Research objectives of the NetDeal project and methodological design.
Corresponding author: Andreea Nita (
Academic editor:
In response to climate change, the landmark Paris Agreement established a set of goals to achieve climate neutrality and limit global warming. To help investors and companies contribute to these goals, the EU adopted a taxonomy for sustainable activities and, in line with it investments, must do no significant harm, as indicated by the Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation. Since its inception, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure has aimed to minimise impacts of projects that could significantly damage the environment. Certainly, there are recognised weaknesses in the EIA, but its fitness to address complex environmental challenges, such as climate change, is unmatched. Considering the importance of EIA in ensuring scaling-up sustainable energy-related investments, NetDeal focuses on providing innovative and easy-to-use methods to improve EIA worldwide and combines policy analysis and EIA assessment data into complex networks. First, we analyse models of impact assessment (IA) legislation that can make recommendations about how IA can change to fit the global effort to tackle the energy and resource crises. Second, we will expose best practice models and investigate through network-related statistical analyses the collaboration links established in each EIA stage, which are behind successful projects from the perspective of productivity, circular economy, adaptation to climate change and reaching the goal of zero net emissions. Third, using Exponential Random Graph Models, I will explore the dynamic interaction between EIA stakeholders to diagnose the organisational structures and factors that strongly influence these projects. Last, I will create an integrated multi-layer EIA framework to improve the EIA effectiveness. The findings will be translated into the economic sector and provide new instruments to facilitate a streamlined EIA procedure that facilitates the adoption of urgent measures to mitigate the current energy crisis.
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship under grant agreement No 101152528.
Research project. 101152528. - NetDeal: Streamlining Environmental Impact Assessment complex networks to integrate new EU environmental policies.
University of Granada, Civil Engineering Department
Nothing to declare.
This article presents a structured summary of the awarded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship project NetDeal (Research Project No. 101152528), entitled “NETDEAL – NETDEAL PROJECT STREAMLINING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT COMPLEX NETWORKS TO INTEGRATE NEW EU ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES”. It translates the original successful MSCA proposal into the
States around the world are required to adopt urgent measures to mitigate the current economic and sustainability crises (
Since its inception, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure has aimed to minimise the impacts of projects that have the potential to significantly damage the environment. Although EIA assessments are implemented somewhat differently worldwide (
Considering the importance of EIA in scaling up sustainable investments, especially energy projects (
Our proposal aims at using social sciences methods and network theory (social network analysis, ERGM) to analyse and scale up public and professional participation in EIA assessment. Our approach to transfer social sciences and Social Network Analysis (SNA) to EIA represents a significant contribution to a new, innovative research area for the environmental assessment field, having the potential to improve the effectiveness of EIA procedure and to bring state-of-the-art social sciences methodologies (Delphi method, SNA, ERGM) into EIA studies of the future to align to current realities (e.g. energy crisis, adaptation and mitigation to climate change) (
The NetDeal proposal is timely when considering the urgent need for prioritizing investments in Europe and worldwide. The proposal highlights the common levers between EIA processes, the EU Taxonomy and the Green Deal in order to disseminate models of best practices for achieving the Paris Climate Agreement 2050 mitigation targets and sustainable societal transition, as well as the transformative effectiveness and performance of EIAs, by conducting a policy analysis study and analysing the interactions established in such complex socioecological systems between actors involved in several major projects (e.g. energy-related investments) in EU to provide solutions for better collaboration in decision-making for energy development while considering minimising environmental impacts. This action will focus on four main research objectives (Fig.
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By accomplishing these objectives, NetDeal will advance the network science applied to environmental problems, facilitating the adoption of new participative EIA methodologies and ensuring scaling-up sustainable investments.
NetDeal combines policy analysis with empirical EIA data represented as complex networks and analysed using ERGM and related statistical techniques. This approach is novel in the impact assessment field, where network-based methods have rarely been applied systematically. The project goes beyond descriptive analyses by modelling alternative network configurations and testing how actor attributes — such as institutional role, motivation, trust and perceived corruption — influence collaboration and outcomes.
The ambition of NetDeal lies in its potential to transform EIA from a largely procedural requirement into a learning, adaptive and participatory governance instrument capable of responding to urgent environmental and energy challenges. The results will be relevant not only in Europe, but also internationally, offering transferable insights for reforming EIA practices worldwide.
The NetDeal project is paving a new interdisciplinary approach that uses network theory, a well-developed scientific domain that envisages the investigation of social structures through networks and graph theories to streamline the environmental assessment process. We will use state-of-the-art ERGM models (
NetDeal integrates concepts and methods from environmental assessment, governance studies, sociology, statistics and sustainability science. While gender is not a primary analytical dimension, attention will be paid to inclusiveness and representation of vulnerable or under-represented groups in EIA participation.
All outputs will follow open science principles. Publications, data and code will be made openly available following FAIR principles, using repositories such as Zenodo. Preprints and open peer review will be encouraged and a Data Management Plan will be developed in line with EU guidelines.
Dissemination and communication activities in NetDeal are designed to maximise the scientific, policy and societal impact of the project, in line with Horizon Europe and Marie Skłodowska-Curie principles, as well as the open-access ethos of the Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) journal.
Scientific results will be disseminated through high-quality, peer-reviewed open-access journals focusing on environmental assessment, sustainability science, environmental governance and applied network science. Preprints will be published to ensure early visibility of results. All journal articles will comply with FAIR principles and peer-review reports will be made openly available where possible.
