Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Half of European households live in flats or rented homes. For a decade, the clean energy transition has passed them by — smart tariffs assume an EV, rooftop solar assumes a roof, home batteries assume a wall you can drill into. Ashley Grealish has spent his career on exactly this structural gap: first at Bboxx, building pay-as-you-go solar for half a million homes in rural East Africa; then at ev.energy, scaling smart EV charging while pushing it beyond premium vehicles; now at Windfall Energy, with a 2.5 kWh plug-in battery that arrives overnight, plugs into a standard socket, and does the rest itself.What this episode coversSystem design over product design. At Bboxx, the team realised that importing a standard television into an off-grid kit didn't work — the power draw was too high. The solution was to rethink everything: low-power 12V appliances, right-sized panels, circular lead-acid battery recovery. The same logic is inside the Windfall battery: don't adapt the user to the system. Redesign the system around the user.Affordability as architecture. Bboxx started at $400 upfront and couldn't reach most of the people it was built for. The shift to pay-as-you-go unlocked scale. Windfall is at the same first stage — £1,000 on pre-order, with a clear ambition toward zero upfront cost through energy supplier partnerships and, potentially, the UK Warm Homes Discount.Desirability is not optional. Ashley filled his flat with test batteries from the European market. One arrived at 45 kg on a crate. Others had loud fans and permanent blue indicator lights. None were designed to be lived with. His conclusion: a product no one wants in their home will not reach the people who need it most.Organisations mentioned: Bboxx · e.quinox (Imperial College) · GemFair · ev.energy · Windfall Energy · Warm Homes Discount (UK)Marine Cornelis is the founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy working on energy poverty, consumer rights, and housing at EU level. If you are working on a related mandate or research question, you can reach her at [email protected] Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2026Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The EU's flexibility agenda promises to empower consumers. Demand-side response, dynamic tariffs, smart meters — the idea is that households can take control of their energy use and benefit from the transition. The evidence is less tidy.Vulnerable households are often willing to engage. What stops them is not reluctance — it is the architecture of their daily lives: caring responsibilities, health conditions, insecure housing, inflexible routines. When policy reads low participation as apathy, it designs for the wrong problem.Aurore Dudka is a researcher. She returns to Energ'Ethic with a systematic review of 66 empirical studies on demand-side response and energy-vulnerable households (Energy Research & Social Science, March 2026), and a co-authored analysis of gender and the energy transition (inGenere, January 2026).What this episode covers:Willingness vs. capacity. Vulnerable households want to participate in flexibility programmes. What constrains them is structural — rigid routines, limited technology access, low digital literacy, insecure tenure. Treating low uptake as disinterest produces schemes that exclude the households they were built for.Up to 20% higher bills — for those who can least absorb it. For sick and low-income households with inflexible consumption needs, poorly designed dynamic tariffs can increase energy bills by up to 20%. This is what happens when pricing mechanisms meet households whose energy use is not discretionary. No-harm guarantees exist as a design tool. They are not yet standard.The man decides. The woman adapts. Flexibility policy addresses households as single actors. Within households, someone takes the technology decision and someone else reorganises their daily life around it. The invisible labour of energy management falls disproportionately on women — and empowerment frameworks that ignore this redistribute burden, not agency.Stop designing for rationalistic consumers. Aurore's call to policymakers: stop thinking about citizens as rationalistic [sic] consumers who respond to price signals, and start thinking in terms of practice, time, and labour. The Citizens' Energy Package — which names farmers, carers, rural inhabitants and kindergartens as the citizens the transition must serve — opens this door. The design work to walk through it is still ahead.Marine Cornelis is the founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy working on energy poverty, consumer rights, and housing at EU level. If you are working on a related mandate or research question, you can reach her at [email protected] Music: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2026Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Women are already the primary decision-makers in household renovation and low-carbon upgrades. They manage timelines, handle budgets, research materials, anticipate health impacts, and carry the cognitive load of the entire process. The retrofit system, however, is not designed around them.In this episode, Marine Cornelis speaks with Ellora Coupe, founder of Her Own Space, about the structural gap between where retrofit happens and how it is designed. The conversation