MAIA 5th Policy Roundtable on behavioural change and civil society knowledge in the European sustainable transition

Key details

Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025

Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM CET

Location: Ambiorix Center & Podcast Studio, Square Ambiorix 7, 1000, Brussels

Event type: Hybrid. Live broadcast link here.

Organised by: MAIA and I-CHANGE projects

Registration: Required. Please register here.

Recording

To follow after the event.

Key messages

This event aims to explore how behavioural change and civil society knowledge can drive Europe’s sustainable transition.

With the need for radical change to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change, the daily lives of European citizens will transform fundamentally. Because of this, the knowledge and agency of regular citizens plays a pivotal, yet undefined role in the transition.

Aim

By bridging the gap between research and policy, this policy roundtable will inform EU strategies with actionable insights, fostering citizen-focused policies aligned with the European Green Deal and Horizon Europe’s findings.

Based on experiences and ideas from Horizon Europe and beyond, the discussion expands the notion of behavioural change. In contrast to a historical approach of incentives and nudging in the instrumentalization of citizens, recent knowledge adds community-led action and interdisciplinary collaboration between stakeholders and citizens to the list of approaches.

Collaboratively, this roundtable takes a stab at breaking this gridlock of cooperation and outlining the next policy steps for a transition that has citizens at the centre.  

Relevance to the European Commission

Expanding the scope of what behavioural change is and isn’t —including its triggers, barriers, and levers — is critical to designing policies that empower citizens and communities to lead the sustainable transition. This roundtable contributes to the European Commission’s goals by:

• Promoting participatory governance and citizen science.
• Addressing challenges like knowledge accessibility, capacity-building, and equitable inclusion.
• Supporting community-led change as a cornerstone for systemic transformation.

Objectives

1. Showcase diverse approaches to operationalising behavioural change, including:
   • Incentive-based strategies.
   • Participatory governance and citizen science.
   • Social and cultural narratives for sustainability.
2. Identify barriers and opportunities for engaging citizens in sustainable practices and decision-making.
3. Strengthen collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to design citizen-centered pathways for change.
4. Deliver actionable recommendations for integrating citizen-driven approaches into EU policies.

Expected Outcomes

• Enhanced understanding of behavioural change’s role in the European sustainable transition.
• Concrete recommendations for embedding citizen-centred approaches into governance.
• Strengthened networks for collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

Target Audience

• Policymakers and representatives from European institutions.
• Researchers and academics specialising in behavioural science and sustainability.
• Civil society organisations and grassroots activists.
• Experts from Horizon Europe projects.

Agenda

10:00 AM – 10:10 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks

Overview of event objectives and the significance of behavioural change in the sustainable transition.

Moderator: Niels Tjelle Holm, Project Manager at Democracy X and partner in the I-CHANGE EU Project.

10:10 AM – 10:20 AM | Keynote Presentation: Citizens at the Core of the European Green Transition

Highlighting citizen-driven change and the EU’s role in fostering sustainable behaviours.

Keynote Speaker: Theresa Scavenius, PhD, Member of Danish Parliament Theresa Scavenius

10:20 AM – 10:50 AM | Panel Discussion: From Awareness to Action – Unlocking Behavioural Change

Panelists:

– Kamelia Georgieva, Climate and Sustainability Sociologist Co-founder, BehaviorSMART

– Ami Crowther, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin 

– Theresa Scavenius, PhD, Member of Danish Parliament

Following the presentations, we will take a moment for a round of comments and questions.

10:50 AM – 11:20 AM | Interactive Session: Co-Creating Citizen-Centered Pathways

Panelists:

– Claude Garcia, Professor of International Forest Governance, Berner Fachhochschule BFH

– Saha Balaganesh, Network Engagement Lead (partner in NETS4DEM and associated with SCALEDEM), DemSoc

– Anant Jani, Researcher at the University of Oxford and Member of NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health

– Theresa Scavenius, PhD, Member of Danish Parliament Theresa Scavenius

Following the presentations, we will take a moment for a round of comments and questions.

11:20 AM – 11:25 AM | Q&A

Open the floor for questions and additional insights.

Moderator: Niels Tjelle Holm.

11:25 AM – 11:30 AM | Closing Remarks and Next Steps

Summary of key takeaways and opportunities for future collaboration.

Moderator: Niels Tjelle Holm.

Registration details

Registration required. Please register here.