DENSE & TENSE: Large Scale Energy Projects in Oulu and The Hague – Systematic Approach to Engaging the General Public and Key Stakeholders
Webinar
Date: Wednesday 25 February 2026
Time: 12:00–13:00 (Finland, UTC+2) / 11:00–12:00 (Netherlands, UTC+1)
As the energy transition progresses, cities are facing the challenge of accommodating new infrastructure – such as plants, pipes, pumps, high voltage wires – very close to people’s homes and everyday living environments. In order to materialise, this infrastructure needs local consent and support.
These hinge on whether the arising concerns are taken seriously with attention to reliable and understandable knowledge of the risks, impacts and what will actually be done to deal with them. The questions of how potential harm and risk will be compensated, how benefits will be shared also need to be answered.
This does not need to be mere trial and error and hoping for the best. The webinar presents two cases – from the Hague in the Netherlands, and Oulu, in Finland – as examples of a systematic state-of-the-art approach to public participation and stakeholder engagement.
Akordi (FI) and WesselinkVanZijst (NL) share a commitment to building trust, fostering dialogue, and enabling collaborative decision-making among diverse stakeholders. Our joint efforts focus on promoting inclusive and sustainable solutions in areas such as climate, energy, infrastructure, and governance.
Welcome! The webinar will be recorded.
Speakers:
Jonna Kangasoja is Co-Founder and CEO at Akordi. With Akordi Jonna works as a professional neutral in complex environmental and public policy cases involving land-use conflicts, energy transition, sustainable natural resource use, and conserving biodiversity.
Thomas Banafa works as business director at Akordi. His expertise and interest is in the use and management of water resources and how these relate to other societal sectors, such as food and energy production.
Joonas Söderholm is a project manager for the green transition at the City of Oulu. He coordinates the strategic initiatives that support the green transition and industrial development in Oulu.
Stefan Szepesi is director at WesselinkVanZijst, a Dutch consultancy firm on mutual gains negotiation and strategic stakeholder engagement (SSE). He also heads the SSE Academy.
Robin Schram is a consultant and trainer at WesselinkVanZijst, active in the energy sector – hydrogen and heat-transportation. His strategic advice on stakeholder engagement is tailored to both project-level challenges and broader organizational development.
