@ed_hawkins #showyourstripes Visualising global temperature change since records began in 1850 Climate scientist at University of Reading
The democratic city Organising voice and ownership in the energy transition
Over 1400 citizen’s initiatives in co-city Amsterdam
Energy coops
Food initiatives
Citizens’ initiatives in care
Democracy, Voice and Ownership
Different levels of participation Different ‘kinds’ of democracy: Representative Participatory Do-democracy
Different levels of participation and role of government
6. facilitating: citizen is initiator, decisionmaker and owner. Local government is facilitating/ activating and helping.
5. co- decisionmaking: citizens play their part in planning and decisionmaking through for instance participatory budgetting/ citizen jury. Public servants advise, local government sets the 'legal framework' and checks.
4. co-creation: citizens are actively invited to think along in planning through workshops for instance. Politicians commit to chosen solution.
3. advising: citizens are asked for advise through a.o. online discussions,
2. consulting: citizen is asked for his/her opinion through focusgroups, etc.
1. informing: citizen has access to essential info to express his/her opinion.
Do-democracy is part of and vital for local democracy
Common?
Common= common pool resource?
Common= Amsterdammers as prosumers?
Commoning= the road to a commons?
Scientific definition of commons = clear
Common= new, circulair, regenerative neighbourhood economy
Common= the human dimension?
Historical definition/ economic theory?
The Commons Throughout Europe, collective self-management in the city is growing and flourishing: the commons are back. Commons are self-organized social systems in which communities manage public goods quite independently from the market or state. Examples of these types of potentially collectively managed resources are energy, water, knowledge and technology. In the commons' perspective, people are competent and talented individuals, and not just consumers in a market or welfare state customers.
Taking care of commons is often done by a community and can be the starting point for the development of a new community. Commons strengthen the social fabric of cities; commons that add economic value ensure that it flows back to the community or city. Commons help the personal development of people and at the same time give a good boost to the local democracy.
Not-for-profit
formal
profit informal
Governments public private
Citizens
Companies
Example: Nautilus
Results:
Cooperative: shared housing project, initiated by community 45 houses, shared social facilities, also for the surrounding community
Households took extra mortgage to build and agree to volunteer (monthly) to organise the social facilities.
Households wanted to go ‘offgrid’ together, create own all electric solution with 120+ solar water heaters, PV panels and 25+ sources for heat cold storage. Needed: 700 K Costs ‘ongrid’: 270K and yearly 243K plus use.
Extra mortgage will be paid in 10 years. Household energy bill from 8 euro a year and up according to use.
Example Windmill A costs = X benefits = Y Can people co-own the windmill? Can Y-X create regenerative value within the community? And: is energy a common good / common pool resource?
Bill of Rights for the Energy Transition According to Arne Jungjohann & Craig Morris
Energy democracy
You have the right to make and sell your own energyand receive a fair price for it. Renewable energy, especially sun and wind, are public goods like air or water. Everyone shares a right to use them; no one has the right to monopolize access to them.
Trendwatching
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From Bresov till Barcelona… Experiments with different forms of democracy, say and ownership
Barcelona, Naples: local laws supporting commons and local initiatives
Lively ‘stadmakers’ communities in the Netherlands
A new balance, making way for the commons?
“The time for GDP is over” -?
After “Paris” from ‘why’ to ‘how’ and ‘what’. Solution = degrowth?
From protesting to demanding structural change
'Rebellion’: scientists, teachers, are joining.
What do you think?
 Can we organise and facilitate the energy transition in such a way that it favours (local) democracy?
Democracy is …