EC2: Harnessing knowledge for a citizen-led energy transition

The EU’s ambitious decarbonisation targets cannot be met by technology alone.

What are the social, economic and legal conditions that will enable a shift in our energy model: from a centralised energy regime to a decentralised one, from a society of passive energy consumers to one of empowered, engaged energy citizens?

Gathering insights from the fields of law, economics and psychology, EC² will provide answers on how to facilitate and strengthen energy citizenship. Knowledge co-creation with municipalities, energy communities and citizens will enhance the research to deliver recommendations that support the EU’s energy and decarbonisation goals.

The project will develop a clear conceptualisation of energy citizenship, and gather actionable insights into the optimal conditions for it to flourish. It places a special focus on the role of energy communities and how their set-up can help - or hinder - the creation of energy citizens.

The insights gained will lead to policies, tools and practices that will support the sustainable, just, inclusive transition to a low-carbon society with citizens at the centre.

Advancing research, policy and practice
To advance the state of the art in the area of study and to inform policy and practice on energy communities and energy citizenship for a low-carbon transition, the project will deliver:

1A catalogue of legal and economic barriers and facilitators of energy citizenship
2A scale to measure how energy citizenship emerges in individuals

3Co-created tools for energy communities
4Energy citizenship policy briefings, citizen empowerment kits, and an energy citizenship academy

EC² Objectives

Through empirical research, theoretical analysis and co-creation activities with diverse stakeholders the project will...

1Provide evidence-based tools and a digital training progam to scale-up energy citizenship and energy communities

2Develop actionable policy recommendations and briefs for policymakers by connecting project findings to policy and practice

3Supply tested tools to upport energy citizenship and energy communities

4Foster inclusivity of energy citizenship and energy communities

5Deepen our understanding of energy citizenship and how to empower citizens to become energy citizens.

6Identify legal and economic conditions supporting or hindering energy citizenship

7Understand how energy citizenship shapes and influences the energy sector, the energy transition, and the achievment of EU decarbonisation goals

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