In the urgent pursuit of a sustainable future, the European Union is pioneering a transformative approach that blends technology with citizen engagement. At the heart of this movement lies NeuroClima, a ground-breaking project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe program and a research consortium of fifteen partners led by Politecnico di Milano.
With a focus on both digital and green transitions, NeuroClima represents the European Union’s commitment to combatting climate change through systemic change. Gianluca Misuraca, co-founder and Vice President for International Relations and Technology Diplomacy of Inspiring Futures, explains how the project’s innovative strategy relies on the power of artificial intelligence to catalyse behavioural alterations at both individual and institutional levels. By developing a sophisticated system, NeuroClima aims to reshape societal mindsets and behaviours towards sustainability. This approach, based on citizen engagement, seeks to empower communities to actively participate in shaping climate policies and driving positive change.
“If we really want to support a systemic change”, asserts Misuraca, “we need to make sure that policymakers, citizens and all stakeholders are actually engaged in a positive change process to really reconsider the way we act as individuals and as organisations”. With resolute determination, NeuroClima sets out to empower European Union institutions across various governance levels in implementing crucial adaptation strategies for climate transition.
Narratives play a central role in societal transformation. Through AI-driven engagement and user-friendly digital interfaces, NeuroClima analyses citizen behaviours, sentiments and perceptions surrounding climate change, offering evidence-based insights to reshape public discourse. Aligned with the EU’s vision of a carbon-neutral society, NeuroClima seeks to inspire collective action and foster resilience in the face of environmental challenges, listening to the citizenship and providing policymakers with actionable insights in order to shaping policies that facilitate the transition to a sustainable future. As Misuraca highlights, artificial intelligence and other technologies are so important “because they can in a positive way influence behaviours and ensure that cities, regions, and governments worldwide are better equipped for the future”.
NeuroClima recognises the crucial role of today’s societal tipping point in our path towards sustainability, offering targeted interventions to enhance resilience and drive positive change. Misuraca assures that creating a more resilient society is indeed possible, encouraging collaboration and emphasising the importance of “working together towards this mission for the future”.
