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Energy Action to host 8th fuel poverty conference
Energy Action is hosting its eighth annual Fuel Poverty Conference in Dublin on 21 October 2019, at the Croke Park Conference Centre. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton TD will open the conference.
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The theme of this year’s conference is ‘together we thrive’, and the conference will look at how collaboration can bring positive change for the fuel poor. “The problem of fuel poverty can be solved only through the joint efforts of community organisations, government departments, local authorities, energy companies and other groups working together as an expanded community,” said Brian McSharry, CEO of Energy Action.
This year’s conference is set against the background of the government’s recently published Climate Action Plan. In this plan, the government acknowledges the key role that communities will play in delivering the ambitious targets set out in the plan. Citizen engagement at local level is recognised as an integral part of the process.
Energy Action is currently developing the conference programme and we will have a line-up of expert speakers from Ireland and abroad including Sorcha Edwards, secretary general of Housing Europe, Josephine Maguire of SEAI, Brendan Tuohy of Dingle Hub in Kerry, Eugene Conlon of Dunleer Sustainable Energy Community in Louth, and Brian Whitington from the Scottish Isles community energy group Tighean Innse Gall.
The conference will also include a number of interactive workshops to facilitate dialogue among community groups, social enterprises, policy makers, health experts, regulators, local authorities, energy companies and the various agencies supporting vulnerable people throughout Ireland. “Energy Action has advocated for many years on behalf of people living in fuel poverty,” said Brian McSharry. “Fuel poverty is an enduring problem with widespread and severe impact, particularly on peoples’ health and wellbeing. It is estimated that 380,000 households are in fuel poverty in Ireland and over 50 million people in Europe cannot keep their home adequately warm.
For more information see www.energyaction.ie
