#127 Amsterdam: Dancing Through Energy Transition Challenges

Recorded live at the ChangeNOW event in Paris, in this episode, Mimi Eelman, Innovation Manager for Energy at the City of Amsterdam, shares her journey from geological studies and early climate awareness to spearheading energy innovation projects in one of Europe’s most forward-thinking cities. The conversation explores how lived experience shapes inclusive leadership, highlighting the importance of empathy, visibility, and grassroots engagement in public service. Mimi discusses the challenges of engaging citizens in energy topics, the urgency of climate action at the local level, and the role of education, creativity, and systemic disruption in building truly smart, equitable communities.   Episode Overview: [00:00:37] Teaser Question: “If you had to illustrate Amsterdam’s energy transition with only three emojis, what would they be and why?” [00:03:07] Our guest’s background [00:06:08] Energy-sharing project in Amsterdam Noord (Republica Building) [00:10:00] Lessons from a previous project on Texel island involving families and behavioural change [00:13:16] Designing citizen engagement in energy projects [00:20:06] Framework for deciding levels of public involvement [00:23:28] Possibilities and risks in Amsterdam’s decarbonisation pathway [00:27:17] Barriers to scaling up pilot projects and importance of taking action [00:30:39] The importance of having a dream or “moonshot” to inspire action [00:31:53] Podcast Segment: Inspire Us – Mimi shares her inspiration from Madonna [00:33:11] Ending Question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”   Like our show? Remember to subscribe and rate it! Want to join us for an episode? Fill out the form on our Podcast Page. And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub