ADENE and Just a Change signed this Wednesday, June 24, a collaboration protocol to combat energy poverty in Portugal. The ceremony took place during a visit by ADENE Mais Próxima to a house renovated in Lisbon under the Camp In program, which transforms dilapidated homes of vulnerable families through volunteer work, according to a press release.
According to the same source, in 2026 the Camp In program plans to carry out 23 programs with presence in 32 municipalities, rehabilitating 109 dwellings across the country. Each intervention centers on three essential pillars: structural safety, energy efficiency, and hygiene conditions, with the aim of restoring conditions of dignity to those most in need.
The protocol establishes a structured collaboration across four areas: monitoring energy poverty and integrating data into the National Observatory of Energy Poverty, managed by ADENE; improving the energy and water performance of houses intervened by the Camp In program; promoting the services of the Espaço Energia Network to the families supported; and carrying out joint training activities.
This year the Camp In program was awarded the 1st LIGAR Prize, Energy for All, awarded by the National Observatory of Energy Poverty. The prize recognizes initiatives with real impact in fighting energy poverty in Portugal.
For Nelson Lage, President of ADENE, this partnership represents a concrete step in how the agency approaches the fight against energy poverty: “Monitoring alone is not enough. It is necessary to intervene, measure and ensure that the impact reaches the families most in need. Just a Change carries out this work on the ground. ADENE brings technical knowledge and measurement instruments. Together we go further.”
Energy poverty affects between 1.8 and 3 million people in Portugal, 600,000 of whom are in a severe situation. The National Observatory of Energy Poverty, created in 2024 and managed by ADENE, monitors the evolution of this phenomenon and supports the design of public policies to combat it.
The Espaço Energia Network, also coordinated by ADENE, comprises more than 120 branches nationwide and delivered more than 6,400 services to citizens up to March 2026.
