2024 Volume 37 Issue 3 Pages 67-78
As an international norm for sustainable development, Stakeholder Engagement (SE)—a process in which stakeholders affected by a project’s implementation participate in decision-making and build consensus—is increasingly emphasized. This paper examines SE in the context of the floating offshore wind power demonstration project off the coast of Fukushima, using the five features of the SE framework proposed by Talley et al. (2016). The study identifies key challenges related to SE in marine development in Japan, including the concept of "coexistence with fisheries" and three stakeholder-related issues: the identification of fishers participating in decision-making, pressures from an expanded group of stakeholders, and the impact of interactions among stakeholders on SE. SE is itself a project, and conducting a "reflection on processes and outcomes" at the end is a crucial step in pursuing more effective SE practices.
