Hydraulic Fracturing in New Brunswick: Trust, Deliberation, and Risk Decision-Making

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the role of trust in energy decision-making for shale gas development in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It examines the role of risk perception as it relates to policy actors’ preferences in the context of public engagement and deliberation, where epistemic risks associated with the practice of hydraulic fracturing (the emerging technology that enabled the development of shale gas on a major scale) existed between 2007 and 2017. The goal of the chapter is to understand how engaging in the context of risk and uncertainty shapes policy actors’ learning along with the policy alternatives they advocate for, and ultimately deem acceptable. The Advocacy Coalition Framework is used to assess policy learning and to demonstrate the role of integrating an understanding of the importance of trust in managing risk. The analysis questions the notion that more engagement leads to better policy outcomes, and demonstrates that it is important to integrate lay knowledge as a fundamental component of risk management practices. The chapter concludes with recommendations to strengthen trust in energy decision-making in Canada.