Launch of the second round of the Energy SELF Portraits contest (Deadline 21st March 2021)
The collection of Energy SELF Portraits focusses on different SDG7 dimensions such as energy access, its costs and options, its quality, its environmental implications as well as how energy efficiency and renewable energy may offer solutions to the SDG7 challenge. As energy is an enabler of many of the other SDGs, special emphasis is given to stories that highlight the particular role of energy in reducing poverty and hunger, increasing health, education and gender equality as well as tackling climate change.
The second round of the contest (1 February – 21st March) will give special visibility to topic of energy poverty, a problem that has been exacerbated by the CORONA-19 outbreak as the global recession triggered by lockdown has deepened pre-existing inequalities and has emphasised the importance of energy and energy services in leading a safe, healthy and decent life.
“Energy poverty, commonly understood as the inability to secure needed levels of energy services in the home, means living in a home impossible to cool or to heat, because of excessive energy bills, low incomes and poor energy efficiency”[1]
We want to help document the challenges of energy poverty in order to assure that better conditions can be met in the future. Issues of energy poverty include but are not limited to underperforming insulation and inefficient appliances, the lack of guaranteed access to energy and other essential utilities and rising energy consumption.
Do you have an interesting story to share, go to: https://www.energyportraits.org/
[1] European Energy Poverty: Agenda Co-Creation and Knowledge Innovation Call for Action, Engager, May 2020 (http://www.engager-energy.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ENGAGER-Call_for_Action_COVID_19_R2E.pdf )