The Partners

(Slovenia)

Focus

Focus Association for Sustainable Development (Focus, društvo za sonaraven razvoj, Slovenia) is an independent, non-governmental, apolitical and non-profit environmental organization. The mission of Focus is to stimulate solutions for environmentally and socially responsible life through research, education, awareness raising and co-shaping of policies in the field of climate change, energy, sustainable mobility, global responsibility, ethical consumption and degrowth.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

Energy poverty is one of the core themes that Focus is working on. The issue is gaining more and more attention at the national and EU level. As an organization, we are trying to research and offer viable practical and structural solutions to address the issue and to help and empower households and individuals facing energy poverty.

Lidija Živčič

Project leader

http://door.hr/
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(Croatia)

Door

DOOR (Drustvo za oblikovanje odrzivog razvoja, Croatia) is a civil society organization of experts devoted to the promotion of sustainable energy development, founded in 2003. DOOR has successfully implemented more than 100 projects with goals ranging from climate change mitigation, encouraging citizens’ participation in sustainable energy policy-making, improving education about renewable energy sources and alleviating energy poverty.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

Energy poverty and the challenges it presents for citizens in Central and Southeast Europe has been one of the focuses of DOOR's activities for more than a decade. Over the years, DOOR has contributed to building the energy poverty policy landscape in Croatia and the region by implementing a number of projects, drafting participative developed policy proposals and setting up a stakeholder dialogue. One of the main impacts of DOOR’s work through the years was the continuous building of public awareness for the issue; change of public policy not only in the energy but also social sector and advocating on local, national and EU level towards building energy poverty-free society. DOOR’s speciality is evidence-based advocacy and in the case of energy poverty it was done through direct field work, visiting the households and providing low-cost energy efficiency measures. Empowermed project presents a great opportunity for DOOR to focus more on health and gender aspects of the energy poverty and to continue to actively work on advocating measures for energy just society.

Slavica Robić, MSc.

Executive Director

https://esf-cat.org/
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(Spain)

Enginyeria sense fronteres

The Catalan Association of Engineering Without Borders (ESF) is a development and cooperation association of professionals, teachers and students, mainly volunteers, working to provide universal access to basic services, supporting social change and strengthening populations, respecting cultural and technical differences. We are working to build a fair and united global society and to put technology at the service of human development.

At ESF Catalunya, we work on the interrelation between engineering and cooperation, whether through training and awareness-raising tasks in the academic or professional field, development and cooperation projects in the South or political advocacy campaigns in the North.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

EmpowerMed is the chance to spread our perspective on how affected people, especially women, can lead (and are already doing so) the change to a just transition where vulnerable households exercise their energy rights and tackle energy poverty through empowerment.

Mònica Guiteras Blaya

energia i extractives

https://www.geres.eu
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(France)

Geres

Set up in 1976, Geres is an international development NGO working to improve the living conditions of the poorest and tackle climate change and its impacts. As a grassroots actor, the energy transition is a major lever in all its actions. In order to drive societal change, Geres promotes the development and dissemination of innovative and local solutions, supports climate-energy policies and actions and encourages everyone to commit to Climate Solidarity by taking action and supporting vulnerable populations.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

As a development NGO, we have been working for 15 years to fight against energy poverty in the South of France. If the technical approach has long been favored, today we think that it is no longer enough to lift households out of energy poverty. Our action must be plural! With the Empowermed program, health, gender and empowerment are concretely integrated into our field work. For us, these three catalysts are essential to strengthen the power to act and offer solutions adapted to these populations.

Kamel Sadki

Energy & Environment Project Manager

http://www.irec.cat/
Linkedin

(Spain)

IREC

IREC works on Applied Research (aimed at generating knowledge within groups of the Institute, with an intermediate-term or long-term goal in mind), and on Technology Research (focused on collaboration with Industry to create new technical solutions to bring science and technology to the innovation). The Institute’s position is defined by the balance and interaction between these two approaches. IREC collaborates with the Government, Universities and Industry, and this is reflected in the structure of its Board of Trustees. Our mission is to contribute to the sustainable development of our society by implementing industrial competitiveness, generating scientific knowledge and building technology around energy related issues.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

As a Research institution, IREC has a compromise with responsible research considering equally important the research on sustainability and on social justice. The EmpowerMed challenge is to put technical knowledge at the service of people in front of economy.

Dr. Lluc Canals Casals

Researcher

https://milieukontakt.org/
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(Albania)

Milieu Kontakt Albania

Energy poverty is one of the most complex issues in Albania, and there is no policy in place to tackle it. The EmpowerMed project will help and make aware many families in Vlora that there are tools and mechanisms available to provide immediate and much needed assistance. It is principally political will – the willingness to act and make a difference – that is lacking.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

Valbona Malzreku

Executive Director

https://www.sogesca.it/
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(Italia)

SOGESCA

SOGESCA is a consultancy and engineering company active since 1986, specialized in environmental, work safety and energy efficiency issues. SOGESCA provides highly experienced consulting services to companies and public bodies at local, national and international level. It offers highly professional support in environmental, safety and energy auditing, management systems designing and updating, permit services, due diligence, energy efficiency projects, land use planning, integrated management of waste, water, energy and other related issues.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

Empowermed projects’ objectives are aligned with SOGESCA mission that is capitalizing on its experience and knowledge in the environmental preservation and conservation and in the energy efficiency sector for the benefit of Empowermed project. The main challenge faced by SOGESCA is an effective involvement of local stakeholders and target groups.

Silvia Franceschi

Environmental Engineer

UAB: https://www.uab.cat/
ICTA: https://ictaweb.uab.cat/
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(Spain)

UAB

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) is amongst the 200 best universities in the world according to global university rankings and is located within the top 10 new universities with greatest international projection and prestige Within UAB, the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) is a multidisciplinary centre that promotes academic research and postgraduate education in the environmental sciences. It aims to improve the understanding of global environmental change and the nature and roots of environmental problems. A main focus of ICTA-UAB’s research are policies, strategies and technologies to foster a transition to a sustainable economy.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

Beyond thermal discomfort, energy poverty also means being indebted with providers, disconnected supplying or insecure, inadequate sources of domestic energy. The mental health impacts of these conditions are often disregarded and their gender dimensions missing or downplayed. With EmpowerMed, UAB contributes to addressing these complex challenges through socially innovative approaches that seek to assist and re-empower vulnerable households”.

Dr Sergio Tirado Herrero

Research Fellow

https://www.wecf.org/
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(Germany)

wecf

We are a nonprofit network dedicated to a gender just and healthy planet for all. Our international network consists of over 150 women’s and civil society organizations implementing projects in 50 countries. We believe that a sustainable future and environment need holistic solutions reflecting the lives of people on the ground. We believe in feminist solutions based on our partners’ visions and needs. That is why we work on transformative gender equality and women’s human rights in connection with climate justice, sustainable energy & chemicals, less toxic waste, safe water, and sanitation for all.

“Why are you committed to EmpowerMed? What are the challenges for you?”

WECF is engaged to increase gender equality on all levels and within all sectors of sustainable development. In EmpowerMed we are committed to plan and implement activities to support primarily women to escape energy poverty. Therefore, it is key to have access to essential services as well as the provision of energy to power appliance. The focus on gender and health aspects within Empowermed will be addressed through the empowerment of women, energy efficient measures, do-it-yourself solutions and effective gender just policy recommendations.

Katharina Habersbrunner

Energy&Climate