Welcome to the sixth release in our series Discover DUST, where we spotlight each of the partners in the project and share their roles and interests in Democratising Just Sustainability Transitions! In this edition, we introduce a key partner from Bulgaria: Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD).
The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) is a leading European research institute that combines research excellence with support for social innovation and institutional reform. CSD focuses on topics such as energy governance, energy transitions, economic development, and innovation studies. Their main mission is to build bridges between scholars and policymakers, through a range of work translating complicated scientific models into easily understandable policy messages.
The Center has developed actionable policy strategies for cost-effective and sustainable energy transitions in Central and Eastern Europe. For over a decade, CSD has conducted socio-economic assessments of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in Bulgaria, influencing national energy policies. Through their efforts to develop decarbonization and just transition strategies, CSD works towards finding collaborative solutions to the challenges in sustainability transitions across Europe.
Within DUST, CSD plays a vital role in contributing to the goal of enhancing inclusive decision-making in multi-level place-based policies for just sustainability transitions. CSD's expertise helps the project to break new ground in the use of novel methodologies to understand citizen positions within conversations around sustainability. CSD works with academic and societal partners in DUST to explore the levels of citizen participation in just transition policies and spearheads an analysis of media in Case Study regions, to understand the different social narratives affecting the participation of communities in transition measures.
With their expertise in supporting the just transition of coal-dependent regions, CSD brings a vast range of expertise and experience to the project. Working with project partners to co-creatively develop tools, methodologies, and actionable governance strategies, CSD’s contributions to DUST enhancing the capacities of a range of local actors. We strongly stand by their vision of “facilitating a just transition to sustainability by building bridges between Policy Makers, Academia, and Citizens!”