ROLES

ROLES aims to identify how European city-regions can accelerate decarbonisation of energy systems through digitalisation of energy infrastructure in ways that create societal benefits. Despite citizen aspirations to decarbonise society, actions that decarbonise in just ways face structural limits. Nascent research frames the failure to accelerate deep decarbonisation as a crisis of accountability. Lack of accountability in digitalising energy infrastructure can exacerbate social exclusion and risks inequitable extraction and use of data. ROLES develops strategies for responsive organising of citizen agency to tackle such accountability crises through customisable pathways in city-regions. It examines digitalisation of energy infrastructure in three mid-sized (population 100,000-300,000) European city-regions, in relation to energy infrastructure for electric mobility hubs in Bergen (Norway), solar energy neighbourhoods in Brighton (UK), and smart energy monitoring in Trento (Italy).