HANDS-ON! – Learning by Doing for a Just Clean Energy Transition

About the project

HANDS-ON is a bold new initiative to reshape how local and regional public authorities design and deliver just, clean energy transition (CET) policies across Europe. At its core, the project is about learning by doing — helping governments move beyond plans and into action.

Why this matters

The clean energy transition is not just about technology or short-term solutions. It is about people, governance, and trust. HANDS-ON recognises the need to build new capabilities within institutions and beyond — creating safe-to-fail spaces, embracing inefficiency practices such as deep listening, and allowing disagreement while aligning on what is best for all.

By doing this, we can:

• Build inclusive, cross-sectoral and cross-institutional alignment
• Embed continuous learning, reflective evaluation, and evidence-based decision-making
• Drive socially just, widely accepted, and long-lasting policies that communities can truly own

What we’re doing

HANDS-ON brings together innovative approaches to strengthen institutional capacity and citizen participation:

• Institutional Working Groups – breaking silos through inter-departmental collaboration.
• Multi-stakeholder Energy & Climate Assemblies – engaging citizens, experts, and businesses in shaping the transition.

Where it’s happening

The approach will first be piloted in Spain, Bulgaria, and Denmark, before scaling to more than 35 municipalities across 12 European countries. This will create a powerful wave of social learning, innovation, and adaptation across Europe.