Citizens conserving energy

The study on “Citizens conserving energy” commissioned by the Bündnis Bürgerenergie e.V. and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) indicates enormous potential.

The concerted efforts of citizens supporting efficiency projects, i.e. citizens conserving energy, may be a decisive factor for the energy transition. This is because important topics surrounding energy efficiency can be addressed effectively through citizen participation. Only the participation of local citizens allows for the full realisation of the numerous decentralised and small-scale opportunities for energy conservation, e.g. in living rooms, basements, garages, and in office spaces of small businesses. Local knowledge, responsibility and networking interact most successfully at a local level.

However, to date, the enormous potentials of citizen energy conservation projects have barely been tapped. The recent study “Energy savings in public hands”, which has been commissioned jointly by the Bündnis Bürgerenergie (Citizen Energy Alliance) and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND), illustrates the considerable potential of citizen involvement in energy conservation. And it clarifies how existing obstacles can be overcome.