examines why trust, not technology, is the real barrier to household action, why peer-based learning models fill a gap that institutional tools cannot, and what it would take for funding and policy frameworks to account for the full complexity of human-centred change.This is a conversation about why retrofit moves slowly when it ignores who is already leading the work.1. Trust as missing infrastructure. Retrofit faces a systemic trust deficit — not a communications problem, but a structural one. Households distrust contractors, product recommendations, and institutional schemes. Ellora argues that this trust erosion is the most underestimated obstacle to transition at scale.2. The patronising design gap Women approaching retrofit are routinely not taken seriously as technical interlocutors. This is not incidental. It generates an invisible friction cost — eroded confidence, delayed decisions, abandoned projects — that no current scheme measures.3. Community as a governance model Her Own Space is not a peer support forum, but a response to a specific governance failure: the loss of learning between individual retrofit journeys, and the incapacity of one-size-fits-all programmes to accommodate property diversity, budget variation, and different life stages. The community model absorbs complexity that institutional tools can't hold.4. Sequencing without a single entry point Rather than prescribing a starting point, Her Own Space deliberately removes sequencing pressure. Members enter at any stage and learn across the full continuum of a retrofit journey. This challenges the design logic of most public-facing programmes, which rely on a single message reaching everyone at the same moment.5. The early adopter argument — and what it means for policy Research cited in this episode suggests women adopt technology faster than men when it performs reliably, and abandon it faster when it does not. Designing for resilience is not the same as designing for uptake.6. The agility gap in retrofit funding Innovation funding models are built around static, deliverable-defined outcomes. They can't accommodate iterative, community-embedded forms of innovation. Ellora argues this is a structural bias, and Her Own Space's membership model exists partly to avoid it.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Marine Cornelis is the founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy working on energy poverty, consumer rights, and housing at EU level. If you are working on a related mandate or research question, you can reach her at [email protected]: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2026Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

I installed balcony solar panels at home. They work. They reduce my electricity bill. They also revealed something structural.Solar is technically simple. Scaling it is not.In Vilnius, I explored what happens when decentralised energy meets multi-apartment governance. In Central and Eastern Europe, 60% of people live in multi-family buildings.These buildings concentrate energy poverty, fragmented ownership, tight budgets and collective decision-making.Technology is progressing:Panels are lighter.Batteries are modular.Sodium-ion storage is emerging as a lower-cost option.Lithuania already counts 170,000 consumer-generators, with 12% of electricity production in 2025 coming from consumers.And yet, every time solar approaches a multi-family building, coordination begins.Who carries liability?Who guarantees mounting safety?Who stays present when after-sales disappears?This episode explores:Why 50% neighbour approval for shared solar is a relational threshold, not a technical oneHow standards on power limits, mounting systems and documentation reduce uncertaintyWhy flexibility policy collapses without visibility and information symmetryHow the revised EPBD and the upcoming Citizens Energy Package will depend on building-level coordinationMulti-family buildings are the proving ground.If decentralised energy depends on exceptional motivation, scaling will fragment.If governance absorbs friction, trust accumulates.From plug and play to trust and repair, this is the real work of the energy transition.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Marine Cornelis is the founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy working on energy poverty, consumer rights, and housing at EU level. If you are working on a related mandate or research question, you can reach her at [email protected] Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2026Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Modernisation Fund is often treated as a technical financing tool. In reality, it is one of the most structural instruments in EU climate policy.In this episode, Marine Cornelis speaks with Morgan Henley, campaigner at CEE Bankwatch, about how the Modernisation Fund shapes energy systems in Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on concrete examples from district heating, the conversation shows how funding design and governance choices lock in infrastructure pathways for decades.The episode examines why the Fund’s low political visibility enables priority drift, how limited scrutiny reinforces incumbent interests, and why these dynamics matter most in countries with constrained fiscal space. Rather than focusing on technologies, the discussion centres on power, accountability, and