Empathy in Action: A serious game for inclusive Energy Communities

Imagine a city where everyone can benefit from clean energy. Today, we may still be far from that reality, with only a few citizens benefitting from the green energy transition, but what if building a sustainable future meant building a more inclusive one? The “Empathy in Action” serious game offers a tangible way to explore these questions, putting participants in the shoes of diverse citizens to design truly inclusive energy communities.

Energy communities: A not-that-inclusive landscape

We are already convinced that Energy Communities are central to the energy transition. They help us put energy back into citizens’ hands, contribute to a more resilient and decentralised energy system, and support the massification of renewables across our cities. Nevertheless, we usually forget to discuss the social inclusivity of the energy communities’ movement.

Today, the landscape is relatively homogeneous: those who join an energy community are usually a particular group of people. If we do a persona exercise, we could call our Energy Community enthusiast Jhon. He is 40 years old, Caucasian, works as a mechanical engineer, speaks his native language and English, and is really trying to reduce his impacts on the planet and be part of the EU green transition (most of it in his free time). He decided to invest 150€ to enter a local energy community last year and is very happy about it.

Being part of an energy community requires time, mental space, financial investment and some level of knowledge and willingness. Unfortunately, not everyone has all this to offer without burdening themselves, leaving an important share of society out of the current energy communities’ landscape. But… without their participation, how could we possibly do something that fits their needs and makes a fair energy transition possible?

Serious Games: The Empathy in Action

Serious games are a learning experience designed to raise awareness on participants on systemic and complex topics, such as climate change and inclusivity. They rely on a creative and social approach to put participants in immersive situations to raise awareness and generate new insights to tackle real-world problems.

Thus, the “Empathy in Action” game isn’t your typical board game. It plunges participants into the vibrant city of Euroville, a leader in renewable energy. But, like many cities, its green initiatives haven’t yet reached everyone. The game uses realistic citizen personas – representing a range of backgrounds, incomes, and experiences – to bring the inclusivity challenges to life. Participants step into these roles, experiencing the barriers that prevent some people from participating in and benefiting from renewable energy communities. One participant might be a single parent struggling to make ends meet, while another might be an immigrant navigating a new language and culture. Through role-play, participants understand the often-unseen hurdles that stand in the way of true inclusion.

From Game Board to Real World

“Empathy in Action” is designed to generate actionable recommendations that can be implemented in real-world scenarios. The game culminates in teams developing concrete action plans for more inclusive energy communities. The game provides a powerful tool to bridge the gap between theory and practice, translating good intentions into tangible solutions that can be deployed. It also empowers participants to become agents of change in their own energy communities.

Ready to add the inclusivity lens to your energy community? You can download all the game materials here. If inclusivity and fair energy transition are topics you want to explore, look at POWER UP and WELLBASED projects to discover more resources and initiatives.