Report on “must-read” factors in policy design to tackle energy poverty through PED creation

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Marggraf, C., Hearn, A., Lamonaca, L., Ackrill, R. ORCID: 0000-0002-0739-1812 and Galanakis, K. ORCID: 0000-0002-1320-2475, 2021. Report on “must-read” factors in policy design to tackle energy poverty through PED creation. Smart‐BEEjS Consortium.

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Abstract

The main aim of this brief is to encourage policy makers and key stakeholders working on the creation of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) and similar low carbon initiatives to incorporate energy poverty reduction within their district design. Energy poverty mitigation and policies that reduce the impact of climate change are closely linked but have remained relatively separate in terms of policy planning despite their intersections. Ensuring that reducing energy poverty does not, in turn, increase emissions is possible through synergistic policies. On the other hand, disjointed thinking within the policy design and implementation cycle could undermine attempts to reduce energy poverty. The PED programme in the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (Set Plan) aims to reduce GHG emissions from urban areas, as part of the broader energy and climate strategies of the EU2. Urban areas are acknowledged as major sources of GHG emissions, and PEDs have a target of optimising energy efficiency, flexibility and production aiming towards both climate neutrality and an energy surplus. One of the guiding principles of PEDs is a focus on affordability, and the prevention of energy poverty. Owing to the synergy in goals between reducing energy poverty and creating PEDs, planning and developing PEDs with energy poverty in mind assists in integrating policies that make PEDs more attractive for cities and citizens. In order to develop and situate our insights we use an energy justice framework and rely on the policy design cycle to identify necessary must-read factors, drawing from scientific papers and grey literature on different PED projects. Our research reveals that energy poverty is not considered in a uniform way across the EU. In order to ensure that energy poverty and PED creation are approached synergistically we have identified a number of must-read factors that can play a significant role either at the stage of policy design or policy implementation. Considering each of these factors will assist policymakers in establishing PEDs that are fully inclusive and have a long-term positive effect on energy poverty mitigation.

Item Type:

Research report for external body

Description:

Commissioning body: European Commission

Creators:

Marggraf, C., Hearn, A., Lamonaca, L., Ackrill, R. and Galanakis, K.

Contributors: