1992: Eye opening study trip

Date interview: July 1 2016
Name interviewer: Morten Elle, Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transition, Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, Copenhagen
Name interviewee: Raphaël Claustre (RC)
Position interviewee: Director of CLER

Social-technical relations Re-invigoration NGOs New Organizing New Knowing Networking Interpersonal relations International networks Experimenting Competence development

This is a CTP of initiative: INFORSE ‐ CLER (France)

1992: Eye opening study trip   In 1992, the director of CLER took part in a study trip to Styria in the lower part of Austria, together with CLER members and members of other French NGO’s. The study trip opened CLER’s eyes for the possibilities of a local approach to renewable energy, the strength of local energy co-operatives and the rural environment. Austria is very developed concerning solar energy

Co-production

The trip was organised with AFME – later renamed ADEME, an public organisation concerned with mitigating climate change. This organisation had got an EU-based grant, making the study trip possible.

Related events

One of CLER’s first actions, after having been founded in 1984, was to try promoting solar energy together with AFME, including having a Solar Energy Year.

Contestation

No direct contestation, but it was quite hard to get any renewable energy initiatives founded by the French government in this period. Hence other ways of financing activities were quite important – like EU grants.

Anticipation

The importance of this event was not foreseen, but in hindsight it is seen as one of the critical turning points for CLER. If it had not been for this study trip, CLER might have remained a very small, local organisation.   The study trip took place before any of the present team members started working at CLER – not many details about the trip is known, and the primary info is from the CLER 30 year anniversary newsletter.

Learning

The lessons learned from the study trip can be seen in a number of CLER’s future activities, for instance the 100 % sustainable energy villages. Even though that the CLER members learned that local activities are decisive they also learned that it is crucial to get international inspiration. The vision became clearer.