Conference on Energy poverty at the crossroads of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal

The conference will be webstreamed with interpretation into EN, FR and DE. Viewers will have the opportunity to engage in the debate using the platform Slido, with the code #EnergyPoverty2021.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will hold a major online conference on Energy poverty at the crossroads of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal on 20 April 2021 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event, co-organised by the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society, the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship and the Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, and to be attended by the President of the EESC, Christa Schweng, will bring together high-level representatives of European organized civil society, European institutions, national and local authorities and the academic world.

Access to energy is a basic human right: no one should have to choose between eating, lighting or heating their home.

In 2019 over 30 million Europeans claimed to be unable to afford to keep their homes adequately warm, while 6.2% of them were unable to pay utility bills. Concerns have further increased as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Tackling energy poverty can contribute to achieving the climate neutrality targets, reducing inequalities in the European Union and sustaining the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

Objectives of the conference:

  • build a strong narrative by setting energy poverty as a priority for the European Union;
  • focus on how European organised civil society, together with EU, national, regional and local authorities, can join forces to fight against energy poverty.