[29.06.23] Tackling Energy Poverty Through National Building Renovation Plans: ENPOR’s Impactful Policy Session at EUSEW 2023

The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) returned with great success from 20-22 June 2023, adopting a hybrid format that brought together participants both online and physically in Brussels. As part of the high-level Policy Conference, ENPOR had the privilege of hosting a policy session on 21 June that delved into the crucial topic of combatting energy poverty through national building renovation plans. You can find the presentations below in highlighted.

The session began by setting the scene, with Stefan Moser from the Directorate-General for Energy presenting the European Commission’s comprehensive strategies to combat energy poverty. Moser highlighted the Renovation Wave initiative, which emphasizes targeting the most energy-inefficient buildings. This approach not only aligns with climate and energy objectives but also provides opportunities for social integration and a more inclusive society. By addressing energy waste and reducing consumption, vulnerable citizens can experience improved living conditions and enhanced opportunities in life.

The second part of the session focused on the presentation of various supporting tools for designing national renovation strategies. Marie Rousselot from ENERDATA provided valuable insights into the use of national indicators to monitor energy poverty and the effectiveness of different approaches. Rousselot’s research revealed that vulnerable households often remain overlooked by traditional renovation policies, necessitating targeted efforts to address this challenge.

Representing ENPOR, Dimitris Papantonis from TEESlab-UPRC introduced the ENPOR Energy Poverty Dashboard—a powerful tool designed to identify energy poverty within the private rented sector across Europe. Additionally, Papantonis showcased the ENPOR split incentive tool, which aims to overcome the barrier faced by property owners when investing in energy savings without immediate benefits. The session included an interactive demonstration of these developed tools, followed by a discussion facilitated by Alexandros Flamos.

In the third part of the session, two positive examples of national renovation strategies were highlighted. Christos Tourkolias from CRES presented Greece’s Action Plan for Confronting Energy Poverty, outlining the country’s comprehensive approach to combating energy poverty through inclusive renovation strategies. Annika Urbas from TREA then shared Estonia’s successful implementation of national renovation grants, showcasing their remarkable efforts to address energy poverty.

The session concluded with an engaging roundtable discussion, during which the moderator posed additional questions to each speaker. Furthermore, the floor was opened for audience interventions, allowing participants to contribute their valuable thoughts and perspectives. The session ended on a high note with closing remarks, emphasizing the significance of collaboration and ongoing efforts to alleviate energy poverty and achieve a sustainable future.

If you missed the session, you can rewatch it here: