Deliberation on the risks of nanoscale materials: learning from the partnership between environmental NGO EDF and chemical company DuPont

While Deliberative Policy Analysis primarily focuses on the role of public agencies in deliberative practices, this paper extends the analysis of deliberative platforms to industry-civil society deliberations. More in particular, the paper examines deliberation processes that took place within a three-year bilateral partnership between a non-governmental organization, Environmental Defense Fund and a large multinational chemical company, DuPont, to develop a joint risk framework for engineered nanoscale materials. I will show that the deliberative space created by EDF and DuPont did not meet the ideal of communicative rationality, i.e. the possibility of those affected by a particular problem having the opportunity to participate in the deliberative platform and share their issues and concerns. However, the outcomes of this bilateral partnership did become part of the public sphere, i.e. the open space in society supported through a diffuse media infrastructure. As such, opportunities were created for those excluded to share concerns and raise questions. Inspired by this case study I will argue that to gain insight into problematic situations evoked by the development of newly emerging science and technology, deliberations in the public sphere are just as important as face to face deliberations in concrete, tangible spaces.