Participatory Designs and Epistemic Authority in Knowledge Platforms for Sustainability

Expert organizations increasingly adopt participatory strategies to strengthen their knowledge claims. We introduce the notion of platforms for sustainability conceptualize expert that not only rhetorically embrace but also actively attempt institutionalize norm stakeholder participation in seeking authority governance. In doing so, they encounter a tension between ambition and conventional foundations epistemic authority, such as scientific autonomy consensus. Taking this starting point, we utilize dynamic perspective on investigate contestations over institutional designs. compare institutionalization two sustainability—the Intergovernmental Platform Biodiversity Ecosystem Services, research platform Future Earth: Research Global Sustainability. Our comparison reveals designs open up process creation evaluation. Yet, reinforce existing power structures by redrawing boundaries protect privilege relationships with elite actors.