Fuel poverty in the European Union : a concept in need of definition?

The European Commission has stated that it does not support a European definition of fuel poverty, and that a common definition would be inappropriate due to the diverse energy contexts found across the European Union. Using official EU policy documents from 2001 to 2014, this paper will demonstrate that contrary to the European Commission’s stance, many of the EU institutions and consultative committees are in favour of a common European definition of fuel poverty, and have been arguing for the establishment of a definition for at least seven years. This paper will argue that a definition is vital for raising the profile of fuel poverty and ensuring it is recognised as a policy issue by all Member States of the EU, particularly at a time of rising energy prices, stagnating wages and growing concerns about energy security and climate change

Making a case for centring energy poverty in social policy in light of the climate emergency:A global integrative review

The recent polycrises of COVID-19, economic recession, and energy price increases have reinforced the critical importance of energy services – such as heating, information and communications technology, and refrigeration – to everyday societal functioning. Compromising access to these energy services, or energy poverty, limits social and economic development affecting education, health, and social participation. Energy poverty is impacted by climate change and climate-related policies – however, this nexus has been marginalised within social policy. We critically review literature at the intersection of climate change and energy poverty identifying policy approaches, tensions, and solutions of relevance for social policy. While tensions exist between efforts to mitigate climate change and energy poverty, climate-friendly mitigation of energy poverty requires better integration of social perspectives to disrupt current technical biases, recognising the characteristics and needs of individuals in energy poverty, and holistic governance approaches, especially involving the health and housing sectors

Energy Poverty in the COVID-19 Era:Mapping Global Responses to the Pandemic in Light of Momentum for the Right to Energy

This article presents the results of the COVID Energy Map, a novel, global mapping exercise tracking emergency responses undertaken by governments, regulators, utilities and companies in the Global North and South to mitigate energy poverty by keeping energy affordable and available. The map constitutes a comprehensive open access evidence-based database, so far collating 380+ emergency measures, in 120+ countries. This paper particularly shows and discusses how the response has been developing until early 2021, highlighting various emerging longer-term concerns and strategies across Global North and South. The global COVID-19 response merits close attention in our view, as it reveals both the universal importance of household energy services access and important underlying existing narratives and policy-making questions about securing energy services access as a vital basic need, and even a ‘basic right’. In fact, the paper additionally evaluates whether and how COVID-19 responses seem to fall in step with a nascent global trend of (legal) recognition of ‘rights to energy’ in international, regional and national policy, including for example in the EU, India, Philippines, and Colombia. We conclude that while the COVID-19 response clearly reflects broad recognition of the vital importance of affordable, continuous energy services access for basic human well-being and capabilities during the pandemic, a right to energy perspective could additionally lay bare or give shape to important concerns about some households’ too minimal (insufficient) forms of modern energy access, questions of equity, and the role of the state and other actors. In terms of equity the article particularly raises issues with the manner in which support was made available only to some consumers (e.g. on-grid, off-grid, regulated, or non-regulated, post-paid or pre-paid), or only for specific fuels, and not others. In addition, the lack of attention to clean (renewable) (off-grid) energy services in COVID-19 responses is striking, and worrying, both in terms of immediate response, and green recovery from COVID-19. We argue that a right to (clean) energy perspective would help to reflect on, and inform, both shorter-term and longer-term responses to energy poverty and COVID-19, and should aid the realization of sufficiently equitable, robust, modern energy systems in line with universal UN Global Sustainable Development Goal 7. Specifically, it should also help to fulfil SDG7.1.’s promise of ‘leaving no one behind’

LMDA Review, volume 8, issue 1 (sic)

Contents include: From the President, A Note on this Newsletter, A Call for Volunteers, Conference News: ATHE and LMDA, LMDA at ATHE: The Probable Conversion of a Skeptic, 1998 LMDA Conference, The 1997 LMDA Conference at Yale University: Looking Back, To My Colleagues (II), LMDA Advocacy Caucus, and Regional Vice-Presidents. Issue editor: Michele Volanskyhttps://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdareview/1014/thumbnail.jp

If Not Now, Then When? : Pathways to Embed Climate Change Within Social Policy

Climate change is arguably the defining issue of our time, with global impacts. Yet to date, scholarship within social policy has remained relatively fragmented and disparate, leaving an urgent need to start comprehensively embedding environmental thinking across all domains of the discipline (Williams, 2021). Responding to this challenge, this paper draws together existing work at the nexus of social policy, the environment, and climate change. The paper then presents findings from workshops held with social policy scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, using these discussions to propose pathways to embed climate change within the discipline. The paper represents a significant contribution to knowledge within the field as it seeks to both broaden discussions about social policy and climate change; to identify theoretical and empirical relationships that exist between the two fields but have not been fully recognised in existing scholarship; and to bring new perspectives and voices into the discussion

Efficacy of Mentalization-Based Group Therapy for adolescents:A pilot randomised controlled trail

oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/2647Background: Suicide is the leading cause of death in adolescents. Furthermore, up to one quarter of adolescents who self-harm will repeat self-harm within one year, highlighting the need for evidence-based prevention and treatment services. Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) has yielded promising outcomes for individuals who self-harm, however to date only one study has examined MBT in adolescents, wherein the treatment protocol consisted of individual and family therapy. Currently, there has been no development or examination of MBT-A in a group format for adolescents. Methods/Design: The present study is a randomised controlled single blind feasibility trial that aims to (1) adapt the original explicit MBT introductory group manual for an adolescent population (MBT-Ai) and to (2) assess the feasibility of MBT-Ai through examination of consent rates, attendance, attrition and self-harm. Participants are adolescents presenting to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) with self-harming behaviors within the last 6 months. Young people will be randomised to a 12-week MBT-Ai group plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at 12-, 24- and 36-weeks post-baseline. Discussion: This paper describes the development of a treatment manual and the protocol of a randomised controlled feasibility trial of MBT-Ai aimed at treating adolescents who self-harm. Further investigation of a full-scale trial will be necessary to instill benefits if pilot results suggest efficacy. Trial registration: NCT0277169