World Social Justice Day is celebrated every year on February 20. The date was designated by the United Nations in 2007 to remember the need to build a more equitable world, fighting unemployment, social exclusion and poverty.
The relationship between access to energy and social justice is a matter of growing importance in the world. Millions of people lack energy services, which perpetuates poverty and limits development opportunities, creating a poverty cycle difficult to break.
Thus it is corroborated in the study that has developed the Chair of Energy Sustainability of the IEB-UNIVERSITAT of Barcelona on energy poverty and that has published the Naturgy Foundation, under the title “Understanding energy poverty. An analysis of persistence”, experts alert of the chronification of energy poverty.
The study addresses the dynamics of energy poverty in Europe, with special attention to Spain, “examining it from an innovative perspective, exploring whether this problem is persistent or transitory and analyzing the factors that influence both situations, which provides valuable information For policy formulators seeking to design effective strategies to mitigate energy poverty, ”says Maria Eugenia Coronado, director of the Naturgy Foundation.
At the community level, the data collected in the study reveal that around 42 million Europeans could be called energy poor people for not being able to access essential energy services and reasonable prices in their home. A problem that has worsened in recent years, especially in 2023, due to the impact of the energy crisis and the strong rise in gas and electricity prices, which continue to mainly affect the most vulnerable homes. The figures show the severity of the challenge facing Spain with other Mediterranean countries and Eastern Europe to alleviate this problem.
Factors that chronify energy poverty
The study presented by Fundación Naturgy confirms that the measures that have been launched so far have not been useful to tackle chronic energy poverty, although the transient probably. And it is that the socioeconomic conditions of households that suffer chronic energy poverty are more evident than in the case of transient energy poverty that can obey more short -term factors.
Therefore, the authors emphasize the effect of chronification of energy poverty, since there is a “dependency cycle” that is very difficult to leave. The reasons that make it difficult to break that dependency cycle are of a multifactorial nature and have to do with such different circumstances as access to minimal thresholds of economic income, have a home in property, work or have finished higher education. All these factors increase or decrease the risk of energy poverty.
The study also affects other factors such as gender inequality, since the salary and pension gap between men and women is included as an adjuncting to energy poverty. In the same way that affects those households more whose main supporter is a woman.
To alleviate the effects of this chronification on energy poverty, experts recommend taking long -term measures.
Regarding public policies, the study indicates that current strategies in Spain do not adequately address the dynamics of energy poverty, since they do not distinguish between transient and chronic energy poverty, nor do they take into account their relevant factors.
Consequently, they recommend strengthening energy renewal programs, ensuring proper financing and simplifying administrative procedures. In addition, they consider crucial to improve coordination between the different administrations and promote collaboration with the private sector to ensure that the measures reach those who need them the most.
Initiatives to combat energy vulnerability
Energy companies in Spain have implemented various strategies and programs, to mitigate the effects of energy poverty, through support programs, social rates, energy efficiency plans, awareness and collaboration initiatives with other entities.
It highlights in this regard, the Naturgy energy that, through its foundation, has been working, for several years, in social action programs, especially affecting actions aimed at alleviating energy vulnerability.
The Naturgy Foundation Energy Vulnerability Plan, with more than 270,000 beneficiaries, since its implementation in 2017, is the main activity of support for families that live a situation of vulnerability. And within this plan, the Solidarity Fund for Energy Rehabilitation is consolidated, as one of the most impact initiatives to minimize the effects of energy poverty. Since its launch, in 2018, it has made express rehabilitations in more than 5,000 vulnerable homes and residential centers.
To complement this plan, it promotes social innovation linked to renewable energy, promoting their access to groups in vulnerability to improve their living conditions. And through the Energy School, more than 40,000 people have already trained among social technicians and vulnerable families.
It also promotes a corporate volunteer program that impacts different areas benefiting, since 2018, more than 35,000 people.
This work carried out by the Foundation of the Energy Company is channeled through third sector entities, foundations, educational centers, companies, universities and public administrations.
In this context, the last two collaboration agreements signed and renewed at the end of the year, by Naturgy with Caritas and Red Cross.
Specifically, in the case of Caritas, 70,000 vulnerable people have benefited from the different programs to fight energy poverty that both entities have coordinated for years.
In the case of the Red Cross, its joint alliance, has allowed to serve more than 20,600 families, thanks to programs such as the Solidarity Fund for Energy Rehabilitation, the Energy School or the Volunteer Program. These projects are joined to more recent ones, such as rural information points, which aim to help families in environments farther from large cities.