the long-term consequences of how climate money flows.This is a conversation about why climate credibility is built through governance, not announcements.Topics coveredThe Modernisation Fund as a structural EU instrumentGovernance gaps and low political visibilityPriority drift and incumbent advantageDistrict heating as a long-term system choiceWhy funding design determines transition outcomesCEE Bankwatch report on the Modernisation Fund (2026)Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Marine Cornelis is the founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy working on energy poverty, consumer rights, and housing at EU level. If you are working on a related mandate or research question, you can reach her at [email protected] Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2026Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Europe has set ambitious targets for clean heating. Heat pumps are central to that strategy. Yet deployment continues to slow, especially in multi-apartment buildings and social housing.In this episode, Marine Cornelis explores why.Joined by Vladimir Gjorgievski and Louise Meister, the conversation moves beyond technology to examine how clean heating actually works in real buildings.Drawing on experiences from North Macedonia and Austria, the episode looks at:why heating and cooling must be planned together,how sector coupling translates into comfort, resilience, and bill stability,why upfront costs and risk allocation remain major barriers,and how business models and coordination determine success in collective housing.The discussion also reflects on lessons from contexts with limited gas infrastructure, the role of energy communities and flexibility, and what alignment means for EU and national policy frameworks.A grounded, systems-level conversation on scaling clean heating without shifting cost and risk onto residents.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Marine Cornelis is the founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy working on energy poverty, consumer rights, and housing at EU level. If you are working on a related mandate or research question, you can reach her at [email protected] Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2026Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Why does the energy sector keep trying to explain, rather than designing better?In this episode of Energ’Ethic, Marine Cornelis speaks with Sean Layerle, Managing Partner at Baalbek Insights, about a stubborn reflex in the energy transition: the belief that low adoption can be fixed by better explanations.With 14 years in Silicon Valley and experience across five continents, Sean has worked at the forefront of digital energy products, demand-side management, and behavioural science, including roles at Opower and EnerNOC. Today, he supports energy and tech companies as electrification, flexibility and distributed energy resources accelerate.Together, they unpack why tech-first thinking persists, how behavioural biases quietly shape energy decisions, and why collecting more data rarely leads to better customer understanding.The conversation moves from early lessons in demand response to today’s challenge: designing digital products that align with real human motivations, not expert assumptions.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Marine Cornelis is the founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy working on energy poverty, consumer rights, and housing at EU level. If you are working on a related mandate or research question, you can reach her at [email protected] Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2026Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Cities are on the front line of the energy transition. They are also where energy poverty is most visible.In this episode of Energ’Ethic, Marine Cornelis talks with Dr Eduardo Blanco from Energy Cities, coordinator of the POWER UP project.The episode covers:Social energy players and new local business modelsMunicipal leadership and public risk-takingNeighbourhood-scale solutionsConcrete lessons from European pilot citiesEduardo explains why building fair energy systems looks less like engineering and more like embroidery. Slow, precise and deeply human.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This episode is a departure — in the best possible way.Instead of an interview, Energ' Ethic host Marine Cornelis takes listeners inside the speech she delivered in Besançon for the French Day against Energy Poverty. A space filled with people who meet energy vulnerability every day: social workers, housing professionals, energy advisers, local officials. People who understand the transition not as a strategy, but as the temperature inside a room, the state of a wall, the anxiety behind an energy bill.The speech is in French, Marine’s mother tongue, because some truths land differently when spoken in the language where they were first felt.In this reflection, Marine revisits ten years of European policy through the lens of the people these laws are meant to protect. She digs into what happens when efficiency outruns dignity, why energy vulnerability has nothing to do with a simplistic income line, and how equity reshapes the right to energy in a continent living through rising bills and increasingly hostile summers.You will hear stories from homes across Europe, observations from the frontlines, and a clear-eyed look at what rebuilding trust actually requires: proximity, responsibility, and the ability to confront vulnerability without looking away.This episode invites you to slow down.To feel the spaces where policy becomes life.To remember that energy justice is not decorative language — it is the condition for a society that holds.A different format for Energ’Ethic.And a necessary one.Listen to the full speech.