Confronting Energy Poverty in Europe: A Research and Policy Agenda

Bouzarovski, Stefan; Thomson, Harriet; Cornelis, Marine

doi:10.3390/en14040858

Cited by 116 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Other EU nations, on the contrary, reluctantly agree with EU recommendations and disregard or superficially treat energy poverty within key strategic documents such as National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). In the case of Northern and Western European Member States such as Germany, Denmark, Sweden, objectively low incidence rates have motivated their national governments to consider energy poverty within general income-related poverty thus advocating for traditional social welfare approaches for its alleviation (Bouzarovski et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humanising the Energy Transition: Towards a National Policy on Energy Poverty in the Netherlands

Feenstra

Middlemiss

Hesselman

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Cities

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Energy poverty is emerging as a national agenda in the Netherlands. Local authority leadership and action on this agenda, and European Union reporting requirements around the energy transition have aligned to create an opportunity to establish a national agenda on this issue. Early action on energy poverty by local authorities stemmed from their recognition of the value of addressing environmental, health, social welfare and poverty goals through measures to address the problem. In contrast, the experiences of vulnerable energy consumers have limited recognition in national policy. Meanwhile EU requirements for climate reporting include a specification for measuring and monitoring energy poverty. This growing momentum has resulted in an emerging interest in energy poverty as a means to achieve a just transition at a national level, as reflected in the Dutch National Climate and Energy Plan. In this paper, we profile the case of the Netherlands, and outline the opportunity we see for the development of an energy poverty agenda in national energy transition policy, as part of a multi-level energy governance effort. We report on a national stakeholder workshop that we led, linking the lived experience of energy poverty in the Netherlands with policy solutions. Following the clear call for a national policy in this workshop, we also outline a strategy for engagement with energy poverty in the Netherlands, published recently in a white paper on this topic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humanising the Energy Transition: Towards a National Policy on Energy Poverty in the Netherlands

Feenstra

Middlemiss

Hesselman

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Cities

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“…In Ukraine, where the problem of energy poverty has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of energy resources in 2020 (despite being slightly economically cheaper) was that they were harder to utilize [102,103]. The expansion of the European Union's energy poverty policies, i.e., fueled by clean energy for all Europeans, as well as regulations and the creation of the European Union Energy Poverty Observatory and the ENGAGER project [104,105], has begun to gradually address this problem, but there is still much to be done. An important factor for sustainability of energy management is alternative energy that can be diversified by varying countries, especially at the city level.…”

Section: Ukraine: Energy Hardshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Re-Shift for an Urbanizing World

et al. 2021

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This essay considers the rural-to-urban transition and correlates it with urban energy demands. Three distinct themes are inspected and interrelated to develop awareness for an urbanizing world: internal urban design and innovation, technical transition, and geopolitical change. Data were collected on the use of energy in cities and, by extension, nation states over the last 30 years. The urban population boom continues to pressure the energy dimension with heavily weighted impacts on less developed regions. Sustainable urban energy will need to reduce resource inputs and environmental impacts and decouple economic growth from energy consumption. Fossil fuels continue to be the preferred method of energy for cities; however, an increased understanding is emerging that sustainable energy forms can be implemented as alternatives. Key to this transition will be the will to invest in renewables (i.e., solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass), efficient infrastructure, and smart eco-city designs. This essay elucidates how the technical transition of energy-friendly technologies focuses on understanding the changes in the energy mix from non-renewable to renewable. Smart electricity storage grids with artificial intelligence can operate internationally and alleviate some geopolitical barriers. Energy politics is shown to be a problematic hurdle with case research examples specific to Central and Eastern Europe. The energy re-shift stressed is a philosophical re-thinking of modern cities as well as a new approach to the human-energy relationship.

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“…The lack of these adequate services results in adverse health and wellbeing consequences [15]. However, this definition differs from others that include certain nuances or gaps that should be noted, such as how to measure energy poverty [16], if it is universal [17] or if it should be applicable differently in developed countries [18] compared to countries under development [19,20], or what is meant by meeting basic human needs, and what are the possibilities of access to energy, including the real capacities for choosing the energy source, based on different criteria [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavior Patterns, Energy Consumption and Comfort during COVID-19 Lockdown Related to Home Features, Socioeconomic Factors and Energy Poverty in Madrid

2021

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During spring 2020, the world was shocked at the imminent global spread of SARS-CoV-2, resorting to measures such as domestic confinement. This meant the reconfiguration of life in an unusual space; the home. However, not all households experienced it in the same way; many of them were vulnerable. A general increase in energy consumption and discomfort in many cases, led these families to suffer the ravages of confinement. This study analyzes the energy and comfort situation for the Madrid (Spain) population, according to the configuration of the homes, the characteristics of the dwellings, the vulnerability index by district, and energy poverty (measured with the 10% threshold of energy expenditure of home incomes). The results show a greater exposure, in confinement, of vulnerable and energy-poor households to scenarios of discomfort in the home, to which they could not respond, while energy consumption inevitably increased. Driven by need, energy-poor homes applied certain saving strategies, mainly resorting to thermal adaptation with clothing. This study shows the risk these households experienced in the face of an extreme situation, and invites reflection on preventive and containment measures that aim to avoid harming the disadvantaged in the future; harm that would also entail serious consequences on the health of their cohabitants.

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Confronting Energy Poverty in Europe: A Research and Policy Agenda

Cited by 116 publications

References 84 publications

Humanising the Energy Transition: Towards a National Policy on Energy Poverty in the Netherlands

Humanising the Energy Transition: Towards a National Policy on Energy Poverty in the Netherlands

Energy Re-Shift for an Urbanizing World

Behavior Patterns, Energy Consumption and Comfort during COVID-19 Lockdown Related to Home Features, Socioeconomic Factors and Energy Poverty in Madrid

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