NO TRUST? NO TRANSITION!
The City of Amsterdam aims to become energy neutral by 2040. To achieve this, the current energy system will need to change drastically; for this transition to be successful, it must be designed for and with the people. Nowhere in Amsterdam does this hold more true than in Zuidoost, where a tumultuous history and rich cultural diversity come together to create a neighbourhood that holds great potential, but also faces equally great challenges.
CONTACT
​Otas Elum, EGK - centre​
The energy transition is as social as it is technical, yet this social dimension tends to be overlooked by decision-makers. While there are certainly efforts to engage Zuidoost residents in the process, our research shows that these often fall short for a variety of reasons, such as the abstract nature of the energy transition, the use of inappropriate communication channels, or a poor understanding of the local context. Together, these issues contribute to a pervasive lack of trust, which paralyses effective and meaningful collaboration with Zuidoost communities. Without acknowledging these social issues, the energy transition in Zuidoost will not lead to just outcomes and, ultimately, will not be sustainable.
To overcome this distrust, it is crucial that local communities are engaged by people or organisations they know and have faith in. These could be, for example, community center workers, successful local entrepreneurs or religious authorities. We refer to these actors as “bridgebuilders”, as they help bridge the gap of distrust between residents and the municipality. Given their mediating potential, our research focused on the role they could play in making the sustainable energy transition in Zuidoost a reality.
Through interviews, fieldwork, and co-creation sessions, we found that collaboration between bridgebuilders and the municipality—as well as among bridgebuilders themselves—is also characterised by distrust. Often, these key actors are not even aware of one another’s existence. As a result, many bottom-up and top-down initiatives in Zuidoost remain scattered and uncoordinated.
In a session with eight bridgebuilders and representatives from the municipality, we reflected on their collaboration. It quickly became clear how important it is to share perspectives. Conversations about the what and how of collaboration can only begin once people have had the chance to get to know each other. Trust needs to be built, and dialogue emerged as a necessary first step. We made two attempts to organise a follow-up dialogue to further explore how trust could be strengthened. However, the very people needed for this process are often those who are already stretched thin: either because of demanding workloads or because they are intrinsically motivated to take on additional responsibilities without compensation.
For collaboration to work, both sides, the municipality and the bridgebuilders,w need to know who to turn to. To support this, we created a website featuring a network map which can be used and expanded by anybody who wishes to contribute to the energy transition in Zuidoost.. While much more remains to be done, when the municipality knows whom to reach within the community, and when bridgebuilders know whom to contact within the municipality, the first step towards a more just and sustainable energy transition is taken.
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