• What is the potential of youth in leading the change in habits needed to deliver on the energy transition?
• How can the existing knowledge on energy behaviours support better policymaking at various levels, with engaging measures?

The shift toward new patterns of energy production and consumption is one of the key tools to lead the energy transition, and especially now in the difficult situation provoked by the Ukrainian war and the need to reduce our energy dependence. The call to reduce our thermostats by 1°C highlights the power than one multiplied by many can have. While the European Commission highlighted energy consumption reduction as a pillar of its REPowerEU strategy, the IEA reminds that energy efficiency is a key element to solve the energy dependency of Europe, yet its potential remains untapped. The residential and industrial sectors, representing a high share of the consumption, lag behind. The main reason is that interventions to decrease energy use haven’t been successful: our 4 projects will provide evidence-based feedback on the activities that have proven to foster energy-aware behaviours, particularly for younger generations, including the extent of their impact and policy recommendations.

2022 kick-started the European Year of Youth – younger generations keep showing their elders that they want things to change and are ready to do their share: our event aims at empowering policymakers to engage the communities and in particular youth, giving space to various testimonials from the ground in short videos.

It builds on the research on energy-related behaviour produced in several EU funded projects, providing evidence from surveys and on-site demonstration activities as well as findings on behaviour aspects related to energy consumption and production and what they tell us to refine top-notch policy measures, targeting specifically younger generations.

Speakers will then join a panel of policymakers, youth and consumer representatives focusing on how to design policies that can favour a large-scale change in how we produce and consume energy and how to include youth in energy policies at various levels (as participants in and focus subjects).

AGENDA

9:30 - 9:40              Welcome
                                  Leen Peeters, Th!nkE, DECIDE project coordinator

9:40 - 10:10            Behaviour aspects related to energy consumption and production – what have we learned?
                                  Peter Conradie, Senior researcher at imec-mict-UGent

10:10 - 10:25          How can we feed these learnings into better policy measures targeting younger generations?
                                  Leen Peeters, Th!nkE, DECIDE project coordinator

10:25 - 10:55          Panel discussion with focus on including youth in energy policymaking at various levels
                                  Moderation: Heike Brugger, Coordinator Business Unit Energy Policy, Fraunhofer ISI
                                  Guri Bugge, Climate Coordinator, Viken County, Norway
                                  Sofia Magopoulou, Coordinator, EU Youth Parliament
                                  Federico Barbieri, President at European Youth Energy Network (EYEN)

10:55 - 11:00          Conclusions
                                  Leen Peeters, Th!nkE, DECIDE project coordinator
                                  Peter Conradie, Senior researcher at imec-mict-UGent

More info about the event here.