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Erman Erogan, Policy and Campaign Officer at CAN Europe, joins Energ’Ethic to discuss the Build Better Lives campaign and Europe’s race to deliver affordable, energy-efficient homes. Europe’s homes tell a story — one of rising bills, cold rooms, and missed opportunities for fairness and comfort. But a new chapter is being written. The EU is reshaping its housing future through the Affordable Housing Dialogue, the first European Affordable Housing Plan, the Affordable Housing Initiative, and the New European Bauhaus, which reimagines places that are sustainable, beautiful and inclusive.At the heart of this transformation stands the Build Better Lives campaign, coordinated by CAN Europe. Bringing together over 95 organisations from across housing, social justice, youth, and climate movements, it calls for renovation that delivers affordable, energy-efficient, and people-centred homes.In this episode, Erman Erogan shares how renovation becomes powerful when it moves beyond walls — when it starts with people and spreads across neighbourhoods: “This is more than just adding a layer of insulation. This talks about your home, your comfort place, your relationship with your neighbours and your community.”Erman explains why district-level renovation can accelerate the energy transition and strengthen local trust. Drawing from cases across the EU, he shows how integrated planning can combine energy efficiency, affordability, and inclusion.“A good 40 percent of all waste generated in Europe is building waste. We need a culture shift that makes renovation the norm.”We discuss how circular construction, reuse of materials, and fair labour conditions can make the upcoming EU policies deliver lasting change. From Swedish projects that trained residents to German schemes that froze heating costs, the conversation reveals what equitable renovation looks like in practice.For Erman, success depends on aligning EU frameworks around ambition and justice. The goal: better buildings that create better neighbourhoods, and better neighbourhoods that sustain better lives.European Citizens' Initiative HouseEurope! Power to RenovationEnerg' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Europe knows it must move fast on renewables and grid infrastructure. But speed without fairness only builds friction.In this episode, Marine Cornelis speaks with Arthur Hinsch, Senior Expert at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, about the Fast and Fair Renewables & Grids Initiative — a first-of-its-kind European consensus on how to scale up solar, wind, and grid projects while ensuring that local communities see real benefits and have a voice.Endorsed by a broad alliance — from WindEurope and SolarPower Europe to Energy Cities, REScoop.eu, CAN Europe, EEB, and the European Youth Energy Network — the initiative sets out five principles defining what “fair” looks like on the ground.Arthur shares what it took to reach agreement among actors who rarely sit at the same table. He explains how fairness is not a barrier to progress, but a condition for it — and how a new checklist for local governments can help mediate tensions, bring transparency, and get projects off the ground faster.He also reflects on his own path from studying Japanese culture to shaping European energy diplomacy, and why, after steering this landmark collaboration, he’s taking a sabbatical in Japan to reconnect with long-term thinking.Highlights:Why fairness and speed are inseparable in Europe’s energy transition.The five principles behind the Fast and Fair Renewables & Grids Initiative.How local mayors can use the new checklist to talk with citizens and developers.What makes this cross-sector agreement unique — and replicable.Arthur’s reflections on collaboration, balance, and what Japan might teach Europe.Explore the initiative: https://fastandfairenergy.eu Energ' Ethic goes out every other week. Keep up to date with new episodes s=1">straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via app/profile/marinenextenerg. bsky. socia">BlueSky</a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www. linkedin. com/in/marinecornelis">LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on com/Energethic">Patreon© nextenergyconsumer. eu/">Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Special episode recorded live at the ACCE closing eventWhat if the most powerful technology for the energy transition wasn’t digital, but human?In this Energ’Ethic special, recorded live in Brussels, Marine Cornelis brings together the voices behind Access to Capital for Community Energy (ACCE) — a project that helped citizens across Europe finance their own energy future.From Romania to Belgium, from Croatia to the UK, communities built cooperatives, social funds, and ethical banking partnerships. What they discovered went far beyond kilowatts: finance can build trust, resilience, and democracy.Highlights• Europe as Enabler – CINEA’s Michele Sansoni on how EU support is nurturing a new generation of energy communities.