Meet our Partners, Part III

In our third Meet the Partners, find out why the Universities of Groningen and Wroclaw are getting involved.

Today we're hearing from Fleur Goedkoop and her colleagues at the University of Groningen, and members of Wroclaw University of Business and Economics: Prof. PhD Habil. Bożena Ryszawska, Prof. PhD Habil. Piotr Szymański, and Magdalena Rozwadowska.

Why did you get involved in EC²?

Groningen: We have been involved in the project from the start, debating about the course of the project and its main ambitions. We have been working on the topic of energy communities, and would like to build on this knowledge in the EC2 project. The project allows us to collaborate with interesting partners, both within our field of psychology and beyond, in academia and in practice.

Bozena I am taking part in the EC2 project being excited to observe and study the energy transformation in a historic moment in our civilization. We are currently in a turning point for the technology, society and economy. Such phenomena as energy citizenship are an important asset for achieving carbon neutrality.

Why are energy citizenship and energy communities important for the low-carbon transition?

Groningen: For an energy transition towards a decentralized, clean and CO2 neutral society, we need a societal change next to technological advancement. Energy citizens and energy communities are at the forefront of such transition, yet we know relatively little about the antecedents of involvement in energy communities, their impact on the environment and on communities, and whether and how they foster energy citizenship and vice versa. Gaining knowledge on this human dimension and the social processes involved is crucial for designing effective policy interventions.

Piotr: I am interested in sustainable economy – in particular in the subject of circular economy. Energy citizenship and energy cooperatives are key and yet underestimated participants in the energy transformation. Studying and amplifying this phenomenon is important for Europe's energy transition.

What's one thing you're excited about for the EC² project?

Groningen: Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team on this project to strengthen our knowledge on the human side of the energy transition.

Magdalena:Observing and studying the phenomenon of energy citizenship - unprecedented participation of citizens in the energy transformation - is very rewarding. I am excited to see this.

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