‘Shop Klimaatwijs’ – Practical approach for schools to work on Energy & Climate initiatives in Utrecht
Dutch version
The challenge
Shop owners are often not motivated to make their shop more sustainable. Customers don’t ask for it and shop owners have many other things on their mind. As a result, they barely take the time to delve into, often simple, measures to make their shop more sustainable and thus save costs. Think, for example, of replacing light bulbs, or installing a door closer or insulation panels.
EIT Climate-KIC has brought together two partners – Ecomatters and Technotrend – in a positive and creative way to make shop owners climate-conscious, so that they too can take effective energy-saving measures.
The main question that both partners wanted to be answered was: How can we mobilise consumers to motivate shop owners so that we can accelerate the energy transition?
The solution
There is a Dutch expression: “Learned young is done old”, which led Ecomatters and Stichting Technotrend to the idea 
of developing an education and communication programme called ‘Shop Klimaatwijs’. A programme set up with insights from science in the field of changing behaviour from society itself.
They kill two birds with one stone: children in primary education learn about sustainability, investigate what the vision is of shop owners and customers about sustainability and how they can find and help each other in this. The main goal of this programme is to create awareness and action among consumers and shop owners in retail. The ‘Shop Klimaatwijs’ project has been set up to test this.
How does it work?
During the ‘Shop Klimaatwijs’ project children learn in 5 lessons about climate change, the energy transition and what shops in the neighbourhood could do to save energy. Through a role play children learn to ask questions to shop owners, after which they visit shops in the neighbourhood of the school to talk to shop owners and their customers about energy saving and climate impact in the shop. The investigative and exploratory nature of this programme also fits in very well with new ways of learning.
The impact
Through a photo on Instagram about 500 shop owners and their customers were challenged to show their support for the climate. The aim is to reach 1000 social media followers so that a bigger movement will start.
For more information see the website www.klimaatgerust.nl. The site is managed by the Climate Neutral Foundation (CNF), founded by Ecomatters with the aim to help SME’s with the energy transition.
The role of EIT Climate-KIC
EIT Climate-KIC brought the two organising parties together during the set-up of this project and provided also financial support. Both Ecomatters and Stichting Technotrend are part of the EIT Climate-KIC Community.
In support with Klaske Postma, Regeneration Design
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