CAG recently led the development of the stakeholder engagement strategy for the Cambridgeshire Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP). Local area energy planning is a process to identify the most effective route to decarbonise a local area's energy system, based on the opportunities and constraints in that place.
Cambridgeshire's LAEP required engagement from local authorities, infrastructure providers, businesses, landowners, developers, utilities and community organisations. CAG developed a comprehensive stakeholder mapping and categorisation framework, identifying audiences by interest, influence and likely preferred engagement route, synthesising input from 94 organisations to inform the £3.4B low-carbon transition plan.
We then designed a tailored engagement programme using workshops, webinars, digital engagement and targeted communications. This included:
- A social media communications campaign, utilising a series of assets developed for the project by our design associate If Not Now, with messaging shared on LinkedIn and Facebook, cascaded via the project partners.
- A series of workshops (in person and online) with local authorities, businesses, community groups, and institutional partners
- A detailed survey.
Stakeholder feedback directly informed pathway selection, the design and prioritisation of interventions, the identification of barriers and opportunities, and the development of the implementation plan.
We maintained close working with the council and wider project team throughout, adapting engagement as the technical work evolved. Communication and faciltiatoin was tailored to the different audiences and the level of technical detail they required.
"The CAG team demonstrated a strong understanding of our objectives and worked closely with us throughout the process. They were flexible, responsive, and proactive in adapting their approach as the project evolved. The engagement was well managed, and the insights gathered were clear and valuable. We were pleased with the quality of their work and the professionalism of the team." (Gemma Jewell, Climate Change Officer, Cambridgeshire County Council)
The final plan can be accessed here: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/Cambridgeshire-Local-Area-Energy-Plan.pdf