• From Growth to Maturity – REScoop.eu’s Sara Tachelet on a movement growing stronger and more professional.• Courage in Romania – Camelia Sava’s team created a social fund and powered a kindergarten, despite limited resources.• Federations as Translators – Energie Samen and Énergie Partagée show how local networks bridge citizens and finance.• Solidarity in Action – Energy4All’s Mark Luntley on turning citizen investment into global cooperation.• Equal Rights, Everywhere – Corina Murafa calls for citizens in all EU countries to access and finance energy fairly.• Keeping Money Local – Dirk Vansintjan reminds us every euro reinvested strengthens communities.TakeawayFinance works best when it is a dialogue — between citizens, financiers, and institutions.When done well, it becomes a tool for trustEnerg' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This week on Energ’Ethic, we bring back a conversation worth hearing again. Stan d’Herbemont of REScoop.eu explains why citizen energy projects still face a “risk premium” simply because they are democratic. Ownership and participation are often misread by traditional finance as weakness instead of strength.As the ACCE project reaches its closing event on 7 October 2025, this replay offers the context behind our recent episodes with Chris Vrettos and Junior. Chris showed how ACCE has channelled millions into citizen-led projects. Junior reminded us that energy is also about hope and belonging. Stan sets the stage by showing why those tools were needed in the first place.What you’ll hear:Why democratic projects are still labelled “risky.”How public finance and guarantees can change the flow.Why communities deliver more than kilowatts: jobs, trust, inclusion.🎧 Cash Current is back to remind us that citizen energy is worth the investment.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How do we move community energy from “too risky” for banks to a serious part of Europe’s clean energy future? In this episode, Marine Cornelis speaks with Chris Vrettos (REScoop.eu & Electra Energy) about the ACCE project, which is closing with its final event on 7 October.Key takeawaysCommunity Energy Financing Schemes (CEFS): tools built by and for communities that make projects bankable and scalable.From risk to resilience: bundling many small initiatives into portfolios that investors take seriously.Inclusion by design: solidarity shares and ethical finance models that bring vulnerable households into the transition.Policy momentum: how the Social Climate Fund, EU budget, and potential EIB guarantees can support citizen-led finance.Why listen?Finance is never neutral. As Chris reminds us, it can either lock communities out or bring them in. ACCE has shown that citizen-driven finance is not only possible, but scalable.🎧 Tune in now — and if you want to see what comes next, join the ACCE closing conference on 7 October 2025, where Marine will moderate the discussion.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

with Junior Mbangala, researcher at Oxford and policy analyst at the WTOWhat if the energy transition was less about infrastructure—and more about invisible connections?In this episode, Junior Mbangala introduces a quietly radical idea: the rhizome. Borrowed from philosophy, this root-like, messy, decentralised structure becomes a powerful lens to rethink energy systems. Not as neat grids or market mechanisms—but as webs of trust, knowledge, and social ties.👣 From working-class neighbourhoods in Liège to sub-Saharan Africa, Junior uses social network analysis to map how energy communities actually function:Who participates?Who holds influence?And who gets left out, even when it all looks inclusive on paper?Forget the top-down diagrams. Junior invites us to see energy not as a service, but as a social system. One where:✨ Knowledge spreads like a rumour🔗 Participation relies on trust, not just access🌱 Change starts in the margins—and travels sideways💬 “Each one, teach one,” he says. “The rhizome helps us grow differently—but together.”🧠 What you’ll hear:How network thinking reveals invisible power structures in energy communitiesWhy the “community” in energy community needs to come firstWhat Deleuze and Guattari have to do with just transition policiesWhy hope—yes, hope—is a form of energy, too📍This episode isn’t about electrons. It’s about entanglements. And how, if we’re serious about justice, we need to start mapping the roots—not just building the tree.🎧 Listen now. And maybe never think about “inclusion” the same way again.Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon© Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What if the key to a sustainable future lies in the hands of the most vulnerable? Join host Marine Cornelis in this enlightening episode of Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition, as she sits down with William Brent, a passionate climate solution advocate and entrepreneur, whose journey from media and entertainment to championing energy justice is nothing short of inspiring. Driven by his experiences in China, Brent reveals how he became a fervent advocate for energy access, focusing on renewable energy solutions tailored for the Global South. As Brent shares his insights, he sheds light on the systemic inequities entrenched in the energy sector, emphasizing the critical need for energy transition that prioritizes the most marginalized communities. Despite significant strides in providing basic electricity access to millions, he highlights the stark reality that many still lack modern energy solutions. Brent's critique of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 7, is thought-provoking; he argues that these goals often lead to 'access washing,' where superficial progress is celebrated while genuine modernization remains elusive. Throughout the conversation, the urgency of reforming energy policy becomes evident. Brent calls for a transformative shift in institutional mindsets, advocating for greater collaboration among development finance institutions, governments, and the private sector. He believes that only through collective action can we address energy poverty and ensure equitable energy access for all. With a focus on clean tech and smart grids, Brent envisions a future where renewable energy, community energy initiatives, and off-grid solutions play pivotal roles in the just transition we so desperately need. This episode is a clarion call for climate action, urging listeners to rethink the frameworks surrounding energy efficiency and decarbonisation. As Brent passionately articulates, the path to sustainability is not just about technology; it’s about people-centric solutions that empower communities and create green jobs. Join us to explore how we can collectively foster a future where public ownership of energy and frugal innovation pave the way for a truly just transition. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of energy justice and the vital role it plays in the energy transition. Tune in and be inspired by the stories and insights that illuminate the path toward a more equitable and sustainable world. Energ' Ethic goes out every other week. Keep up to date with new episodes s=1">straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via app/profile/marinenextenerg. bsky. socia">BlueSky</a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www. linkedin. com/in/marinecornelis">LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on com/Energethic">Patreon© nextenergyconsumer. eu/">Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How can we ensure that the journey towards a sustainable future is inclusive for all? Join host Marine Cornelis as she delves into the heart of climate justice and the energy transition with Monica Vidal, a passionate advocate whose journey from environmental science student to leader at Can Europe is truly inspiring. In this enlightening episode of Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition, Monica shares her pivotal experiences that shaped her commitment to promoting energy efficiency and tackling energy poverty through the innovative Build Better Lives campaign. As Monica discusses her work, she highlights the critical intersection of energy policy, housing, and social justice, emphasizing that a truly just transition cannot occur without addressing the housing crisis and energy access. She passionately advocates for ambitious EU directives that can pave the way for real-world solutions, showcasing how energy efficiency can transform lives and communities across Europe. With a focus on collaboration among social justice organizations, housing groups, and trade unions, Monica illustrates the power of collective action in driving meaningful change in the energy transition. Throughout the episode, listeners will gain insights into the challenges of implementing effective energy policies, the necessity of inclusive public participation, and the vital role that data and science play in shaping advocacy efforts. Monica’s approach to energy justice and sustainability reflects a commitment to not just decarbonisation, but to fostering a future where clean tech and renewable energy are accessible to everyone. She makes a compelling case for community energy initiatives and off-grid solutions that empower individuals and promote energy efficiency, all while creating green jobs and enhancing public ownership of energy. As the episode unfolds, Monica’s warmth and optimism shine through, reminding us that the path to a sustainable future is not just about technology, but about people. Her call to action urges listeners to engage in building better lives, emphasizing that understanding the complexities of energy efficiency and housing is crucial for everyone who cares about climate action and sustainability. Tune in to this thought-provoking conversation and discover how you can be part of the movement towards a more equitable energy transition. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from a true changemaker in the field of energy justice. Join us for an episode that promises to inspire and empower you to take action in your own community! Energ' Ethic goes out every other week. Keep up to date with new episodes s=1">straight from your inboxReach out to Marine Cornelis via app/profile/marinenextenerg. bsky. socia">BlueSky</a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www. linkedin. com/in/marinecornelis">LinkedInMusic: I Need You Here - KamariusEdition: Podcast Media Factory Support Energ'Ethic on com/Energethic">Patreon© nextenergyconsumer. eu/">Next Energy Consumer, 2025Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.