Citizens For Energy Transition (C4ET)

The transition towards sustainable energy systems is at the heart of climate change and sustainable development issues, and is key for the European Commission to reach its climate energy package’s goals for 2020: a 20% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990, a 20% share of renewable energy in its energy consumption and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency. The project “Citizens 4 Energy Transition” (C4ET) aimed in this context to enhance citizens’ involvement in the energy transition by improving and extending the methods and tools used to raise their awareness and train them on this issue. Although a large number of initiatives in this field already exist, there was a real opportunity to overcome certain barriers by launching a pan-European initiative which would build on the sharing of visions, expertise, and practices of partners concerning the education of citizens on the energy transition. C4ET involved 6 European partners, led by the French non-profit organization ENERGIES 2050, representing 6 European countries (Belgium with Homegrade Brussels, Croatia with DOOR, France with ENERGIES 2050, Germany with GNF, Hungary with TREBAG and Italy with Molise verso il 2000). These organizations are CSOs, a public body as well as a private company, all active in the field of educating citizens on energy and environmental issues. The main target groups for C4ET were representatives of organisations working on the education of citizens, especially on these issues (CSOs, NGOs, municipalities, associations etc.), and to a larger extent all European citizens. The main desired impacts of the project for each stakeholders involved were as follows: Participants from partner organizations - improved skills for educating citizens on the energy transition; sharing knowledge and best practice; improved offer of pedagogical activities thanks to the tools developed. CSOs: access to new pedagogical materials and tools to broaden and enrich their Training/awareness raising activities with citizens on the energy transition and raised interest for conducting such activities among stakeholders not yet active in the field Citizens: raised interest and enhanced participation in the energy transition. In order to reach these objectives, project partners developed a set of innovative pedagogical materials and tools, structured according to a defined pedagogical programme around six “focus subjects” (one led by each partner), each associated with the development of five tools and related materials. To summarise, C4ET was based on a comprehensive approach made of several complementary activities: State of the art of existing methods and tools and needs analysis for raising awareness and training citizens on the energy transition; Development of a pedagogical programme taking into account the state of the art and which builds on the exchange of best practices, expertise and experience among project partners; Development of 30 innovative and interactive educational tools with their accompanying materials; Testing of tools developed by target groups to gather feedbacks and refine their development ; Production of dissemination materials, including a comprehensive web platform, videos as well as multiplier events. Citizens For Energy Transition’s impacts can be described as follows: - The improvement of educational methods and materials for raising awareness and for training citizens on the energy transition - An increase in the number of CSOs providing training and educational activities on the energy transition towards citizens - The reinforcement of skills of CSOs and other stakeholders involved or interested by the field of the education of citizens on the energy transition - The reinforcement of skills of European (and other) citizens in the field of the energy transition These transversal impacts were effectively reached through the development of quality materials (as described in other sections of this report) and a stakeholder engagement strategy broken down to different geographical levels. At local level, the project focused on effectively raising local awareness on the energy transition through locally adapted materials and communication towards local organisations. At regional level, the use of C4ET materials and tools was enhanced via regional authorities and organisations. In terms of success story, Brussels environment (Belgium) is working with Homegrade Brussels on the issue of circular economy in buildings’ renovation using C4ET materials, the Maisons Familiales Rurales in the Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur Region (France) are starting to implement awareness raising activities, Legambiente Molise (Italy) now works closely with Molise verso il 2000 on these issues, etc. At national level, C4ET tools were disseminated via national networks and communication Medias. Organisations such as climate-KIC Hungary, GERES and Comité 21 in France, the German Environmental Aid, etc. attended or/and supported some of the project’s activities, with considerable outreach of C4ET tools and materials. They clearly recognised the value of the C4ET approach and will continue to use the materials developed within the frame of their actions. At European and international level, the tools were spread for use in countries beyond those present in the partner consortium, in order to inspire citizen action further. To this extent, the project’s outcomes were spread through press publications (e.g. Mediaterre which is the Francophone portal for sustainable development) and specific events, e.g. during the 22nd and 23rd COP, climate chance 2017, the European Sustainable Energy week, UNESCO’s sustainable education development week, etc. Please contact us at c4et@energies2050.org