112 L. DoBIGNY AND M. SAHAKIAN
diversified: there are people with different political points of view, different
ages… quite different precisely. But in the same place. So that’s exactly the
opposite of digital social networks, and […] I think it’s important to connect with people who are different, who do not have the same opinions
about everything, who do not have the same habits. And not to be afraid
of this discussion, of this interaction with quite different people. 2
Thus, without large costs, the initiative aims to have a high impact on
practices and representations of ownership, consumption, and sharing, and promotes a sufficiency-based lifestyle. There is also coherence
between the message (less consuming and more sharing) and the action
type (simple to use, appropriable by all, and exchange facilitating). This
type of initiative can have an impact on a regional or international scale,
as citizens across Europe and elsewhere have already demonstrated
their interest in ordering Pumpipumpe stickers. This international diffusion and success is no doubt due to the simplicity of its design and
functioning.
ConCLusion
Challenges to achieving the Swiss energy transition and objectives of
“2050 Energy Strategy” are particularly related to space heating, mobility,
and RE roll out. The specificity of heating in apartment buildings poses a
particular challenge: the lack of a resident’s control over their own heating system, and possibility to set indoor temperatures, implies that people
would have a difficult time reducing indoor temperatures if they wish to
do so. Empowering people to be able to adapt their indoor temperatures
is a necessary step towards engaging households in the energy transition
(Dobigny 2016, 2017). The Swiss energy system, mostly based on local
and public utilities, also has an important role to play in the energy transition, particularly due to the trust of population in these local utilities. An
interesting development has emerged in relation to renewable energies: to
achieve the “turn” towards renewable energy resources, collaborations are
underway between utility providers and citizen groups. This is an original development in Switzerland, situated between large-scale RE implementation led by utility companies, and small-scale citizen cooperatives.
2 Interview extract, translated from French. Zurich, Switzerland, December 15, 2017.
diversified: there are people with different political points of view, different
ages… quite different precisely. But in the same place. So that’s exactly the
opposite of digital social networks, and […] I think it’s important to connect with people who are different, who do not have the same opinions
about everything, who do not have the same habits. And not to be afraid
of this discussion, of this interaction with quite different people. 2
Thus, without large costs, the initiative aims to have a high impact on
practices and representations of ownership, consumption, and sharing, and promotes a sufficiency-based lifestyle. There is also coherence
between the message (less consuming and more sharing) and the action
type (simple to use, appropriable by all, and exchange facilitating). This
type of initiative can have an impact on a regional or international scale,
as citizens across Europe and elsewhere have already demonstrated
their interest in ordering Pumpipumpe stickers. This international diffusion and success is no doubt due to the simplicity of its design and
functioning.
ConCLusion
Challenges to achieving the Swiss energy transition and objectives of
“2050 Energy Strategy” are particularly related to space heating, mobility,
and RE roll out. The specificity of heating in apartment buildings poses a
particular challenge: the lack of a resident’s control over their own heating system, and possibility to set indoor temperatures, implies that people
would have a difficult time reducing indoor temperatures if they wish to
do so. Empowering people to be able to adapt their indoor temperatures
is a necessary step towards engaging households in the energy transition
(Dobigny 2016, 2017). The Swiss energy system, mostly based on local
and public utilities, also has an important role to play in the energy transition, particularly due to the trust of population in these local utilities. An
interesting development has emerged in relation to renewable energies: to
achieve the “turn” towards renewable energy resources, collaborations are
underway between utility providers and citizen groups. This is an original development in Switzerland, situated between large-scale RE implementation led by utility companies, and small-scale citizen cooperatives.
2 Interview extract, translated from French. Zurich, Switzerland, December 15, 2017.