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Why should we consider engaging citizens?
Active citizen participation in the energy transition receives attention in the sustainable energy sector. However, when it comes to broader public awareness, the topic gets notably less limelight, and citizen participation in bottom-up projects is still considerably low. What is the reason for that and how do we address this problem?
To achieve the 100 Net-Zero-Cities target by 2030, applying bottom-up initiatives is necessary for a full-scale change. Solely implementing top-down initiatives might leave people feeling dismissed, whereas bottom-up projects offer a direct channel for people to engage, hence motivating them to initiate changes. This is important, not only in the context of cities. By implementing such changes, the energy transition can be done with the citizens, not to the citizens. One such bottom-up initiative I have had the chance to be involved in is the European Youth Energy Forum.
The outcomes of the European Youth Energy Forum
This October, 50 young professionals and students were selected to gather at the European Youth Energy Forum (EYEF). The Forum is organised by the European Youth Energy Network and brings together young people and other energy stakeholders to discuss the energy transition. For two months, six teams met online every week to work on six policy proposals centred around the role of cities in the energy transition. According to the participants, the most critical issues to tackle were energy poverty, community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration, residential energy optimisation, electric mobility, financing mechanisms in the energy sector, and energy-efficient urban planning. The event itself is an example of a bottom-up initiative involving the public.
As a concrete example, during the work on the community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration proposal, a programme was suggested, in which a position for a community energy ambassador would be created. This person would help citizens make sustainable decisions on an individual level by acting as an informative body inside the community. Therefore, the ambassadors would help bridge the information gap between citizens and technical energy topics. This initiative specifically shows how people outside the green energy sector could participate in the transition, given that the ambassador is chosen from within the community itself.
Apart from this initiative on Community Energy Ambassadors, other proposals focused on: green commuting, more opportunities for residential participation, University-Powered Energy Communities, the impact potential of small cities and on sustainable urban actions. Take a closer look at all of the proposals here.
As a result of this event, a position paper titled "Sustainable Cities of the Future" was published. Gathering the six proposals, it presents concrete, bottom-up solutions that can be implemented in various contexts. All six proposals were presented at this year’s Conference of Parties in Baku.
The outcomes of the Youth Energy Forum underline that to achieve net-zero cities, and to ensure a successful energy transition, we need the citizens on board. The aforementioned report is one example of how to do this in practice, but there are numerous other success stories, as highlighted below. By taking initiative on the grassroots level, and by involving all citizens, we take yet another step towards creating a more sustainable future for all.
Recommended links
- Estamos muy verdes
- Go-Green office in Eindhoven
- INCLU:DE - Just and inclusive climate action in German cities
- Communities for the future
- REScoop.eu
About the author
Bettina Päri, 21 years old, is a student at University of Tartu, Estonia, studying economics and German studies. Currently, she is pursuing her studies at the University of Potsdam, Germany, where she is researching the effects the energy crisis of 2022 had on Germany's clean energy consumption. She is actively participating in youth-led initiatives such as the European Youth Energy Forum 2024, European Youth Day 2025, as well as tackling clean energy education and awareness in Potsdam. Bettina is focused on contributing in every way possible to making the voice of young people heard in the clean energy transition.
Our 2024 EUSEW Young Energy Ambassador (YEA) cohort engages in outreach activities related to the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), contributing to intergenerational dialogues, policy recommendations, and discussions with EU leaders to shape the future of clean energy.
Disclaimer: This article is a contribution from a partner. All rights reserved.
Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of the information in the article. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and should not be considered as representative of the European Commission’s official position.
Details
- Publication date
- 23 January 2025
- Author
- European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency