Europe – Outdoor brand Patagonia is empowering neighbourhoods across Europe to re-imagine energy systems, focusing on local and community benefits.
Its latest campaign film, We the Power, spotlights cooperatives across the continent that are working towards renewable energy solutions. From Germany’s Black Forest to the streets of ancient Girona and the rooftops of London, each is shown breaking down legislative barriers to prioritise energy from local sources. Through the campaign, Patagonia is encouraging citizens to imagine a new energy system that is community-owned and in turn supports local jobs and those in energy poverty.
‘Community energy is a win-win situation, whereby local, renewable energy production puts money directly into local communities and speeds up the creation of a cleaner, healthier future for our children,’ says Beth Thoren, environmental action and initiatives director of Patagonia.
The initiative echoes the ideas we identify in Equilibrium Cities, in which we forecast a future of city super-networks that will emerge to re-align the power between major and regional cities.