Highlights

• Evaluating energy poverty across a sample of 32 economies from 2004 to 2021.
• Data from the EU-SILC database and Eurostat were utilised.
• Fixed-effect regression models were used to identify factors influencing energy poverty at the household level.
• Strategies for addressing energy poverty include enhancing housing conditions and lowering electricity expenses.
• Households that are low-income, smaller in size, and in poor condition are more vulnerable to energy poverty.

Abstract

The domain of energy poverty is increasingly recognised as a multifaceted global challenge stemming from limited income, high energy costs, and inefficient housing. The issue affects different social groups and regions unevenly, even within Europe. This paper investigates energy poverty across 32 economies, including EU member states and several non-EU European countries, over the period from 2004 to 2021. By analysing micro-level data from the EU-SILC database and Eurostat, the study identifies that low-income households, smaller households, and those living in overcrowded conditions are particularly vulnerable to energy poverty. Interestingly, the research finds that renewable energy does not contribute to alleviating energy poverty in Europe. Based on these results, the study calls for immediate policy measures to improve housing conditions and lower electricity costs, especially for economically disadvantaged households, to effectively address energy poverty.

Purpose

Considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors is vital in climate change mitigation. Energy companies must incorporate ESG into their business plans, although it unquestionably affects their corporate financial performance (CFP). This paper aims to investigate the effect of ESG on energy companies’ profitability through return on assets by analysing the combined score and individual dimensions of ESG.

Green roofs are artificial ecosystems that provide a nature-based solution to environmental challenges such as climate change and the urban heat island. Green roofs aid in the conservation of both cooling and heating energy; deposition of particulates and mitigation of air pollution; control of runoff and water pollution; promotion of biodiversity; and provision of aesthetic and health benefits. This research is a holistic review of the green roof literature and provides a global perspective of the subject with a classification of modelling studies; and an extensive review of contributions to energy conservation, carbon sequestration, mitigation of air pollutants, runoff control; and urban noise reduction. The review covers the system’s thermal performance modelling through several methodologies; experimental studies; parametric studies to assess the impact of various parameters on the system’s energy efficiency using several configuration parameters such as leaf area, foliage height and density, plant coverage, roof insulation, soil thickness, and irrigation; energy benefits; and environmental benefits including air pollutants mitigation, carbon sequestration, runoff control and urban noise reduction. Finally, review was complemented with a life cycle assessment study of green roofs, which examined the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing and construction, transportation, and disposal.

1. Introduction

The European Union (EU) is navigating a transformative period in its energy landscape, driven by the urgent necessity to tackle climate change and ensure sustainable energy security. As the world increasingly recognizes the dangers of climate disruption, the EU has positioned itself at the forefront of global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and foster a clean energy transition. In line with the ambitious European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the EU has set a bold target: achieving at least 42.5% renewable energy consumption by 2030, with aspirations to reach 45% [1]. Here's a concise summary of the current and upcoming trends in renewable energy demand and requirements across Europe. One of the upcoming requirements for Europe is the need to address seasonal variations in renewable energy production. Renewable sources, such as wind and solar, are inherently intermittent, leading to fluctuations in energy supply. This intermittency poses challenges to grid stability and energy security, especially during periods of low wind or solar generation. Converting offshore wind energy into hydrogen for storage can provide a flexible and reliable solution for energy supply, especially during periods when wind production is low or when demand peaks. Conveying current trends of renewable energy demand and upcoming trend requirements using Europe’s electricity base load with modular nuclear power plants, an Ultra High Voltage Transmission Line is used to transfer renewable energy long distances. Converting offshore wind production may concentrate on hydrogen storage in seas for upcoming seasonal issues caused by renewable energy, and finally Vertical Integration, Customer-centric, acquiring the energy from suppliers through Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs).

The Intersection of Neurochemistry and Environmental Cognition in Climate Change

Let me introduce you to the concept of relativity, particularly relative status. Why can we not stop consuming? A first hint is the very nature of human survival and social structures. Within these social structures, hierarchy and hence status is particularly important. However, we have not evolved to have an absolute criterion for reaching a certain status, as it wouldn’t be viable on largely different scales. That is why we rely on relative status. As you may already know, our brain relies on neurotransmitters to carry electrical signals from one neuron to the next.

Are We Creating a Compromise?

