What housing-related factors and inequalities hinder people’s engagement in energy transitions? How can housing initiatives facilitate energy citizenship? What is the potential of different housing models in fostering energy citizenship and the emergence of community energy initiatives?
Housing law is often overlooked in energy community policies. However, it represents one of the major barriers to energy citizenship and community energy initiatives. Housing regulations at the national and local levels affect people’s opportunities to engage in energy systems – for example, via property rights, standards of housing, and tenure types. In addition, housing is strongly linked to socio-economic inequalities, making it an important factor to tackle when addressing energy poverty and protecting vulnerable households.
The aims of the module are to:
-provide an understanding of the different housing-related barriers to energy citizenship and community energy initiatives,
-present a range of opportunities for energy citizenship and initiatives coming from alternative housing models or practices,
-consider and reflect on housing-related barriers for different demographics.
The instructors for this module are:
Celin Gutschi studied law and is now working as a Ph.D. student in law at the University of Graz. In the EC2 project, she is involved in the survey of the legal situation for energy communities in the member states and in the development of a tool that promotes energy citizenship and energy communities.
Benedetta Buccolini is a Just Transition, Culture, and Cultural Heritage Officer at ICLEI Europe, a network of local governments for sustainability. Her work focuses on inclusive and sustainable development initiatives which find their roots in local communities, practices, and cultures. For EC2, she leads the work on policy recommendations, capacity building, and inclusion.
