Citizen science project by the Münster University of Applied Sciences helps facilitate public dialogue on heat transition.

Students from the Münster University of Applied Sciences are currently promoting heat transition in Saerbeck and soon want to present the first findings they co-created with the citizens. The students agree that Saerbeck can do a lot when it comes to climate protection. At the same time, the potential is much greater, especially when it comes to local networking. Primary goal of climate protection – an important aspect on the way there is the heat transition. The students know that this involves many pitfalls and challenges. The team has already hosted two public dialogue events in the heating center, as part of their citizen science research project. They are now about to present the results in a bundle at the beginning of July. What ideas are there? How can people network better? What help do the citizens need for this?

These are just a few of the questions that the bachelor’s and master’s students want to discuss. They all came to the project out of motivation for more sustainability and climate protection and, with Saerbeck, have reached a community that “simply already does a lot”. There are many fears, hardships, and uncertainties – mainly due to misinformation and rumors – on the subject of the heat transition. The topic is current anyway, the federal government is currently working on the heating law and wants to get it through before the parliamentary summer recess. The uncertainty on the part of the citizens can also be heard by the students, the reason being that information is not properly available.

The final presentation of the public dialogue results on heat transition will take place on July 6th, starting at 6 p.m. in the community center. The climate community representatives committed to the use of the results to draw up an action plan and an analysis of potential, which should be available by the end of August, so that precise information can be forwarded to the council and local politicians.

This blog article is adopted from the local news publication dated 26/06/2023 https://www.wn.de/muensterland/kreis-steinfurt/saerbeck/fh-munster-saerbeck-waermewende-klimakommune-2777245