A guide to help you include a diversity of perspectives, profiles and ideas to your community energy project
Energy communities are often put forward as a way to counter some of the injustices of the current energy system: they offer the potential of organising and governing it in a different way, based on social, democratic and ecological principles. Being a member of an energy community initiative is associated with a number of benefits, from energy savings to lower energy tariffs, social cohesion, community resilience and so on. Nevertheless, they are still often perceived as white, middle-class, middle-aged, male-dominated investor clubs empowering the already empowered. While this does not refute their potential of becoming vehicles for a just transition, it is true that currently many initiatives are struggling (for many different reasons) to become more accessible to a broader segment of society.
With this guide we want to offer tools and tips for increasing the inclusivity of your energy community, to:
- more fairly share the benefits (and costs) of the energy transition with all people
- pay better attention to the knowledge, different worldviews and values of everyone involved, and
- to reap the benefits of more inclusive decision making to lift your community project to the next level.
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