The ‘Energy Transition’ concerns the move from the current energy system, dominated by fossil fuels, towards one dominated instead by renewable sources, in which energy efficiency and energy conservation practices are embedded. The “Citizens 4 Energy Transition” (C4ET) project aims to encourage citizen participation in the energy transition by improving and multiplying actions being implemented to raise awareness, educate and train citizens on this issue. Even though energy is a transversal topic, crucial to sustainable development, it is generally perceived as a technical issue, making its appropriation by citizens difficult. Yet, the participation of citizens in the energy transition, notably through behavioural changes, is crucial for our societies to become sustainable and low-carbon. The main target group for C4ET is representatives of stakeholders working on the education of citizens, especially on the energy transition or interested in doing so (CSOs, NGOs, municipalities, associations etc.). The project aims to directly reach over 5000 participants, mostly from this target group but also citizens themselves (through multiplier events, questionnaires, stakeholder identification, dissemination and communication activities). Importantly, C4ET's impacts will be further spread by the multiplier effect, via the targeted organisations working with citizens. In order to reach its objective, the C4ET project will develop a set of innovative pedagogical materials and tools, structured according to a defined pedagogical programme of six “focus subjects” (one led by each partner), with five tools being produced under each subject. These tools will be accompanied by guidance and pedagogical tools including video tutorials and exhibition posters. A learning activity will be run to share best practice and knowledge between partner organisations, to build their capacity and inform the development of the pedagogical materials. For the elaboration of the innovative pedagogical material and tools, the involved partners will draw inspiration from existing methods and practices and take into account current training needs among citizens, identified thanks to a State of the Art and Training Needs Analysis. This will also identify relevant stakeholders that are active or interested in the education of citizens on the energy transition, who will be targeted by dissemination activities. Quality of project implementation and outputs will be ensured by procedures, indicators, and reporting as defined in a project quality plan. Each tool will be evaluated by internal auditors and tested by citizens. The innovative pedagogical materials and tools developed during the project will be available on the C4ET website (for the project duration and 5 years after), freely available as an open educational resource. This will also host an interactive forum for exchanges and sharing practices between stakeholders involved or interested in the education of citizens on the energy transition. Video tutorials related to each of the tools developed will be made available as well as an introductory video providing an overview of the themes covered and highlighting the links between them. A dedicated dissemination and communication strategy will be implemented to enhance the project’s impact on the local, regional, national and European levels. This will combine multiplier events (including a poster exhibition), traditional media (leaflet, newsletters, project website etc.) and innovative/interactive tools (videos, webinars, social media and the online forum). An emphasis is put on digital media and ICT tools both for dissemination and the project outputs themselves. Specific dissemination targets will be monitored through regular project quality reporting. The main desired impacts of the project are as follows – these will be monitored and evaluated according to associated indicators through six monthly reviews: - 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. - Target stakeholders (i.e. stakeholders contacted, event/webinar participants, recipients of communications) learning about the new pedagogical materials and tools available 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. The consortium comprises 6 European partners, led by the French non-profit organization ENERGIES 2050, representing 6 European countries (Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary and Italy). These organizations are CSOs, a public body as well as a private company, all active in the field of educating citizens on environmental issues such as the energy transition.
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 (O1) for raising awareness and training citizens on the energy transition; Development of a pedagogical programme taking into account the state of the art (O2) 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 (O3); Testing of tools developed by target groups to gather feedbacks and refine their development (O4); Production of dissemination materials (O5), including a comprehensive web platform, videos as well as multiplier events. The general and specific objectives are summarised below: General objectives: - Raise awareness of European citizens on the energy transition - Contribute to a development that is sober in energy and with low impact on the climate - Reinforce adult skills and competencies in the field of energy transition - Help citizens to identify energy transition as an opportunity for them to find new job opportunities Specific objectives: - Identify existing practices and methods being implemented in Europe for raising awareness and for training citizens on the energy transition - Improve and develop educational methods and material for raising awareness and for training citizens on the energy transition - Increase the number of CSOs and other stakeholders providing training and educational activities on the energy transition towards citizens - Encourage the creation of a network of relevant stakeholders involved in educating citizens on the energy transition - Reinforce skills of CSOs and other stakeholders involved or interested by the field of the education of citizens on the energy transition - Reinforce skills of European citizens in the field of the energy transition In fine the C4ET project responded to several of the Erasmus+ programme priorities, including “improving and extending the offer of high quality learning opportunities” and “Strengthening education and training paths of educators”.