The Faculty of Science and Technology of NOVA University of Lisbon | NOVA FCT announces, in a statement, that researcher João Pedro Gouveia, Principal Investigator of CENSE – Centre for Research in Environment and Sustainability, will assume overall coordination of the European project EP-MED (LIFE-CET_ENERPOV), a strategic initiative to tackle energy poverty in the Mediterranean countries of the European Union.
According to the same source, with a total budget of 1.9 million euros and a duration of 36 months, the project involves 17 partners from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Cyprus, bringing together universities, research centers, public authorities and civil society organizations.
Energy poverty affects millions of people in Southern Europe, where many households struggle to heat or cool their homes adequately due to high energy costs, low incomes and the inefficiency of housing. This reality has significant impacts on health, well-being and the quality of life of the most vulnerable populations.
EP-MED aims to address this challenge through the creation or strengthening of National Observatories on Energy Poverty in Portugal, Italy, Spain and Cyprus, as well as the implementation of Regional Centers in municipalities with high levels of vulnerability. These structures will directly support families and reinforce coordination between public and private entities.
The project adopts an intersectoral approach, promoting coordination among the health, housing, social action and energy sectors. Among the main planned actions are the development of comprehensive monitoring frameworks, support for the definition of national strategies and the drafting of regional action plans.
EP-MED also addresses dimensions that have been less studied, such as summer energy poverty – particularly relevant in Mediterranean climates – and the specific challenges faced by the European Union’s island regions. The initiative builds on existing European programs and promotes the direct involvement of citizens and stakeholders in co-creating solutions tailored to national contexts.
“It is essential to strengthen the coordination between public policies and scientific knowledge to provide effective responses to the most vulnerable families. EP-MED will enable the structuring of networks and monitoring tools that ensure lasting impacts in the fight against energy poverty,” notes researcher João Pedro Gouveia.
Among the expected impacts are the strengthening of institutional capacities, the transnational exchange of good practices, the direct involvement of citizens and the formulation of policy recommendations based on scientific evidence. The project also foresees the formalization of partnerships with public authorities and policymakers, ensuring long-term sustainability and the possibility of replicating the model in other regions of the European Union.
