Empowering citizens in Europe’s green transition: The role of digital solutions

As Europe undergoes the green transition, engaging citizens as both beneficiaries and active agents in combating climate change is vital. Deeper participation helps to mitigate costs while promoting a more inclusive approach to the green transition.

Digital solutions support top-down and bottom-up methods of citizen involvement, ranging from citizen climate assemblies to online activism. These digital solutions can overcome obstacles like resource limitations, dwindling public trust, and a significant skills shortage in the green and digital arenas. Digital tools widen public participation and empower individuals to influence environmental policy

This Discussion Paper highlights that the EU needs to:

• Intensify efforts to place citizens at the heart of the twin transition.
• Strengthen initiatives aimed at improving digital skills and literacy at the EU and member state level.
• Promote open discussions about the trade-offs involved in the green transition, addressing the negative impacts of digitalisation.
• Expand policy frameworks and access to digital information transfer tools, platforms, and technologies.
• Encourage active participation in environmental decision-making through increased citizen access to environmental information.

Read the full paper here.