LE3 .A278 2019

2019

Colton, John

Acadia University

Master of Community Development

Masters

Community Development

Community Development

Nova Scotia is a global example of a region taking advantage of its vast tidal energy resources through tidal energy testing and development. Alongside innovations in tidal energy technology, social and economic factors must also be considered, especially the extent to which a social licence has been developed. Social licence, which is the ongoing approval or social acceptance of a project in a community, must be developed for communities to support and approve of a project or development. This research explores factors that support the development of social licence in the context of tidal energy in Nova Scotia, Canada. These factors include the importance of public education, the significance of baseline research, an understanding of the technology and its impacts, and the role of community and economic development. Interviews with a variety of key stakeholders in the tidal energy development industry provide insight into the role these four factors play in supporting a social licence. While these four factors are significant, other critical principles include legitimacy, credibility, and trust

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3222