DE-CIST

On June 28th, the DE-CIST project was launched in Rotterdam, led by Dr. Rebecca Moody (EUR) and a consortium including Erasmus University Rotterdam, Technical University Delft, Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies, Resilient Delta Initiative, Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics, and the City of Rotterdam. Supported by a 1 million Euro grant from Google.org through ICLEI Europe, the ICLEI Action Fund 2.0 project aims to collect and analyze data on individual buildings, incorporating meteorological, air quality, emission, and socio-economic data. The project's AI solution will classify neighborhoods and buildings based on current energy sustainability and potential, incorporating citizen input. DE-CIST seeks to engage citizens, communities, researchers, and governments to co-create an equitable energy transition, support citizen-led energy communities, and foster connections between communities, governments, and energy corporations. Beyond fundamental research, the project actively involves citizens and stakeholders, empowering them to use the generated information for community building and reducing energy inequality. Dr. Rebecca Moody emphasizes the project's goal of developing a comprehensive technical and social solution to empower various stakeholders in building and maintaining an energy-sustainable future. The ICLEI Action Fund, supported by ICLEI Europe and Google.org, focuses on promoting data-driven environmental and climate action at the local level. As a member of ICLEI, the City of Rotterdam is committed to advancing local sustainability goals. Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director of ICLEI Europe, emphasizes the importance of actionable insights from diverse data sources to accelerate innovative projects, enhance environmental quality, and reduce carbon emissions, expressing confidence that selected projects will contribute to cities' sustainability goals and exemplify the significance of data-driven approaches for informed decision-making.