Engaging citizens is key to making the energy transition happens. How do we get citizens engaged to renovate their homes and to use solar panels? How do we deal with citizens that demand action on climate change but on the other side sometimes reject wind turbines near their homes? Social Science and Humanities (SSH) can help to better understand where people’s concerns come from and how they can be addressed when designing policy measures. The workshop presents lessons and recommendations from recent SSH projects and will discuss how they can be integrated better into EU policies.

To achieve this goal, the EC has built a legal framework allowing to better-informed, engaged and protected citizens to take ownership of the energy transition, to benefit from new technologies reducing their bills, to participate actively in the market. The tools and opportunities of the EC Long Term Strategy (A clean planet for all) and the Clean Energy for All European Package will be presented and discussed during this workshop.

These initiatives are in line with the Agenda for Europe of the new President-elect Ursula von der Leyen who has announced „I will propose a European Climate Pact – bringing together regions, local communities, civil society, industry, and schools. Together they will design and commit to a set of pledges to bring about a change in behavior, from the individual to the largest multinational. This will be a key part of the just transition for all”.

Related links: · Clean Energy for All Europeans package · Long-Term strategy – A clean planet for all