About the project
The ERICA project aims to address the socio-environmental impacts of the fossil fuel industry, often obscured by industry influence. It leverages citizen science initiatives for independent environmental monitoring, enhancing public engagement and data reliability.
By empowering citizens with training and accessible technology, ERICA fosters informed decision-making and advocacy. Through scalable methodologies, it equips communities to gather, evaluate, and utilize environmental data, promoting evidence-based policies and actionable knowledge.
ERICA will bridge the gap between science and civil society, bolstering environmental stewardship and contributing to a more sustainable future.
TARGET
The primary target demographic consists of environmentally conscious adults seeking empowerment through enhanced participation in evaluating the environmental impact of fossil fuel industries. They will create a community of practice, exchanging knowledge and refining skills. In addition, they will actively contribute to project activities through co-design and participatory methods, facilitated by local partners.
Other stakeholders encompass policymakers, environmental NGOs, citizen science networks, universities, schools, extractive companies, and the scientific community. Their involvement ranges from policy adoption to youth engagement and industry awareness. Collaboratively, participants aim to broaden environmental monitoring efforts, sharing insights, fostering peer-to-peer learning, and promoting the project’s impact.
OBJECTIVES
The project aims to leverage citizen science for climate action and environmental protection, fostering public understanding of climate change and fossil fuel impacts. Specific objectives include:
- Enhancing citizens’ understanding of environmental monitoring’s significance in combating climate change by gathering EU-level knowledge and best practices.
- Improving adult citizens’ skills in organizing and participating in environmental monitoring citizen science initiatives.
- Enhancing knowledge of technology use in community-based environmental monitoring, bolstering digital skills.
- Raising awareness among adults about fossil fuel industry environmental effects, empowering them in climate action.
- Improving public access to environmental data for various activities, including citizen events, education, campaigns, and policy co-creation.
Pilot sites gallery
Tempa Rossa oil field (Italy)
Lake Pertusillo (Italy)
Lake Pertusillo (Italy)
Lake Pertusillo (Italy)
Konin Lignite Region (Poland)
Demolition of village for open-pit coal mine, Kazimierz Biskupi, Konin County
Konin Lignite Region (Poland)
Equipment of the Konin Lignite Mine, Kleczew, Konin County
Tarragona Petrochemical Complex (Spain)
Tarragona Petrochemical Complex (Spain)
Tarragona Petrochemical Complex (Spain)
Photo from Repsol Tarragona
Tarragona Petrochemical Complex (Spain)
Panoramic view of the Repsol refinery for a report on the transformation of the industrial area
Project results
1st Result
E-booklet of best practices
An e-booklet of best practices of citizen science initiatives related to environmental monitoring in the European Union. It will provide new learning opportunities on the benefits of bottom-up research initiatives that allow us to bridge the gap between research and civil society.
2nd Result
ERICA training methodology
The ERICA training methodology, constituted by a module on environmental monitoring practices, one on the technologies for citizen sensing, one on data advocacy and further content material for actionable knowledge. It will provide the necessary knowledge to adult citizens on how to play an active role in the fight against climate change through civic engagement.
4th Result
Pilot evaluation
The pilot evaluation plan will summarize the results achieved through pilot actions, directly experiencing environmental monitoring practices on fossil fuels industry’s activities. It will include an overall assessment of the project to understand to what extent it contributed to the uptake of citizens’ observation and measurements in environmental issues.
