PET NET is determined as a safe space that enables discussion, learning, and exchange among its members. It is administered by the PET’s expertise, including the hands-on experience of PET’s cofounders from implementing the community initiatives and their academic knowledge and expertise.
The network will strive to bridge the gaps among various stakeholders, improve their understanding of community energy, and provide them with an opportunity for joint planning, fundraising, and implementation of the community energy project.
The mission of PET NET is to ensure that its members understand their roles and have sufficient knowledge and competencies to facilitate and proactively support the local community energy initiatives throughout Serbia.
PET NET is a non-formal network of local leaders, policymakers, administrators, experts, academics, and managers with experience, practice, knowledge, and/or interest in citizens’ energy initiatives and energy democratization in Serbia.
PET NET introduces an academic approach that provides in-depth insight into energy transition topics based on scientific research.
PET NET contributes to a higher level of awareness of public policymakers, political decision-makers, and other actors (public companies, energy suppliers, equipment suppliers) about the transformative potential that citizen energy and the democratization of energy have for both the energy sector itself and society as a whole.
PET NET deals with the impact of the energy transition on local communities by strengthening their resilience and optimizing efforts in the context of improving their position in the energy sector, including supporting marginal groups affected by energy poverty or in a subordinate position (e.g. poorer citizens, women, etc.).
PET NET
GOALS and OBJECTIVES:
Create a safe space for open dialogue on issues related to energy democracy and energy citizenship through the exchange of expert opinions, provision of reliable information, and creative “out of the box” thinking.
Facilitate connectivity and networking of various actors differ in their nature (public, private, civil), focus (energy, political decision-making, protection of public interest), and territorial domain (municipalities, republic, region).
Generate knowledge (work as a Knowledge Hub) about the energy transition, techniques, tools, and mechanisms of citizens’ participation in the energy transition and contribute to overcoming the “asymmetry of information” between engaged actors.
The ultimate goal would be to unlock the opportunities for local community leaders to become more visible and actively involved in international projects addressing local community energy initiatives (such as Interreg, EUKI, H2020, LIFE, etc).