Trust in Science in the Context of Gas Extraction: Lessons from Groningen

In the province of Groningen, Netherlands, gas has been extracted since the 1960s. This activity has, over time, resulted in more than 1600 earthquakes causing significant safety concerns and damage to thousands of properties. However, initially the existence of earthquakes was denied. When their occurrence was eventually acknowledged, the causal link between earthquakes and extraction was dismissed. Even after this link was accepted, it was argued how the earthquakes were too minor to cause substantial damage. Throughout the extraction process the government, industry and exact sciences closely collaborated, while disregarding insights from other disciplines and excluding residents' views. A Parliamentary inquiry was commissioned to examine decision-making regarding the natural gas extraction, earthquakes, damage repair and reinforcement of buildings. The results of the inquiry revealed that knowledge development in this field had been deliberately constrained, exposing systemic issues in the governance of risk and uncertainty. What does this conclusion mean for the public? How do residents of the affected areas perceive science? This paper investigates the public trust in science and knowledge institutions in the context of this extraction case. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, we identified significant differences in trust levels between participants from the extraction area and those from the rest of the county. These insights contribute to the broader debates within the session "Knowledge, Science, and Expertise" while offering valuable lessons for addressing similar governance challenges in high-risk policy contexts globally.