The NetDeal grant proposal itself will be published in
To ensure uptake of results beyond academia, NetDeal will produce targeted policy briefs and technical summaries tailored to policy-makers, EIA practitioners, consultants, competent authorities and investors. These outputs will translate complex network-based results into actionable recommendations aligned with the EU Taxonomy, the Green Deal and climate neutrality objectives. Results will be presented at international conferences and professional events, particularly those organised by the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), where NetDeal findings will directly reach practitioners and decision-makers involved in EIA processes. A dedicated stakeholder workshop will be organised to present the integrated multi-layer EIA framework and co-discuss its applicability in real-world investment contexts.
Public communication activities will aim to increase awareness of the role of EIA in sustainable development and the importance of participation and transparency in environmental decision-making. NetDeal will use social media channels, institutional websites and public talks to communicate key messages in accessible language. Particular attention will be given to explaining how improved collaboration and participation can reduce conflicts around energy projects and accelerate the transition to climate-neutral societies.
The NetDeal project's outputs will be Open Access (publications, data and the code used in analyses). We have a proven track record of articles with reproducible codes and I will continue to make all data and codes available in public repositories. Scientific publications will be submitted to journals that operate an open-access policy following the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). In addition, peer review reports will be open. The articles from this research will be first published as a preprint for better dissemination of the results. The technical report will be published in the Zenodo repository and the grant summary will be published in the Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) journal. Furthermore, all data will be accessible via the host institution's web page. Together with the supervisor, we will set up a Data Management Plan during the preparatory phase of the project, according to the EU and Horizon 2020 Guidelines.
NetDeal addresses a complex and policy-relevant research area, which entails a number of potential risks. These risks have been carefully identified, together with appropriate mitigation measures to ensure successful implementation of the project. A first potential risk concerns limited access to EIA documentation or data confidentiality, particularly for large energy-related projects. To mitigate this risk, the project combines multiple data sources, including publicly available EIA reports, policy documents and stakeholder interviews. Collaboration with international academic partners and professional networks (e.g. IAIA) will further facilitate access to relevant case studies and expertise. A second risk relates to low response rates or bias in interviews and surveys with EIA stakeholders. This will be mitigated by engaging participants through established professional networks, guaranteeing anonymity and triangulating interview results with documentary analysis and survey data. The Delphi method will further reduce individual bias by focusing on consensus-building amongst experts. A third risk concerns incomplete or fragmented network data, which could affect the robustness of social network analyses. To address this, NetDeal will apply established network data collection protocols, use multiple rounds of validation with experts and perform sensitivity analyses to test the stability of results under alternative network configurations. Finally, political or institutional sensitivity, especially in the context of energy projects and perceived corruption or trust issues, may limit openness amongst stakeholders. This risk will be mitigated through strict ethical standards, anonymisation of data and careful framing of results to focus on systemic patterns rather than individual actors.
NetDeal fully complies with ethical standards for research involving human participants and with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Ethical considerations are particularly relevant given the use of interviews, surveys and social network data involving individuals and organisations participating in EIA processes. All participants will be informed about the objectives of the research, the voluntary nature of their participation and their right to withdraw at any time without consequences. Informed consent will be obtained prior to data collection. Personal data will be minimised and identifiers will be removed or coded to ensure anonymity. Social network data will be anonymised at the node and tie level and results will be reported in aggregated form to prevent identification of individuals or institutions. Sensitive attributes (e.g. perceptions of trust or corruption) will be analysed and communicated with particular care. Data will be stored securely on institutional servers and in trusted repositories, with access restricted to authorised researchers. Any required ethical approvals from the host institution or relevant national bodies will be obtained prior to data collection. Ethical reflexivity will be maintained throughout the project, especially when engaging with stakeholders in politically or socially sensitive contexts.
NetDeal is strongly aligned with key European and international policy frameworks addressing climate change, sustainability and responsible investment. The project directly supports the objectives of the European Green Deal and the EU Climate Law, particularly the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. By focusing on the role of EIA in implementing the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, NetDeal contributes to improving the credibility, transparency and effectiveness of sustainable finance and investment decision-making. The project also supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement, by enhancing governance mechanisms that facilitate mitigation and adaptation actions. At the international level, NetDeal contributes to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), by promoting transparent, participatory and evidence-based environmental decision-making. Furthermore, the project aligns with the principles and recommendations of international professional bodies, such as the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), reinforcing best practices in impact assessment and environmental governance.
A core strength of NetDeal lies in the reusability and transferability of its conceptual and methodological outputs. The network-based analytical framework developed in the project is not limited to energy-related EIAs or to the European context, but can be adapted to other sectors (e.g. transport, waste management, infrastructure) and governance settings. The integrated multi-layer EIA framework and associated analytical tools will be designed to be modular and scalable, allowing reuse by researchers, practitioners and authorities in different institutional and geographical contexts. Open-access publication of data structures, analytical scripts and methodological guidelines will facilitate replication and further development. Beyond Europe, NetDeal’s approach is particularly relevant for regions facing rapid infrastructure development and sustainability challenges, including Eastern Europe and the Global South, where EIA systems often struggle with participation, transparency and enforcement. By focusing on collaboration patterns and governance structures, the project provides transferable insights for strengthening impact assessment systems worldwide.
NetDeal will deliver evidence-based recommendations for improving EIA legislation and practice, empirical insights into stakeholder collaboration patterns in energy-related EIAs, an integrated, network-based EIA framework aligned with EU Taxonomy requirements and enhanced capacity amongst policy-makers, practitioners and researchers to design more effective, participatory EIAs.
These outcomes will support faster and more socially acceptable deployment of sustainable investments, contributing to EU climate and sustainability targets.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. We acknowledge the financial support of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship under grant agreement No 101152528.
No conflict of interest to declare
Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal.
Research objectives of the NetDeal project and methodological design.