'WAKE UP!' continues to take firm steps in supporting climate transition

07/03/2025

Bringing everyone together around climate transition and compensating for more sustainable behaviour – this is the motto of the ‘WAKE UP! (Wider Approach to Keep Engaged citizens on sustainable Urban Policies)’ project, developed by the municipality and project partners. Alongside other initiatives, the ideation and co-creation sessions held with citizens and partners stand out.

As part of the project, various actions are underway to ensure that the platform is functional, attractive and effective for Porto citizens. The aim is to create a space where users can monitor the evolution of their habits, get rewards for sustainable choices, receive tailored recommendations to improve their behaviour, and access information on the city’s climate transition, aligning with the carbon neutrality target by 2030.

Citizen participation has been an essential factor in this process. Community involvement began with a call for participation addressed to the signatories of the Porto Climate Pact, and aimed to understand citizens’ barriers and motivations in adopting more sustainable practices.

Citizens and partners united

An ideation session was recently held in line with this goal, which was quickly joined by citizens who explored the project’s challenges. Compensation methodologies and essential functionalities for the platform were among the topics discussed, highlighting the importance of citizen collaboration in building urban sustainability solutions.

In addition to the session with local residents, the project’s partners also took part in a meeting dedicated to discussing strategies for involving their communities and defining compensation methodologies. Important conclusions emerged from this meeting, which was attended by the following organisations: AEFEUP, Ribadouro School, FC Porto, FOCA – Focus On Critical Actions, Go Porto, Lipor, Misericórdia do Porto, Smart Waste Portugal, STCP and Viva Lab.

The focus on innovation and the involvement of civil society positions Porto as a benchmark city in its commitment to sustainability and climate transition, endeavouring to ensure that the policies and initiatives implemented reflect population needs and expectations.

The WAKE UP! project is led by the Municipality of Porto and funded by the European Union under Cohort 2 of the NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme.