Alleviating energy poverty and emissions in Romania

Energy poverty poses a significant problem across Europe. Old appliances and unrenovated houses lead to high energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions as well as a lower quality of life for affected households. However, the link between energy poverty, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is largely unexplored, particularly in the South-Eastern European context.

The project was funded by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) and addressed the challenge of energy poverty alleviation in the context of Romania, more specifically in the Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area. Through the innovative research focus on the links between energy poverty and emission mitigation, the project delivered new insights and provided guidance on how to effectively integrate sustainable development strategies in local policy frameworks. In addition, an interactive online map of the Cluj region was developed and published to raise awareness for energy poverty among the public and regional stakeholders. The research, data analysis, and findings were presented in a policy paper. Several workshops brought together energy suppliers, local governments and academia to explore policy options. In addition, the project provided capacity building training to help implement good practices.

adelphi lead the climate research component of the project in order to establish links between energy poverty and emission mitigation. In addition, adelphi organised stakeholder workshops and disseminated the findings among stakeholders and the general public.