Transformative effectiveness of citizen science: "Participate, co-research, put into practice?"

Citizen science has proven to be an effective tool for tackling environmental and social challenges. The two citizen science projects EfficientCitizens and COMPAIR will be used to highlight the special features of the citizen science approach from the perspective of energy-efficient building refurbishment, air pollution control and mobility along with the research design, methodology and project results.

The EfficientCitizens project investigated how a peer-to-peer exchange of experience can support energy-efficient building renovations in single-family homes. The aim of the study was to find out whether and under what conditions these exchange formats can reduce uncertainty regarding possible refurbishment measures and facilitate preparation for refurbishment steps. By involving citizens who had already gained renovation experience, a transformative learning process was created, the effects of which on the motivation and decision-making of the participants were analysed.

The COMPAIR project investigated how citizen science can contribute to providing reliable and valid data, raising awareness and changing personal environmental behaviour and supporting policy action against air pollution in cities. The aim of COMPAIR was to develop concrete personal and political recommendations for action by fostering close collaboration between citizens, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders. With easy-to-use stationary or mobile sensors, citizens encountered air and traffic measurements within Berlin.