Key Issues
AURORA redefines citizen engagement in climate action. By integrating digital tools, financial empowerment, and hands-on participation, it demonstrates that climate action is not just a policy issue—it is a shared responsibility.
In an era where urgent action is needed, AURORA provides a scalable, impactful solution that transforms citizens into active change-makers, making sustainability an accessible, real-world commitment for all.
That is why our project has made a tremendous effort during its execution to establish a network of 150 ambassadors: individuals committed to replicating the initiative or supporting it from a political standpoint to help expand it. Among them is Professor Jaqueline McGlade, former Chief Scientist at UN Environment and former Executive Director of the European Environment Agency. All these individuals are working to open doors to enable both a European and then a global replication of the initiative that we have implemented in five European countries.
These ambassadors help spread the initiative, connect us with potential replicators, use our results for their own research or work, and more. In addition to these citizen alliances, we have the support of international institutions such as the European Climate Pact Office and its corresponding national delegations. The project has also received support from DG Energy and DG Education for various actions carried out within the project.
It is also why we are seeking further funds, to support institutions interested in replicating AURORA, outside Europe in partnership with Regional Citizen Science Associations in Africa and Asia. At the very least, we can secure formal commitments from global organizations to launch public calls for expanding successful local citizen science initiatives for climate action. This would allow AURORA to deploy dedicated teams in other countries to assist with global replication. Such funding would ensure that we can continue supporting the project beyond its completion.
Scaling up citizen science programmes to tackle climate change mitigation
“You will develop a Citizens Energy Package to increase citizens’ participation in the energy transition and strengthen the social dimension of the Energy Union”
The lessons learned by AURORA come at a critical moment for Europe, aligning well with the objectives of the new European Commission to put in place a Citizens Energy Package to ensure a fair and inclusive energy transition, to increase citizen’ participation in the energy transition and strengthen the social dimension of the Energy Union.
It is why we have worked with other citizen science initiatives to develop a Policy Brief; Citizen Science and EU Regulations – A New Approach. Illustrating how citizen science can align with initiatives such as the new Citizens Energy package if it is built into the way such policies are implemented.
Project AURORA has so much to offer because it links traditional citizen science to investment decisions that enable individuals to co-invest in local renewable projects. Recognizing that climate financing is a civic duty, the project offers collaborative business models where citizens fund sustainable energy solutions in their own neighbourhoods. This approach empowers communities, turning them into active contributors to the energy transition whilst at the same time allowing individuals to offset their own personal carbon emissions through the AURORA Energy Tracker app.
Through these mechanisms AURORA has already set up a 98 kWp PV installation at Aarhus University, which was crowdfunded by 121 people. The second installation, a 43 kWp PV system and two heat pumps at a school in Madrid, is almost a reality, with 130 people engaged in the project who have already contributed €109,000 (representing 75% of the funding goal). Additionally, the University of Ljubljana has funded a 200 kWp photovoltaic installation. And new projects are on the horizon!
This is so important because the energy sector contributes nearly three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions. To meet the European Green Deal targets, the residential sector must reduce energy demand by 16%, and the transport sector by 25% by 2030. Studies show that behavioural changes alone could lower energy demand by up to 19%, proving that citizen participation is essential to reducing emissions by 55% across Europe.
In our 2025 winter newsletter we give examples of how citizens are using the AURORA app to drive this change.
But this is not enough. We now need to scale up the AURORA project in partnership with other citizen science programmes tackling climate change and develop three or four standard programmes that every citizen in Europe has the potential to join. As a project we are planning a series of actions in 2025 that we will share with our Ambassadors on March 24th 2025 so that we can align our actions and utilise their network to achieve this objective.
We are also working closely with the Citizen Science Global Partnership and the United Nations Environmental Programme to take our ideas to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA7) in December 2025. To make an impact at UNEA we need influential delegates to join our team, able to influence Member State Government to support our ideas.
If you think you could join our Ambassador team please sign up on the AURORA website and volunteer to join our delegation to UNEA7. More details will follow on a series of events we plan in the lead up to UNEA7 to highlight the success of the AURORA project and to indicate how it can be the spring-board for a truly EU wide citizen science climate change mitigation programme that we can share with the world.
