GSS has officially become a member of KLIK – Križevački laboratorij inovacija za klimu, one of Croatia’s most recognised local initiatives focused on climate innovation, citizen engagement and community-based energy development.
For GSS, this membership represents more than a formal affiliation. It is a strategic step towards deeper practical involvement in the development of energy communities, cooperatives and local sustainability models. While community energy is often discussed through policies, strategies and EU-funded project concepts, its full value can only be understood through direct participation, shared responsibility and active contribution.
KLIK has already demonstrated how local stakeholders, citizens, public institutions and professional organisations can work together to accelerate the green transition at local level. Its cooperative model connects renewable energy, climate action, education and local development, showing how communities can become active participants in the energy transition rather than passive consumers.
Through this membership, GSS aims to contribute its expertise in EU-funded project development, renewable energy, hydrogen, sustainability, circular economy, energy communities and innovation ecosystems. At the same time, GSS sees this as an important opportunity to learn directly from a functioning local cooperative model and to better understand the operational, social and governance dimensions of community-led climate action.
The decision to join KLIK is aligned with GSS’s broader mission to support practical, place-based and scalable sustainability solutions. Energy communities and cooperatives are increasingly important instruments for strengthening local resilience, improving citizen participation, supporting renewable energy deployment and creating new models of shared value.
We believe that the best way to understand the concept of a community is not only to analyse it from the outside, but to join it, contribute to it and support its long-term development from within.
By becoming a member of KLIK, GSS looks forward to contributing to the cooperative’s continued success and to supporting the wider development of stronger, smarter and more inclusive community-based energy models in Croatia and beyond.