Commitclimate citizen workshop in Jokkmokk, Sweden 

Become a Superhero for Your Climate: Test Your Impact with CommitClimate!

In January 29th, 2025, residents of Jokkmokk municipality, Sweden, participated in an exciting workshop that put them in the driver’s seat of climate action. Using the two simulators developed by the CommitClimate project, participants explored both their personal carbon footprint and the energy use of their entire municipality. The Footprint Calculator allowed individuals to input their lifestyle habits and see how everyday choices affect their climate impact, while the Municipal Simulator gave a clear picture of community-wide energy use and CO₂ emissions, letting users test energy-saving measures in homes and transport sectors.

Over two hours, attendees actively engaged with these tools, reflected on their results, and participated in discussions about local climate priorities. A striking insight was how actions in transport, like switching to electric vehicles, could dramatically cut emissions, while energy savings in buildings had a smaller but still important effect. At the end of the workshop 65% of participants claimed to feel more confident engaging with municipal climate policies, and over 80% reported better understanding of their personal and community impacts.

Participants suggested adding practical energy advice, such as home insulation tips, and called for a Swedish version of the simulator to improve accessibility. They also emphasized the need for more time to explore the complex tools fully. This hands-on workshop proved that combining simulation with dialogue and practical guidance can inspire meaningful climate action at all levels.

Interested in organizing a similar event in your municipality? Contact us to learn how you can engage your community with CommitClimate tools and turn awareness into action!

Overview:

Country and municipality: Sweden, Jokkmokk

Date: 29^th of January 2025

Theme/Focus: test the tools developed by CommitClimate in effort to educate municipality residents about their environmental impact and gather feedback regarding potential climate action practices and improvements to the tools

Participants: municipality residents 

Brief description: 

In the workshop, residents were invited to test two types of simulator developed in the CommitClimate project. The Footprint simulator focuses on personal consumption and carbon footprint, allowing participants to input their current lifestyle habits, receive a personalized climate impact overview, and explore various actions to reduce it. The CommitClimate Simulator provides an overview of energy use and emissions at the municipal level, enabling participants to simulate various energy-saving measures in sectors such as private homes and transportation. The workshop was structured in steps where participants could actively engage with the tools, reflect on the results, and discuss challenges and opportunities for energy efficiency in their community. A key part of the workshop was the dialogue on how municipalities can support residents, for example through energy advisory services.

Key Findings from Participants, based on evaluation form answers:

• Improved Understanding: 80.5% of participants felt their understanding of the municipality’s climate policies improved after using the tool.
• Empowerment to Engage: 65% of participants felt empowered to engage with the municipality on climate issues after the workshop.
• Perception of the Tool: 82.5% agreed that the simulator helped them better understand their personal impact on CO₂ emissions.

Valuable Insights

• The workshop improved participants’ understanding of energy use and CO₂ emissions at both the community and individual levels, particularly how different actions affect final energy use vs. actual GHG reductions.
• It helped illustrate the cumulative impact of climate measures, showing how individual and community-level changes add up.
• The simulators sparked valuable discussions about where to focus local climate action.

Suggested Improvements

• Practical Guidance: Participants suggested combining the workshop with applied energy counseling, such as insulation advice for homes.
• Language Accessibility: A Swedish translation of the main simulator would make it more accessible.
• Usability and Time Constraints: The simulator is complex and requires improvements to be more user-friendly. Additionally, participants wanted more time to explore the tool during the workshop.

Methodology descriptions:

Step 1: Comparing Energy Savings in Buildings and Transport

• Participants simulated energy efficiency measures in residential buildings and private transport and compared the results.
• A key insight was that heating in Jokkmokk is already largely based on low-carbon energy sources. While efficiency improvements in buildings led to significant energy savings, their impact on CO₂ reduction was relatively small.
• In contrast, the transport sector remains highly fossil-fuel dependent. Measures such as shifting to electric vehicles or reducing car travel had a high impact on CO₂ emissions and, on their own, were almost sufficient to meet local climate targets.
• This led to a discussion about municipal priorities—whether to focus on broad energy savings or emphasize CO₂ reduction by targeting fossil-intensive sectors.

Step 2: Exploring Individual Climate Impact

• Participants used the Footprint Calculator to assess their personal emissions based on consumption patterns.
• They compared their footprint to national averages and tested different lifestyle changes to see their potential for emission reduction.

How to organize a similar workshop:

1. Set clear learning objectives: Focus on helping participants understand both individual and community energy use and CO₂ emissions, and how actions translate into real climate impact.
2. Use the CommitClimate simulators: Incorporate both the Footprint Calculator (individual level) and the Municipal Simulator (community level) to demonstrate cumulative effects of climate actions.
3. Structure the workshop: Guide participants step-by-step through data input, exploring results, simulating actions, and reflecting on outcomes. Allocate sufficient time to explore the tools fully.
4. Provide support materials: Prepare clear, easy-to-follow instructions and examples to assist participants in using the simulators effectively.
5. Combine with practical advice: Where possible, pair the workshop with energy counseling (e.g., home insulation tips) to connect simulation insights with real-life solutions.
6. Facilitate group discussions: Encourage dialogue about priorities for local climate action based on simulation results.
7. Train facilitators well: Ensure workshop leaders are familiar with the simulators and can provide technical help and encourage participant engagement.
   

How to engage local citizens:

• Promote through multiple channels—local media, community groups, and social networks—to reach diverse audiences. Alternatively, work with a specific group like teachers in a school, one local NGO etc and adapt to their specific needs.
• Highlight how individual and municipal actions combine to create impact, making the workshop relevant and empowering.
• Provide a welcoming and interactive environment that encourages questions and group sharing.
  

Lessons learned from our experience:

• The workshop enhanced participants’ understanding of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, clarifying the difference between reducing energy consumption and achieving actual emission cuts.
• Simulators are effective tools for illustrating how small individual and community actions accumulate to significant local benefits.
• Participants valued the opportunity to discuss where local climate efforts should focus, sparking meaningful conversations.
• The workshop should allow ample time for exploration to avoid rushed experiences.
• Practical, applied energy advice alongside simulations increases participant motivation and impact.
• Offering the simulator and materials in the local language greatly improves accessibility and engagement.

Feedback and Contact:

Would you like to run a similar workshop in your city? Contact us – we’d love to share our experience!

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone number: +371 67012444