About: energy poverty
LEAK: New EU fund aims to cushion social impact of climate policies
The European Commission will launch a social fund to help alleviate the societal costs of its climate legislation, particularly its plan to expand the emissions trading scheme (ETS) to buildings and road transport, according to a leaked draft seen by EURACTV.
Will the Renovation Wave leave Europe’s poorest on the shore?
Across Europe, 50 million households struggle with energy poverty stemming from low incomes, high energy bills, poor energy efficiency, as well as inadequate housing. The EU’s Renovation Wave, a ‘flagship’ of the European Green Deal, provides a unique opportunity to tackle Europe’s inadequate housing while contributing to EU climate targets, writes Anna Kompatscher.
Energy-efficient buildings should be ‘new normal’, says EU’s Simson
The European commissioner for energy, Kadri Simson, on Tuesday (20 April) underlined the importance of the 'Renovation Wave' strategy in combating energy poverty in the European Union, saying that sustainable, energy-efficient buildings should be "the new normal".
Energy poverty ‘likely to increase’ once bank moratoriums are lifted
The President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on Tuesday (20 April) called for "coordinated action" across the European Union to tackle energy poverty, warning that poverty is "likely" to increase once bank moratoriums are lifted.
The female face of energy poverty is still invisible
Women are more likely to live in energy poverty, something that needs to be reflected in EU policy as it rolls out its renovation wave, writes Michaela Kauer.
EU’s green building push risks driving homelessness, activists warn
The European Commission must ensure that plans to price carbon emissions in the building sector does not lead to growing rates of homelessness, campaigners said on Wednesday (17 March).
Czech coal mining regions confronted with ‘hidden’ energy poverty
While Czech coal mining regions supply heat and electricity to the whole country, local people are often unable to afford heating their own homes, researchers say. More broadly, Czechia is struggling to meet its EU reporting obligations on energy poverty, an issue common to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Biggest challenge in energy transition is social justice, EU official says
While legitimate worries are being expressed about funding for low-carbon technologies to meet EU climate goals, the biggest challenge will be to manage the energy transition in a way that does not deepen social inequalities, a senior EU official has said.
EU urged to strengthen ETS to reach 2030 climate goals
A strengthened emissions trading scheme (ETS) will be vital to drive further CO2 reductions in the European Union as the bloc discusses an increase of its 2030 climate target, policymakers say.
EU grapples with ‘regressive’ climate laws
Avoiding another “yellow vest” movement will be crucial for the success of the energy transition as Europe moves forward with a new wave of policies aimed at cutting emissions down to net zero by 2050, policymakers say.
COVID-19 means tackling energy poverty is more urgent than ever
The COVID-19 crisis is hitting European consumers in the pocket, causing rising unemployment and falling income for those who have kept their jobs. Spending more time at home as a result of lockdown measures could make matters worse for energy...
Leaving no one in the dark, neither today nor tomorrow
When people lose their job or are put under pressure, in particular regarding their health, they should not be worrying about paying their bills, write Marine Cornelis and Alicia Carrasco.
Housing renovation plan will be ‘flagship’ of European Green Deal
A housing renovation programme, aimed at reducing energy consumption of buildings, will be “one of the flagships” of the upcoming European Green Deal that will be unveiled by the European Commission next month, an EU official has said.
How to fix Eastern Europe’s problem with 2050 climate neutrality
A radical, one might say populist, solution to solve the Eastern blockade on climate neutrality would be to set up a European Climate Solidarity Fund, writes István Bart.
Heatwaves hurt the poor most: Time for an EU plan
Recurring heatwaves across Europe have been most devastating for the poor. New EU institutions have a mandate to make Europe’s energy transition a just one, but this can only be done if a European Marshall plan is implemented to fight climate change and protect the vulnerable, writes Yamina Saheb.
Researcher: Lowering electricity taxes is cheapest way of meeting EU climate goals
The energy transition will hit the poor hardest unless it's balanced by a shift in taxation, says Christian Egenhofer. The EU needs to acknowledge this and get started by lowering taxes on electricity to achieve the EU’s carbon reduction goals at least cost, he argues.
An Energy Union 2.0?
Four years into the Energy Union project, it is worth taking stock of one of the flagship policies of the Juncker Commission and look into future challenges, writes Piotr Arak.
Time to address Europe’s hot and cold homes crisis
Most European countries have significant energy poverty problems and are unable to keep their citizens warm during winter. In fact, that applies as much to cooling as to heating, writes Adrian Joyce.
Why the EU shouldn’t ditch regulated energy prices just yet
If the energy market fails to deliver affordable prices for those in a vulnerable situation, it should not trample people’s right to live a decent life. A way to limit harm is to avoid prices going too high, writes Monique Goyens.
Regulated tariffs under fire as clean energy gains momentum
Electricity prices regulated by the government are commonplace in Europe, chiefly out of concern for vulnerable consumers. But they also undermine the adoption of innovative demand-response technologies, which are key to integrate higher shares of renewables and electric cars.
Think-tank: Artificially low electricity prices ‘not good for EDF’ nor consumers
Artificially low energy prices in France are one of the reasons why former state monopoly EDF loses money, says Thomas Pellerin-Carlin. Moreover, regulated prices are useless to protect vulnerable consumers from energy poverty and “almost never leads to low energy bills,” he argues.
Will the EU electricity market protect Europeans from disconnection?
The EU has recognised access to energy as a human right. But whether it will enforce a disconnection safeguard remains to be seen, writes Guillaume Derivaux.
Keeping cool in a warming world is not a ‘luxury’ for the rich
The heatwaves currently experienced in Europe should be a wake-up call to stop ignoring summer domestic energy poverty, writes Yamina Saheb.