Breffní Lennon is a Research Fellow at the Sustainability Institute, University College Cork, Ireland. A geographer, his research focuses on the theme of society, sustainability, and energy, and is situated at the intersection of the social sciences with science and engineering. He carries out engaged research on the geographies of energy, the cultural ecologies of Climate Change, and in actioning sustainable, inclusive citizen engagement particularly around transitions. He has a specialist interest in how these issues inform geopolitical and socio-environmental trends in terms of spatial, distributive, and procedural justice.
Community-led energy initiatives, such as local solar co-ops, shared heat pump networks and energy efficiency schemes, are growing across the UK. But understanding how these projects are governed can be challenging. Questions about who makes decisions, how responsibilities are shared, and what participation looks like in practice are often difficult to answer and navigate.
The CE-CS (Community Energy – Citizen Science) project brings together community groups, citizens and researchers to collectively learn about governance issues. Through a series of online workshops and discussions, the project will work with participants to identify key questions, assess whether research already addresses them, and co-create short explainers, summaries or new research ideas grounded in lived experience.
This live Q&A with Breffní Lennon, Research Fellow at University College Cork, will explore how stakeholder engagement in energy projects can be more inclusive, practical and people-centred. Participants are invited to ask questions, share experience, and help shape future research and outputs from the CE-CS project.
Are you involved in community energy or interested in local energy decisions? We’d like to meet you!
This online session is offered exclusively to participants in the CE-CS project. Read more about the project and if you’re interested in joining, please complete the short form below. The event access details will be sent to you afterwards.