Laarbeek Energy communicates with feeling

‘A customized story that touches’

With heart and soul, the young cooperative Laarbeek Energie is committed to involving the surrounding area in their initiatives, including participating in solar meadow De Blauwe Poort. “We put a lot of effort into communication with a customized story that touches,” says chairman Frits Swinkels.

Laarbeek Energie was founded in 2022. The cooperative is now in negotiations to become co-owner of Zonneweide De Blauwe Poort. “We are indebted to Stichting Platform Duurzaam Laarbeek, which has been involved in the development of the solar meadow from the beginning. Among other things, Laarbeek Energie was established to ensure that residents of the municipality of Laarbeek could participate in De Blauwe Poort,” Frits explains. “But we do more, as a cooperative we want to approach the full breadth of the energy issue for the residents of the municipality.”

Despite more than a hundred people becoming members of the cooperative in six months, the number of residents willing to participate in The Blue Gate is still too few, Frits says. “Because of the election results in 2023 and negative electricity prices, we will have to work even harder on that. The involvement of our members is high, but I notice that we have to build our message differently to also get groups involved that are less concerned with climate change. The fact that GreenTrust is not a commercial foreign company and the good contacts with municipality and alderman help and increase the support base of Laarbeek Energie.”

No accounting story

“The cooperative has a good picture of the different groups of residents and looks at how best to reach each group. People who are worried about the future of their (grand)children are already participating well. “We don’t reach enough young people now but we want to improve that with a young member of our Advisory Board. He is 24 years old. We are also going to use social media widely. There are still gains to be made in association life and local business. I am an organizational consultant and know from experience that a story from the heart sticks better than a story from the accountant,” says Frits.

Together with GreenTrust, Laarbeek Energie worked on a communication strategy that appeals to people’s sense of social responsibility and their own responsibility regarding the climate,” says Frits. “By appealing to that sense of responsibility, we try to make it clear that participating and becoming sustainable is for one’s own long-term benefit. Everyone wants to leave a better world for their children and grandchildren; we try to evoke that feeling. However, you have to do something for that.”