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Date & Time
January 21, 2025; 13h00 - 14h00 CET
Speaker
Lea Gynther, Senior Expert and Team Leader of Monitoring and Impact Management, Motiva Oy
Description
During this webinar, we will explore the critical role of reducing energy demand in achieving the European Union's climate and energy objectives while respecting planetary boundaries. The speaker will elaborate on the concept of energy sufficiency, which emphasises meeting basic energy needs equitably and sustainably, and how it complements existing efforts in energy efficiency.
In light of recent events such as the 2022–2023 energy crisis, the importance of sufficiency measures has become increasingly evident. During this webinar, you will learn various strategies for reducing energy demand, including behavioural, regulatory, and infrastructural approaches. We will also examine successful policies in key sectors such as transport, households, and services, highlighting their potential to lower consumption and facilitate fair transitions. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the necessity of structural, long-term sufficiency strategies for achieving lasting reductions in energy and material consumption across Europe.
Following the presentation, you will have plenty of time to engage with the speaker during the Q&A session.
Diedert Debusscher, a freelance Community Builder and expert in EU Energy and Climate Policy, will moderate the webinar.
Recording
Key takeaways
Definition and importance of Energy Sufficiency
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- Focuses on reducing overall energy demand by addressing basic needs efficiently while respecting ecological limits.
- Complements energy efficiency and plays a vital role in achieving climate and energy targets, particularly in light of planetary boundaries and over-consumption.
Key insights from the Odyssee-MURE Project
- Over 150 energy sufficiency measures catalogued, covering sectors like households, transport, and services.
- Tools developed to measure sufficiency impacts, such as sufficiency indicators and improved database functionality.
Examples of European Energy Sufficiency policies
- Households: Progressive electricity tariffs (Malta), heating/cooling regulations (France), and heat billing by actual use (Slovenia).
- Transport: CO₂-dependent car taxes (Finland, Greece), subsidies for electric bikes (France), and enhanced cycling infrastructure (Latvia, Spain).
- Services: Temperature limits in public buildings (Greece) and office space reduction targets through hybrid working (Finland).
Energy Sufficiency during crises
- Emergency measures like temperature caps and public campaigns effectively reduced energy consumption during the 2022-2023 energy crisis.
- Highlighted the short-term success of sufficiency measures but underscored the need for long-term strategies.
Future directions and challenges
- Greater integration of energy sufficiency into EU directives and policies is required.
- Need for public awareness, robust monitoring, and impact evaluation of sufficiency measures.
- Opportunities exist in societal support for sufficiency, such as the 2024 Sufficiency Manifesto.
Call to action
- Encourage the adoption of sufficiency measures alongside energy efficiency to drive sustainable consumption patterns.
- Advocate for binding sufficiency targets and continued innovation in policy tools.
Further reading
- Policy brief "A Leap Beyond Efficiency - Energy Sufficiency Policies in Europe (2025)" (soon to be published on https://www.odyssee-mure.eu/publications/policy-brief/)
- Energy Sufficiency Indicators and Policies (Gynter, 2021)
- The MURE database of policy measures: https://www.measures.odyssee-mure.eu/energy-efficiency-policies-database.html#/
- Results of monitoring survey of behavioural measures (European Energy Network EnR, August 2023)
- 2024 Sufficiency Manifesto
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