Background:
The LTES Network's primary interests are to improve the development and use of scenarios by government planners in pursuit of the energy transition. Regardless of whether scenarios are implemented using quantitative models or not, national governments use scenarios to support policymaking. As the clean energy transition affects a broader range of stakeholders, including communities, businesses, industries and many others, LTES members consider it essential to strengthen the communication of scenarios, both in terms of quality and inclusiveness.
As the clean energy transition anticipates more complex interactions within the energy system, communication should entail clear messaging on methodologies, key assumptions, and key outcomes to ensure results are as transparent as possible, especially when quantification of long-term energy scenarios is performed using complex energy models. Various communication methods have been innovated and utilized to convey quantitative results of the scenarios developed. These methods have been propelled and coincided with the advancement of digital platforms, and scenario practitioners continuously seek to leverage such advancements to efficiently their vision of the future energy system, thereby both educating various stakeholders on energy and climate topics and building trust in those scenarios.
While communicating results from scenarios that are developed is vital for the reasons mentioned, two-way communication during the process of building scenarios ensures robust inputs into the process, leading to stronger and more inclusive scenarios that represent the visions of a broad spectrum of stakeholders. More open and participatory processes are needed that involve a wider range of stakeholders to construct storylines for long-term scenarios. It is vital for these stakeholders to share challenges and visions, but also contribute to data, assumptions and other inputs. Scenario developers have used many modalities with varying frequencies, uses, and advantages to engage stakeholders and gather data. These modalities require different strategies and resources and can depend on the target of the scenario studies at hand.
