What do citizens actually think about environmentally and climate-friendly innovations? In CAIS’s “Pop-Up Citizen Lab” in Bochum, a research team investigates how people respond to green innovations – not through traditional surveys, but through innovative citizen labs that take place directly on-site and develop novel forms of participation. The focus is on the heat transition and the question: How can citizens be better involved in decisions that directly affect their daily lives and neighborhoods?
Pauline Heger speaks with host Matthias Begenat about the challenges of citizen participation, creative research methods, and why innovation is not just about technology but also about social acceptance and integration.
Recommendation on the topic
- Zaunbrecher, B. S., Kluge, J., & Ziefle, M. (2018). Exploring Mental Models of Geothermal Energy among Laypeople in Germany as Hidden Drivers for Acceptance. Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, 6(3), 446–463. https://doi.org/10.13044/j.sdewes.d5.0192. (A German study exploring acceptance of geothermal energy through mental models.)
- Boudet, H. S. (2019). Public perceptions of and responses to new energy technologies. Nature Energy, 4(6), 446–455. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0399-x. (A foundational paper on the question: What is social acceptance?)
- Devine-Wright, P. (2011). Place attachment and public acceptance of renewable energy: A tidal energy case study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(4), 336–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.07.001. (A foundational paper on the relationship between place identity and social acceptance.)
