Citizen ownership of the energy transition is gaining momentum as a strategy to address energy poverty, enhance climate action, and support local economies.

The European Commission aims to expand citizen involvement in energy through a Citizens Energy Package, which requires further policy and financial support.

While environmental policies remain popular, concerns over the distribution of transition costs persist, with 92% of Europeans agreeing that companies, not citizens, should bear these costs.

Energy communities play a key role in ensuring equitable cost and benefit distribution, helping to overcome social barriers, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to large-scale projects, such as offshore wind farms.

Effective implementation of these initiatives, along with a European Investment Facility, could strengthen the green transition while ensuring broad public participation and support.

Photo by Nikoleta Zarifi