December lunch talk recap on national indicators and new possibilities for expanded knowledge

In our December lunch talk, João Pedro Gouveia and Pedro Palma of NOVA School of Science and Technology - FCT NOVA and part of Energy Poverty Advisory Hub shed light on the latest developments in national energy poverty indicators and the refined EPAH dashboard. 

The session, which attracted about 60 participants, centred on the revisions made to energy poverty indicators dashboard in 2023, with a particular emphasis on the national scale. The speakers introduced new disaggregations such as age, gender, income, household composition and degree of urbanisation, among others. Using EU official data, the researchers reorganised the indicators in alignment with the guidelines of the Covenant of Mayors on energy poverty indicators at the local level, emphasising broad categories such as climate, facilities, mobility and socioeconomic aspects. This realignment aims to facilitate improved data comparison and comprehension of the distribution of energy poverty characteristics, ultimately enhancing user-friendliness.

During the Q&A, participants raised concerns regarding the main limitations faced in diagnosing energy poverty and the indicators used for local-scale assessment. The speakers highlighted the need for greater accessibility to microdata, acknowledging its potential in providing a deeper understanding of energy poverty. Nevertheless, the prevailing focus remains on rendering energy poverty an accessible topic for local governments that may lack an in-depth understanding of the issue. Additionally, the recurrent challenge related to data privacy and accessibility within the EU was highlighted, since several specific indicators face access barriers due to data privacy or a lack of collection efforts.

Overall, the event touched upon the importance of intersecting indicators and the ongoing efforts to expand data collection to the local level. While acknowledging challenges, the researchers emphasised the need for broadening the discussion to identify critical vulnerabilities and local hotspots for targeted action.