The third co-creation workshop of the Athens Energy Portal project, held on July 1st, 2025, deepened the dialogue around energy transparency, platform design, and citizen involvement in the city’s transition toward climate neutrality. With a growing sense of urgency and purpose, stakeholders came together to reflect on current barriers and shape the portal’s future direction.
A key focus of the session was the social dimension of the energy transition. Participants highlighted the importance of ensuring that the platform adheres to ESG principles and contributes to occupant well-being in public buildings. There was a clear consensus that the energy savings achieved by the municipality should be visibly reinvested, with priority given to supporting vulnerable households and addressing energy poverty. Equally important was the need for the city to lead by example, both in its actions and in its communications.
The workshop revealed that public awareness around municipal energy initiatives remains limited, with only three in ten participants aware of their municipality’s energy-saving activities. Participants expressed a strong desire for neighbourhood-level energy data to be made available through the platform, as well as tools that offer real-time tracking, comparisons across buildings, and practical advice for citizens on how to save energy in their own homes.
Barriers to effective energy management were also discussed openly. These included low awareness among citizens and officials, lack of staff training, limited infrastructure, and bureaucratic complexity. Cultural resistance and the perceived distance of the energy crisis also emerged as significant hurdles.
As for the path forward, participants called for robust citizen awareness campaigns, capacity building for municipal staff, and visible links between data and tangible community benefits. The integration of real-time monitoring and policy-driven incentives was seen as essential to encouraging long-term behavioural change.
This third workshop reinforced the central role that the Athens Energy Portal can play, not only as a digital tool but as a catalyst for inclusive, citizen-led energy transition in the city.
Download the results of the 3rd Co-creation Workshop here.
Download the results of the 2nd Co-creation Workshop here.