The Environment Council believes that engagement should be delivered in the right way, at the right time, with the right people over the whole of society. We understand that this is the best way that sustainable decisions can be made but recognise the challenges presented in achieving such a result. As the public and private sectors and the general public realise the value of this approach, legislation is increasingly requiring engagement to become standard practice as part of how decisions are made.

To help in delivering this legislation, and equip those who recognise the value of engagement, The Environment Council has worked with many partners in the development of guidelines to enable identification of and engagement with stakeholders. Details on each of the guidelines can be found further down this page or you can download them directly by clicking on the following links.

Better engagement in the waste sector (2007)

Training is now available based upon 'Better Engagement in the Waste Sector'. Click here for details.

Please click on the cover picture below to download the full guidelines (.pdf, 1.38Mb)

Best Practice Guidelines on Public Engagement in the Waste Sector offer theoretical and practical advice for waste practitioners trying to get the most out of their engagement activities. New legislation has given teeth to the government’s drive for more and better public engagement through mechanisms such as strategic environmental assessments, sustainability appraisals and statements of community involvement. However, while the new rules brought structure, a new layer of complexity was added to an already complex process. Working with industry and waste organisations, The Environment Council has addressed this complexity, accounting for recent changes in the legislative landscape and allowing organisations to deliver their statutory consultation duty quickly and effectively.

Good Practice for Stakeholder Engagement in the Aggregate Sector (2004)

Please click on the cover picture below to download the full guidelines (.pdf, 297Kb) 

Sponsored by the Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO) The Environment Council, working with Stakeholders, formulated these guidelines in recognition that as the aggregates industry expands the areas affected by aggregate extraction activity are growing. Accordingly, this means that the diversity and number of stakeholders that need to be involved in the decision making process is also expanding. Delivered in two parts, the guidelines (1) explained why engagement matters and provides an overview of the legislative planning context (2) focused on practical methods of stakeholder engagement, setting out the tasks involved in all engagement processes and describing the most common methods and their various advantages and disadvantages.

Best Practice Guidelines: Consultation for Offshore Wind Energy Developments (2002)

Please click on the cover picture below to download the full guidelines (.pdf, 3.92Mb) 

Developed with a wide range of supporting organisations, including The Crown Estate, and in association with the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), this document came from a growing need to consult during the rapid development of wind energy installations in the UK. Its purpose is to encourage good consultation around the development of offshore wind energy.

Guidelines for Stakeholder Dialogue - a joint venture (1999)

Please click on the cover picture below to download the full guidelines (.pdf, 607Kb) 

Shell and The Environment Council have worked together for several years and continue to build upon a successful relationship based on trust and respect. These guidelines came from an identified need within Shell to develop engagement skills in their staff, allowing them to identify key stakeholders and develop better relationships with them. This facilitated discussion of issues previously only held with their business, making the decision-making process more inclusive. In addition to making good business sense as well as moral and political sense, in developing these guidelines those involved began to realise how essential dialogue is in achieving a sustainable future. The guidelines set out the basics of how to make dialogue processes work for both Shell and for stakeholders.