Project AURORA joined the Education for Climate Day 2024 at the European Directorate-general Research and Innovation Studio in Brussels, to share our experiences in developing energy communities within education institutions across Europe. AURORA was selected from nearly 100 applicants to present in the session “Inspiring Green Education Actions”.
The event focused on the theme of “Climate Resilience: Preparing for the Future” and was attended by 2000 online live watchers from near and far across all learning levels and sectors. It was particularly pleasing to see delegates join from the global south including Africa.
Our successful application was prepared by Ana Lopez from Spain and delivered by Martin Brocklehurst who travelled from Ireland to present in the session “Inspiring Green Education Initiatives: Local Learning Communities”. The session was designed to celebrate learning community projects that have made a significant impact, award-winning initiatives that promote civic engagement and climate awareness for more meaningful learning outcomes.
Martin focused on the core pillars of project AURORA:
- Citizen science engagement with young people to illustrate they can take positive action in their own personal lives to tackle climate change and in the process make savings on energy costs;
- The Energy Labelling schemes that students can use through the innovative AURORA Energy – Tracker app to see how close their lives are to reaching net zero carbon pollution;
- the establishment of our energy communities in Universities and communities in our 5 major pilots;
- the success of engaging citizens to fund, install and operate renewable energy schemes for their Universities, and their schools where they study; and
- innovative ways in which the entire experience can be built into their educational studies.
He then outlined our plans to exploit what we are achieving through the development of a European wide citizen science led programme to tackle carbon pollution in our every day lives. He called for Ambassadors to join the growing list of people and organisations across Europe to promote the AURORA ideas . He concluded by announcing that the UN Science Policy Business Forum will work with project AURORA to take our message to the Climate COP at Belém Brazil in November 2025 that young people can exert a positive and significant influence on carbon pollution when they work together on common global citizen science programmes.
With project AURORA adopting the UNESCO Open Science principles every school, every University in Europe can use our tools, out techniques and our business plans to replicate what we are achieving. Martin urged everyone listening to download the AURORA app and begin their journey to net zero carbon and illustrated from his own life what was possible using the app. For heating and lighting his home in the United Kingdon (UK) and travel in the UK and Ireland he has now reached close to net zero carbon. He also confirmed that as soon as any of us fly our carbon footprint dramatically increases illustrating an area where carbon challenges still remain!
You can download a copy of the presentation here.
