Webinar: Energy Poverty and a Just Transition

Start: 2021-05-20 18:30:00 UTC Greenwich Mean Time : Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London (GMT+00:00)

End: 2021-05-20 19:45:00 UTC Greenwich Mean Time : Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London (GMT+00:00)

This is a virtual event

Fuel poverty is the inability to heat and power a home. It is a function of three interconnected factors: income, energy prices and energy efficiency. In Ireland, two key Government strategies, Warmer Homes: A Strategy for Affordable Energy in Ireland (2011) and Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty 2016-2019, have aimed to eliminate energy poverty by focusing on energy efficiency. But the objective has been hampered by the difficulty of accessing the schemes in low-income communities and few incentives for landlords to retrofit rental properties. Energy poverty has been linked to negative health impacts, particularly respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, and decreased well-being.

A just energy transition that tackles energy poverty must prioritise the needs of those most vulnerable to energy poverty including children, people on low-incomes, and those living in rented accommodation. Furthermore, all climate policy related to energy costs and/or energy efficiency must consider the potential impacts on the fuel poor as those are two key factors that have been linked to energy poverty.

This webinar will open up a conversation about the hidden impact of energy poverty, considering this issue on an individual, community and systemic basis. What challenges do we face in addressing energy poverty? What solutions do we need to overcome energy poverty? How can we influence a nationwide just transition by tackling energy poverty? And why must social justice be embedded in climate action?

Speakers include: Marija Mileta, Head of Communications and Climate Change Programme Assistant, Zelena akcija/Friends of the Earth Croatia; Susanne Rogers, Research and Policy Analyst, Social Justice Ireland; Michelle Kearns, Project Policy Worker, National Traveller MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service).