Model-Stakeholder Interactions for a Sustainable Mobility Transition

Abstract

The complexity of sustainability transitions calls for transdisciplinary dialogue processes among different stakeholder groups. When policy options are discussed with decision makers, scientists often support them with the help of quantitative outputs provided by simulation models. As could be observed in the climate policy process within the European Union, the choice and design of the model, which produced the respective outputs, are seldomly questioned. With the increasing complexity of models in times of big data and high-performance computing, making the model and its parameters transparent and integrating them into stakeholder dialogues is essential for successful and democratic decision making processes. Furthermore, such integration allows for the discussion of a broader variety of pathways or scenarios supplied by models. The combination of digital technologies and large computing capacity has led to a new methodological frontier through the possibility of interactive visualization of pathways, hence increasing effciency and impact of stakeholder dialogues in decision-making processes. By describing such a process in light of a mobility transition towards sustainability, this paper shows how an agent-based model can be used in stakeholder discussions among decision-makers.