On Thursday, December 12, the final event of the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) entitled “Studying energy poverty in Greece: Results, Objectives and Developments” was held at KEDEA – AUTh, organised by ANATOLIKI SA – Local Government Development Organization.
The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) is the leading EU initiative aiming to eradicate energy poverty and accelerate the just energy transition of European local governments. It is linked with the Covenant of Mayors, a European initiative involving local and regional authorities voluntarily committing to increasing energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources in their territories (@Covenant of Mayors).
Mrs Vasiliki Papadopoulou, Director for Planning and EU Project’s Manager of ANATOLIKI SA opened the event. The event was also welcomed by the Head of the Energy Policy and Energy Efficiency Directorate from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, Vasiliki Sita, and the Deputy Dean, Professor and President of the Department of Civil Engineering, Aikaterini Tsikaloudaki.
The event commenced with a comprehensive presentation of the new EU regulatory framework for energy by Dr. Sofia-Natalia Boemi, CluBE. Following this, Dimitra Drakaki, Communication Manager of EPAH, Climate Alliance, provided an insightful overview of EPAH’s activities. The audience was then privileged to hear from Alice Korovesi, CEO of INZEB, who presented the principal national results from the two technical assistants of EPAH.
Recognising that energy poverty is a critical issue at both the European and national levels, Dr Christos Tourkolias, a scientific associate of CRES and coordinator of the Working Group for monitoring the objectives of the National Climate and Energy Plan (NCEP), presented the national framework for addressing energy poverty. Dr Vlasis Economou, CEO of IEECP, discussed developments related to the forthcoming Social Climate Plans and Fund. Dimitris Damigos, Dean and Professor at NTUA and Project Coordinator of the REVERTER Project, shared modern techniques for mapping and tackling energy poverty. The final presentation was delivered by Dr. Anastasios Manos, CEO of Dotsoft, who emphasised the role of smart cities in preventing and addressing energy poverty.
The event concluded with a vibrant discussion involving representatives from various municipalities and regions, including the Municipality of Drama, the Municipality of Kavala, the Daphne Network (which represents island municipalities), the Major Development Agency of Thessaloniki S.A., the Office for Combating Energy Poverty (GAEF) of the Municipality of Athens, and the RDFCM. This collaborative exchange highlighted the joint efforts made to combat energy poverty and the initiatives undertaken to support vulnerable households. The discussions revealed a shared understanding that technical support and training are crucial for addressing energy poverty. While tools and models are essential for creating indicators to guide political decisions, field research and on-site visits are equally important for informing actions and preventing energy poverty. It was emphasized that the audience, as stakeholders in energy policy, will play a vital role in implementing new policies aimed primarily at regional and local governments.