Every year in the United Kingdom and Australia, thousands of incidents involving devastating fires linked to batteries in waste management facilities or vehicles are reported. Paradoxically, these are facilities meant to contain such hazardous activities. Furthermore, headlines such as “Batteries Starting Fires at Yellowknife’s Landfill, City Says,” posted by Cabin Radio, report unreported hazardous incidents potentially linked to batteries, and are becoming more common around the globe. These reports and news are increasingly alarming because they come at the cost of life, property damage, and monetary losses, and given the fact that we heavily rely on batteries for the energy transition, they could lead to safety and environmental compromises if not treated properly.

Driving the Paris Agreement

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement includes provisions allowing countries to cooperate to achieve National Determined Contributions (NDCs), specifically through carbon pricing, to meet mitigation commitments. Carbon markets are an emerging tool that incentivises businesses to pollute less and invest in clean technologies by putting a price on carbon emissions. As this article explores further, compliance and voluntary carbon markets are poised to reshape the energy landscape and contribute to achieving the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement.

Compliance Carbon Markets

Compliance carbon markets are a key tool in the fight against climate change, and they aim to establish a carbon price by laws or regulations which control the supply of allowances distributed by national, regional and global regimes through the following compliance mechanisms: (1) Cap and Trade: Sets a pollution limit (the cap) and lets companies buy or sell allowances to meet their obligations, creating a market for carbon credits with a price driven by supply and demand; (2) Carbon Tax: A fixed price is set per ton of carbon emitted. Companies must pay tax for their emissions, incentivising them to reduce pollution.

The United Kingdom is in the right place to become a global leader in the industrial Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) sector. Specific, UK associated industrial development has set a great potential for Industrial Carbon Capture (ICC) application. In fact, the operation of Oil and Gas (O&G) offshore fields has allowed for decades of data on suitable carbon storage sites to be collected, determining that the North Sea’s saline aquifers and depleted reservoirs have a 78,000 MtCO₂ capacity. Figure 1 exhibits the distribution of both CO₂ emission sources from industrial clusters and offshore storage points.

On Thursday 24 November 2022, Renault signed a contract with Voltalia to supply 350 MW of renewable energy over 15 years from 2027, which should account for half the company’s electricity consumption. This type of contract, also known as a corporate Power Purchase Agreement (cPPAs), is an unprecedented commitment in France in terms of power. On the same day, Engie announced a contract to purchase 100MW with Google in the United Kingdom for 12 years from the Moray West offshore wind project off Scotland. Whilst solar and wind remain dominant, contracts are now emerging for biogas, geothermal, and even hydrogen

Funding for the energy industry has historically been dominated by major private or state-controlled institutions. Conventional energies such as fossil fuels require capital outlays of millions and sometimes billions of euros, and hence, understandably, citizens or cooperatives have never fully financed a nuclear powerplant or an offshore oil rig. As the urgency of tackling climate change increases, the energy sector is being reconfigured by financing alternatives made possible by renewable energy technologies that are adaptable to local and community investment. Society is simultaneously becoming increasingly electrified, with global electricity consumption forecast to double from 2021 levels, reaching 50,000 TWh by 2050. Rapid growth in the renewables sector will be crucial for meeting this steady increase in demand.

With Putin’s “special military operation” into Ukraine on February 24^th 2022 it became clear to many observers within a week that this was a war. It represented a step change from the various territorial incursions over the past few decades which had gone under the term “New Cold War”. “The New Cold War” was the title of a book (one of several) first published in 2008 sub-titled: “How the Kremlin Menaces both Russia and the West” authored by Edward Lucas. Lucas was the Central and East European correspondent of The Economist for more than 25 years. 

Over recent years, the European Union has been increasingly exploring new alternative routes and sources for natural gas due to energy security concerns, mostly associated with the Russian - Ukrainian circumstances and the significant role which natural gas is expected to have in the future. Currently it is considered as "the transition fuel" to the future green-energy reality. 

Author: Prof. Michael Jefferson, Editor of the journal Energy Policy; Affiliate Professor, ESCP Europe; Professor, University of Buckingham.

Journal: Energy Policy

Guest-editors: Dr. Kostas Andriosopoulos, Prof. Constantin Zopounidis, Dr. Michael Doumpos, Dr. Spiros Papaefthimiou.

The objective of the Special Issue is to present new research results on the theory and modern practice of modeling and management of energy systems, emphasizing on their policy implications. The areas of interest include, networks design and management, oil and gas, smart grids, production optimization, efficiency analysis, optimization and assessment of renewable and sustainable/green energy systems, environmental issues, risk management, decision-making in the energy markets, and energy pricing, among others.