Working Meeting of the Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Systems Laboratory – Technical University of Crete, the
Department of Education of Rethymno Municipality and the Experimental Gymnasium
and Lyceum of Rethymno.
The Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Systems Laboratory at the Technical University of Crete, is proud to announce
the launch of the second cycle of the Youth Think Tank, through a productive
working meeting at the Rethymno Town Hall, alongside representatives of the
Municipality’s Department of Education and the Experimental Gymnasium, and
Lyceum of Rethymno. The meeting, part of the Youth Think Tank initiative a key participatory planning tool of the
European project CO2 PACMAN, aims to actively involve young people in
developing pathways toward a low-carbon and climate-neutral economy.
The initiative aims to raise awareness
among the student community about the climate crisis, green transition, and
sustainable development, while actively involving them in designing scenarios
for a carbon-neutral Rethymno. Students and teachers were invited to express
their expectations and co-create proposals and scenarios for a sustainable and
ecological future, with a focus on local needs and characteristics.
Within this framework, students will engage
in:
Awareness and educational activities on
climate change, carbon footprint, and climate neutrality, including discussions
for identifying locally adapted solutions.
Participatory design workshops, envisioning
the city of the future.
Interactive applications to estimate the
ecological footprint of the island and develop alternative scenarios for
transitioning to a climate-neutral city.
Virtual reality (VR) applications to understand and assess the visual impact of green energy systems.
This initiative is part of the European project CO2 PACMAN (COoperation and CO-designing Partnership for CliMAte Neutrality), co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Euro-MED program. The project aims to support energy autonomy and climate neutrality in Mediterranean island regions, with pilot applications in Crete, Croatia, and Italy. Through smart interactive tools and participatory workshops, the project empowers local communities to design effective strategies and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate neutrality. The Municipality of Rethymno participates also as a collaborating partner.
