Summer energy poverty: the hidden crisis affecting millions – ceenergynews

Report on Sustainable Cooling Strategies and Summer Energy Poverty in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Growing Challenge to Sustainable Development

Recent energy crises and power grid failures highlight the increasing vulnerability of global energy systems. A primary driver of this strain is the escalating demand for cooling, which presents a significant challenge to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report analyzes the multifaceted issue of rising cooling demand, its social and environmental consequences, and proposes solutions aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• Global electricity consumption for cooling buildings currently stands at approximately 10%.
• The number of air conditioners in operation, currently over 2 billion, is projected to double in the coming decades, directly impacting SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• In Europe, energy demand for cooling is the fastest-growing sector, creating a feedback loop that undermines progress towards SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by straining energy networks and intensifying the urban heat island effect.

Analysis of Key Challenges to the SDGs

Summer Energy Poverty: A Threat to Health and Equality

Summer Energy Poverty (SEPOV), defined as the inability to maintain a healthy indoor temperature during summer, is an emerging crisis that directly contravenes core SDG principles.

1. Impact on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): SEPOV poses severe health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations who cannot afford or access adequate cooling.
2. Impact on SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The burden of SEPOV falls disproportionately on low-income families, the elderly, children, and marginalized communities. Approximately 19% of EU households are unable to keep their homes cool.
3. Impact on SDG 1 (No Poverty): SEPOV is a critical dimension of energy poverty, driven by factors such as poor housing quality, high energy prices, and social vulnerability.

Urban Heat Islands: A Failure in Sustainable Urban Planning

Urban environments are particularly susceptible to extreme heat, creating conditions that exacerbate energy poverty and health risks, thereby hindering the realization of sustainable urban development.

• Challenge to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The prevalence of heat-retaining materials like asphalt and concrete, coupled with a lack of green spaces, can raise urban temperatures by 4–10°C compared to rural areas.
• Challenge to SDG 15 (Life on Land): The insufficient integration of green infrastructure and water bodies in urban planning contributes directly to the heat island effect.
• Inequality in Urban Design: Disadvantaged urban areas, such as those with poorly insulated prefabricated apartment blocks, are often neglected in greening efforts, intensifying the socio-economic divide and contravening SDG 10.

Strategic Recommendations for SDG-Aligned Solutions

Local and Nature-Based Interventions

Implementing localized, nature-based solutions is critical for building climate resilience and advancing multiple SDGs simultaneously.

• Promote SDG 11 and SDG 15: Develop urban forests, green roofs, water features, and shaded public spaces to naturally reduce ambient temperatures.
• Foster Community Resilience: Support community-led initiatives such as energy cooperatives and public cooling centers to ensure equitable access to relief from heat.

Building Efficiency and Architectural Innovation

Improving the energy performance of the building stock is fundamental to mitigating cooling demand and promoting sustainable infrastructure.

1. Advance SDG 7 and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): Mandate and incentivize measures such as high-performance insulation, natural ventilation, and external shading.
2. Integrate Traditional Knowledge for SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): Reintroduce passive cooling techniques from vernacular architecture, including optimal building orientation and the use of natural materials like adobe and stone.

National Policy and Governance Frameworks

Comprehensive and equitable national strategies are required to address SEPOV and ensure a just transition towards sustainable cooling.

• Strengthen SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Develop measurable indicators to identify and monitor SEPOV, as demonstrated by Portugal’s work on a vulnerability index.
• Ensure a Just Transition (SDG 10): Implement policies that provide financial support for energy-efficient cooling equipment and establish equitable pricing models, such as flexible tariffs, to protect vulnerable households.
• Prioritize Climate Adaptation (SDG 13): Integrate fair adaptation principles into national climate strategies, following the lead of countries like Finland and the Netherlands, and implement early warning systems for heatwaves.

Conclusion: Access to Cooling as a Fundamental Right

Addressing the challenge of sustainable cooling is a matter of health, social justice, and climate adaptation. To achieve the 2030 Agenda, access to cooling must be recognized as a basic human right, not a luxury. Urban planning must prioritize climate resilience and social equity, ensuring that all citizens have access to cool, liveable environments. A failure to act risks creating urban heat traps that deepen inequalities and undermine progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. A coordinated, multi-level approach is essential to build a cooler, more equitable future for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on summer energy poverty and the need for sustainable cooling strategies connects to several Sustainable Development Goals by highlighting the interconnected challenges of health, energy, inequality, urban living, and climate change.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article links extreme heat to health risks, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, young children, and those with chronic diseases. It explicitly mentions that summer energy poverty is a “health…challenge” and cites Italy’s success in reducing “heat-related mortality rates,” directly connecting the issue to public health outcomes.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  This is a central theme. The article discusses the rising global demand for electricity for cooling, which currently accounts for “10% of global electricity consumption.” It addresses the affordability aspect through the concept of “summer energy poverty (SEPOV),” where individuals cannot afford to keep their homes cool. It also touches on clean energy and efficiency by advocating for “energy-efficient equipment” and improved building insulation to reduce the strain on energy networks.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article repeatedly emphasizes the social equity dimension of the cooling crisis. It states that summer energy poverty “primarily (but not exclusively) affects vulnerable populations” and “disproportionately affects lower-income residents.” The disparity between affluent, greener neighborhoods and neglected, disadvantaged areas is highlighted as a key issue of inequality.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The focus on urban areas is prominent. The article describes cities as “heat traps” due to the “urban heat island effect.” It proposes solutions directly related to sustainable urban planning, such as creating “green spaces,” “water features, green roofs, urban forests, and shaded streets” to make cities more resilient and livable.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The entire discussion is framed within the context of climate change and rising global temperatures. The article describes a “vicious cycle: rising heat drives increased cooling demand, which in turn overloads networks.” It calls for “climate resilience,” “fair adaptation,” and “heat-resilient buildings” as necessary responses to the impacts of climate change.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues and solutions discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  1. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
     • The article supports this by highlighting Italy’s implementation of “heatwave plans and early warning system” which successfully reduced heat-related deaths.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  1. Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.
     • The article addresses this by defining summer energy poverty as the inability to maintain a healthy temperature, which is an energy service. It mentions solutions like “direct financial support to reduce cooling costs” in Spain and calls for “equitable pricing models” to ensure affordability.
  2. Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
     • This is directly addressed by the call to improve the “energy efficiency of the building stock” through “shading, natural ventilation, and improved insulation.” France’s support for “the purchase of energy-efficient equipment” is a specific example.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  1. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all…
     • The article’s focus on how summer energy poverty “disproportionately affects lower-income residents” and other vulnerable groups, and its call for “social equity” and an “equitable environment for all,” aligns with this target of ensuring well-being is not determined by economic or social status.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  1. Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces…
     • The article explicitly recommends solutions that align with this target, such as creating “green roofs, urban forests, and shaded streets” and ensuring everyone has “access to shade, green spaces, [and] cool public areas.”
  2. Target 11.b: By 2030, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters…
     • The call for “comprehensive, coordinated action at all levels of government” and the mention of countries like Finland and the Netherlands “incorporating the principles of fair adaptation into their national strategies” directly relates to this target.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  1. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
     • The article is fundamentally about adapting to the climate-related hazard of extreme heat. It calls for “heat-resilient buildings,” “sustainable cooling strategies,” and prioritizing “climate resilience” in urban planning.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions or implies several measurable indicators:

• For SDG 3 (Health)

  • Indicator: Heat-related mortality rates. The article provides a concrete example: “Italy has already reduced heat-related mortality rates by 65%.” This is a direct indicator of the effectiveness of health-related adaptation strategies.

• For SDG 7 (Energy)

  • Indicator: Percentage of households unable to keep their home comfortably cool. The article states that “around 19 per cent of households in the EU are unable to keep their homes comfortably cool in summer,” providing a baseline for measuring energy poverty.
  • Indicator: Share of electricity used for cooling. The article notes that “10% of global electricity consumption is used to cool buildings.” Tracking this percentage would measure progress in energy efficiency for cooling.

• For SDG 11 (Cities)

  • Indicator: Temperature difference between urban and surrounding rural areas. The article quantifies the urban heat island effect as causing temperatures to be “4–6°C higher (up to 10°C difference).” Reducing this differential would be a key indicator of successful urban greening and cooling initiatives.

• For SDG 13 (Climate Action)

  • Indicator: A vulnerability index. The article mentions that “Portugal is working on a vulnerability index based on a risk map,” which is a specific tool and indicator for assessing and managing climate-related risks at a national level.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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