question. To ensure the usefulness of the indicator set to decision-makers and stakeholders, information such as the necessary formulas and data sources should be provided