Welcome to the E-voicer website! See what citizens across the EU said on issues that will shape our future!
In an era defined by digital transformation and climate challenges that transcend national borders, your role, the role of citizens, is undergoing a profound evolution. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, individuals within their respective societies are experiencing a remarkable shift in power and responsibility. The digital age has not only expanded our access to information and communication but has also empowered us to engage in decision-making processes and hold our governments and institutions more accountable than ever before. This shift places citizens at the forefront of shaping our shared future, transcending geographical and political boundaries to address challenges that affect us all.
We, GLOBSEC, a Slovak headquartered think tank, together with our partners European Movement Ireland, IDM, Austria, and ELIAMEP, Greece, have joined forces to amplify your voices. We strive to engage, connect, and empower EU citizens and to give you an opportunity to influence policies not just in national capitals but also on European level.
For four months, we opened a public e-discussion with EU citizens on the most urgent challenges we are facing today related to climate change and digital transformation: streamlining decarbonisation and managing the rise of artificial intelligence. We believe that citizens can play an important role in both topics, given the impact on our daily lives and our societies. On our platform, participants expressed their primal concerns as well as they proposed and voted for the solutions that they see as most effective and beneficial.
While there are many ways to express opinions from social media to EU official channels, we committed ourselves to amplifying the voice of citizens and delivering their recommendations to those who should hear them. And we will report back here on their reactions and pledges!
WHAT DID WE GET?
114 active users from 25 EU countries
54% women, 45% men, 1% non-binary
95% participation of young people
(18 – 35years old)
136 standing alone contributions on shared concerns and proposed solutions
69 contributions on the green topic of decarbonisation
67 contributions on the digital topic of artificial intelligence
417 total votes on the contributions
THE MOST STRESSED UPON CONCERNS, CHALLENGES AND RISKS
ON CURRENT LEVELS OF CO2 EMISSIONS
The current levels of CO2 emissions lead to changes and extreme weather conditions, which affect climate migration, businesses, wellbeing and conflict.
Those with smaller footprint often more vulnerable to negative changes (climate) due to current carbon inequality.
Lack of clean air leads to health problems, straining the social and health systems.
Not enough commitment and support towards decarbonisation by governments results in inability to really tackle sustainably the problem.
ON RISE OF AI
Inherit biases leading to unfair and discriminatory outcomes.
Uneven access to digital technologies and infrastructure can result in social and economic exclusion.
Unregulated use leading to data security and privacy concerns, including erroneous profiling in predictive policing among others.
Altering of the job market leading to displacement across some industries, loss of jobs, and additional strain on the educational systems.
Soft skills development like writing, creating and analysing, especially among students, is in danger.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS
GREEN TRANSFORMATION
Ensure More Renewable Sources of Energy and Reliable CRM Supply Chains
Public buildings should be mandated to install solar panels to decarbonise the national energy mix and decrease public spending on electricity.
Make a cost-benefit analysis of various sources of renewable energy and support those which are most energy efficient for the geographical conditions of a particular country.
Develop procurement policies that prioritise sourcing from environmentally responsible suppliers and encourage countries through legally binding pledges to invest in green solutions.
Intensify the extraction and/or recycling of critical raw materials needed for green technologies back in Europe.
Strive to establish responsible supply chain partnerships that would ensure reliable imports of critical raw materials to Europe.
Promote Circular Economy
Establish accessible recycling facilities near households, businesses, and public areas.
Launch educational campaigns that raise awareness about the importance of recycling, emphasising the positive environmental impact and energy savings associated with the reuse of materials.
Establish accessible recycling facilities near households, businesses, and public areas.
Launch educational campaigns that raise awareness about the importance of recycling, emphasising the positive environmental impact and energy savings associated with the reuse of materials.
Mandate businesses to adopt sustainable packaging and more informative food labelling everywhere where possible.
Encourage more recycling of electronic waste and so contribute toward reducing European dependence on imports of critical raw materials.
The minimum warranty on electrical appliances should be extended beyond two years and producers should do more to their repair possible.
Employ smart farming technologies to reduce water waste.
Invest in Green and Sustainable Transportation
Invest in green infrastructure such as more cycling lines, green buses or charging stations.
Encourage the use of bicycles as an alternative to cars running on fossil fuels – this would not only reduce the traffic on roads but also bring health benefits to citizens.
Member States should provide citizens with subsidies and tax cuts for the purchase of electric vehicles, especially in CEE.
Taking steps towards connecting all European capitals and other major cities through the network of pan-European trains.
Promote sustainable tourism by involving community members in decision-making processes and encouraging hotels and travel agencies to follow sustainable practices.
Increase Energy Efficiency of Buildings
Provide households with subsidies to purchase green solutions such as solar panels or heat pumps that would decrease their dependency on the energy grid and simultaneously contribute to a cleaner energy mix.
Promote renovations of households through public incentives and subsidies to provide increased energy efficiency and better insulation, so ensuring compliance with the EU energy efficiency targets.
Encourage the construction sector to start using innovative materials that would lower the carbon footprint produced during building.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Provide AI Guidelines
Launch awareness campaigns through various media to share accurate information about AI and dispel common myths.
Ensure responsible and fair use of AI by encouraging states across the globe and international organisations to follow the EU example in establishing ethical AI guidelines and governance structures.
Mandate all companies using AI systems to adhere to an EU-wide code of conduct that would be enforceable and based on ethics, privacy and transparency.
Ensure that AI systems provide explanations for their decisions or predictions to better understand the reasoning.
While training AI, employ the widest selection possible of available data from various groups of population from a large number of countries and nationalities to avoid built-in biases.
Strengthen Cyber Security
Strive to ensure that sensitive and critical data are stored within the borders of the country or region where it originates.
Encourage organisations to prioritise securing AI systems to protect sensitive data and prevent malicious attacks as they might become more common, especially in sensitive fields of work.
Support the implementation of multi-factor authentication in public and private sector.
Invest in advanced threat detection technologies contributing to a more secure digital environment.
Reskill and Upskill the Labour Force
Invest in training and upskilling programs to ensure that the workforce remains adept at using the latest digital tools and technologies.
Enhance collaboration between academia and industry, facilitated by internship programs, for example, to ensure the practical relevance of educational programs.
Provide training and professional development for teachers to familiarise themselves with AI tools, platforms, and their educational applications.
Educate pupils and students about AI and how it can be implemented in everyday life in a safe and efficient way.
Provide sufficient funding for upskilling courses aimed at artists and other creators to assist them in making the best of new AI tools.
Promote the Use of AI in Everyday Life
Develop an AI-powered study buddy app with language processing that would understand students’ questions and concerns and provide them with personalised study recommendations.
Develop and deploy anti-cheating technologies specifically designed to detect and prevent AI-driven cheating, especially in writing essays.
Use AI to provide affordable mental health support for people.
Finance the public deployment of AI-powered health monitoring systems that can track vital signs, remind individuals to take medications, and alert caregivers in case of emergencies.
Integrate AI into personalised language learning programs to tailor them to every student individually to achieve the best results.
Reduce the Costs of Digital Transformation
Utilise cloud computing and SaaS solutions to reduce infrastructure costs, eliminate the need for extensive hardware, and pay for services on a subscription basis.
Build strategic partnerships and ecosystems between the private sector and academia that facilitate innovation and collaboration.
Make data centres run on renewable energy and make them more energy efficient.
Provide state funding to innovative start-ups to help them get on their feet.
Encourage companies to invest in digitalisation solutions.
STAY TUNED FOR
Our reporting on responses from policymakers
Further e-discussions opportunities
Partners
