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9 Societal Dialogue on Risks and Benefits
environmental and safety reports, reporting accidents and near-accidents as well
as the measures taken to address them, communicating deficiencies and how they
are corrected, regular media contributions, development of informative websites,
organizing neighborhood networks, and offering factory tours. All efforts to initiate
dialogue should be proactive, and special attention should be given to also considering and communicating risks from chronic and non-visible exposures.
9.4.2 The Conflict Case
Conflicts can occur following a decrease in societal acceptance of a company, its
products, or a technology, and it can lead to public backlashes such as protests,
boycotts, and legal action. Given the high stakes that can be at play, communication
during such conflicts can be made even more difficult by the emotions that may be
involved. While such emotions can complicate the dialogue, it is important that they
are actively heard and not seen as irrelevant or used to discredit stakeholders.
The goal of risk-benefit dialogue in this conflict case is to understand the terms
and conditions under which the benefit of a product or process outweighs the
perceived risk for the vast majority of stakeholders.
Here too, a proactive approach following the generic structure of a risk-benefit
dialogue is important, and the earlier conflict management begins, the more effective
it will be. Conflicts can usually be classified within one of the three levels shown in
Table 9.1.
Table 9.1 Different levels of conflict leading to a lack of acceptance of chemical products and
processes
Conflict level
Challenges to acceptance
Generic technology
Questioning how desirable it is (e.g., genetic modification)
Specific location
Questioning the societal (spatial) distribution of risks and benefits
Specific product/process
Questioning the safety of the technical design and use/operation
To address concerns regarding a generic technology (such as nuclear power or
genetically modified organisms in agriculture), a risk-benefit dialogue can be very
costly, and success is likely only possible in the longer term after further discussion
and testing. For concerns related to individual products or processes, it is usually
much easier to reach an agreement and address stakeholders’ concerns.
To gain societal acceptance in the event of a conflict, a participatory approach
involving those potentially affected is crucial. For example, dialogue based on the
concept of critical rationality (Renn, 1993) can help, and success relies on the
following:
• Recognition of the need for rational discourse between the conflicting parties
• Openness regarding the outcome of the negotiation
• Equal rights for all parties involved in the dialogue
• Comprehensibility and trace-ability of arguments and outcomes
9 Societal Dialogue on Risks and Benefits
environmental and safety reports, reporting accidents and near-accidents as well
as the measures taken to address them, communicating deficiencies and how they
are corrected, regular media contributions, development of informative websites,
organizing neighborhood networks, and offering factory tours. All efforts to initiate
dialogue should be proactive, and special attention should be given to also considering and communicating risks from chronic and non-visible exposures.
9.4.2 The Conflict Case
Conflicts can occur following a decrease in societal acceptance of a company, its
products, or a technology, and it can lead to public backlashes such as protests,
boycotts, and legal action. Given the high stakes that can be at play, communication
during such conflicts can be made even more difficult by the emotions that may be
involved. While such emotions can complicate the dialogue, it is important that they
are actively heard and not seen as irrelevant or used to discredit stakeholders.
The goal of risk-benefit dialogue in this conflict case is to understand the terms
and conditions under which the benefit of a product or process outweighs the
perceived risk for the vast majority of stakeholders.
Here too, a proactive approach following the generic structure of a risk-benefit
dialogue is important, and the earlier conflict management begins, the more effective
it will be. Conflicts can usually be classified within one of the three levels shown in
Table 9.1.
Table 9.1 Different levels of conflict leading to a lack of acceptance of chemical products and
processes
Conflict level
Challenges to acceptance
Generic technology
Questioning how desirable it is (e.g., genetic modification)
Specific location
Questioning the societal (spatial) distribution of risks and benefits
Specific product/process
Questioning the safety of the technical design and use/operation
To address concerns regarding a generic technology (such as nuclear power or
genetically modified organisms in agriculture), a risk-benefit dialogue can be very
costly, and success is likely only possible in the longer term after further discussion
and testing. For concerns related to individual products or processes, it is usually
much easier to reach an agreement and address stakeholders’ concerns.
To gain societal acceptance in the event of a conflict, a participatory approach
involving those potentially affected is crucial. For example, dialogue based on the
concept of critical rationality (Renn, 1993) can help, and success relies on the
following:
• Recognition of the need for rational discourse between the conflicting parties
• Openness regarding the outcome of the negotiation
• Equal rights for all parties involved in the dialogue
• Comprehensibility and trace-ability of arguments and outcomes