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Euractiv TalksEuractiv Events and Euractiv's Advocacy Lab podcasts are the audio version of our policy debates, stakeholder forums, Policy Triangles, and Thought Leadership interviews. Author: Euractiv's Advocacy Lab
Euractiv Events and Euractiv's Advocacy Lab podcasts are the audio version of our policy debates, stakeholder forums, Policy Triangles, and Thought Leadership interviews. These discussions bring together policymakers from EU institutions, industry stakeholders and civil society representatives to discuss EU policy issues. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Energy poverty in Europe – How can EU social, housing and climate policies deliver a fair transition?
Episode 22
Wednesday, 1 July, 2026
Europe is entering a new phase in the design of its social and economic policies, with renewed attention on inequality and living conditions. The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and the European Affordable Housing Plan signal a stronger focus on social cohesion, while the implementation of key climate measures, including the extension of carbon pricing to buildings and transport (ETS2), is reshaping the policy landscape. Within this context, ensuring that the green transition is socially balanced has become an increasingly important consideration for policymakers.Energy poverty sits at the intersection of these agendas. It affects a significant share of households and is closely linked to energy prices, housing quality and income levels. Recent geopolitical developments have contributed to energy market volatility, with impacts that tend to be more pronounced for vulnerable households, reinforcing existing social disparities. Addressing energy poverty is therefore not only a social challenge, but also a condition for maintaining public trust and acceptance of climate and energy policies.Despite its relevance, energy poverty is currently addressed across multiple policy areas without a fully integrated approach. This raises concerns about fragmentation, particularly in the context of ETS2 implementation and the preparation of national Social Climate Plans, where progress across Member States remains uneven. A further challenge relates to data availability and comparability, as existing methodologies differ across countries and do not always allow for a clear identification of affected households, complicating evidence-based policymaking.Some stakeholders argue that to ensure the energy transition is fair, just and inclusive requires a more systematic integration of energy poverty considerations across EU social, housing and energy policies. Strengthening coordination between existing instruments, improving data collection and monitoring, and sharing best practices across Member States could help deliver more targeted and effective support, while ensuring that the benefits of the transition are more broadly shared.Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss how energy poverty can be more systematically integrated into EU social, housing and climate policies, and how existing instruments can contribute to a more coherent and targeted response. Questions to be addressed include:· How can energy poverty be better integrated across EU social, housing and energy policy frameworks?· What role can ETS2 and the Social Climate Fund play in mitigating the social impacts of the energy transition?· How can data collection and measurement of energy poverty be improved to support more effective policymaking?· What lessons can be drawn from Member State experiences and best practices in addressing energy poverty?
