EmPOWERing All:
Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions
Synopsis
The EmPOWERing All Task will gather researchers from the fields of intersectionality and energy in a global network to analyse energy policy and technologies from intersectional perspectives and provide recommendations for policy design and implementation.
Overview
Task Duration:
Phase 1: January 2021 to December 2024
Participating Countries:
United States of America, Ireland, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Australia
Phase 2: March 2025 to 31 December 2027
Participating Countries:
Austria, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden
Contact:
For more information on the Task, please contact Camilla Andersson at camillaa@kth.se
EmPOWERing All Newsletter
Latest from EmPowering All
“Elevating Indigenous Voices for the Just Energy Transition” – A new publication by the HTR and EmPOWERing All Tasks
The HTR and EmPOWERing All Tasks have contributed to a paper published in a Special Issue of Politics & Governance. It highlights the plight of an Indigenous community whose reindeer-herding existence is under threat from huge mining and infrastructure developments that are seen as existential for the “green transition” by the Swedish State, and the EU.
Repoliticising users in energy transitions: A critique of dominant ideas and their effect in policy and practice
A new report from members of the EmPowering All Task, this review article argues that energy research and policy often rely on simplified, depoliticised pictures of users. These pictures hide the diversity, agency and unequal power relations that shape how people actually live with energy systems.
Save the date! Webinar – Energy Communities and Inclusion – 25 November 13:00–14:30 CET
In this webinar, we bring together experiences from Sweden, the Netherlands and Ireland, using the panel to discuss similarities, differences and what we can learn across contexts.
EmPowering All Publications
Battling Exclusion in Energy Transitions
This policy report summarizes key findings, recommendations and examples based on work in the Empowering All Task phase 1, including new research, good practice examples, and the aggregated knowledge of current state of the art research within the energy field.
Making an inclusive and gender aware energy policy
This paper presents a synthesis of three case studies carried out within the sub-task 2 of the Gender and Energy Research Programme with some supporting evidence from other sources. The sub-task set out to gain an understanding of the systematic inertias in the sociotechnical energy system hindering the formation of gender aware policies and interventions and then to identify ways of countering the inertias.
Policy Brief – Gender Just Energy Policy
The overarching aim of the EmPOWERing All task is to bring science-based evidence on how to formulate and implement clean, effective and inclusive energy policy and technological interventions, building on perspectives from gender research. This policy brief provides an introduction on how to address and assess energy policy using the gender just energy policy framework.
Subtasks & Deliverables
Introduction
From phase 1 of the emPOWERing all Task, three main insights have emerged; There is an exclusion of certain users in policy, governance and implementation
design. Based on intersectional discrimination there is an exclusion of users from knowledge around energy transitions and a wide range of users are not perceived as ‘knowers’ of their own experiences of energy use. Consequently, stereotypical norms of users are reproduced through new technologies envisioned to drive the energy transitions, which in turn might have caused the unexpectedly slow uptake of new technology.
As a response to these challenges phase 2 will develop new methods for user surveys in order to get more diversified data. Researchers will widen the scope of research to an intersectional understanding of users in a socio-technical and relational context of everyday energy practices. What stands out in the emPOWERing all is the norm-creative design focus which will incorporate the research at the forefront of gender, intersectionality, masulinities-nexus with energy transitions, into prototypes of new low-carbon technologies.
This cross-disciplinary knowledge hub will actively promote collaborations with other TCPs.
For policy makers and regulators
The research insights and practice-based results from this task will be formulated into policy briefs, as well as developed into method guidelines that can be used to facilitate immersive workshops and dialogues that can unlock new transformative policy and planning strategies, anchored and co-created with a broader base of citizen groups and perspectives.
For businesses
The Task will provide opportunities for learning and improving leadership for transition as well as concrete fine-tuned education material to be used in workshops etc. By exploring new actor constellations, roles and business opportunities, the practice-based insights will be of direct relevance to both incumbent and new niche actors in the energy sector.
For researchers
For academia, the task will further consolidate an emerging transdisciplinary field engaging social sciences, humanities and design in energy-related topics. Anchoring the work in the participating academic institutions will have a potential to also influence education of the next generation of professionals to work for an energy transition with a broader repertoire of perspectives and tools to usher a just societal transformation.
Main task: Formulating country-specific briefs for clean, effective and inclusive energy policy, implementation and technological interventions.
Aim: The overarching aim of the Task is to provide impartial, reliable and authoritative research, guidelines and recommended practices to policy/decision makers and implementers based on international comparative evidence which contributes to gender-sensitive energy transitions which also considers intersectional aspects of exclusion.
Phase 2 will be divided into three subtasks correlating to the challenges identified in phase 1 plus the development of a knowledge hub helpdesk as a fourth subtask. It will gather, synthesize and distribute knowledge created in three subtasks outlined below. These subtasks are intended to be mutually reinforcing and contribute to the main task.
Deliverables:
Policy briefs
- How to support just and inclusive energy transitions
- Provide examples of best practices from research on how to formulate policy to
enable change.
Dissemination
- Popular Dissemination
- Opinion pieces
- Newsletter reporting on the Task research
- Webinars
- TCP Academy webinars
- Infographics and 2-pagers
Subtask 1: Re-framing just energy transitions
Motivation:
Today the energy sector is male dominated and struggles with technocentric norms and stereotypical and static notions of the users of the new technologies that are envisioned to support energy transitions. However, the uptake of these technologies have been slower than anticipated. In response to this, subtask 1 aims to re-frame the notion of the user into a more diversified, just and inclusive one. In the Task, energy use is understood as a socio-technical phenomena that needs nuanced understandings of users in their social and relational context.
Aim:
- Methodological development of data collection and interpretation.
- Produce intersectionally diversified framing of users based in various social contexts and everyday activities.
- To formulate policy recommendations that support nuanced and inclusive
understandings of users.
Methods:
- Comparative studies between regions and countries
- Develop survey methods sensitised to gender and intersectionality.
- Historical studies of policy work relating to welfare and energy.
- Desktop studies of polarisation relating to energy transitions.
Proposed deliverables:
- Academic case studies of in/justice in the energy transition in the Global South/North
- Policy recommendations with focus on justice and inclusion.
- Good practices of justice and inclusion aspects on energy transitions in Global
South/North - Peer-reviewed articles
- Innovative governance approaches advancing gender and energy transitions –
particularly at the local level in the Global South/North.
Subtask 2: Scaling just energy transitions: Closing the gap between users and
policy
Motivation:
In order to achieve robust energy transitions, a reliable framework to support actors and users must be developed. This framework should cover all levels of the energy system and be aware of gender, intersectional dimensions and justice.
Aim:
The aim of this subtask is to explore user needs at all levels of the energy system in order to support policy makers in building a framework that sustains just and inclusive energy transitions.
This framework works two ways:
- Institutional support for energy transitions and solutions which are inclusive, just and sustainable.
- Institutional support that empowers users to navigate different energy transitions.
Method:
- Case studies of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)
- Case studies of Energy Communities
- Case studies on women/men in the fossil extraction sector and their transition to green technologies.
- Collection of good practices of how just transitions are happening on the ground in local settings for example in the Maldives, Bangladesh, Sweden and India
- Methodological development of how local experiences and knowledge can be transferred to other places and contexts.
Proposed deliverables:
- Game (like the executive board game developed in phase 1)
- Synergy workshop at the conferences held 2 times/year by 75inQ
- Conference presentations/papers
- Peer-reviewed articles
- Briefing paper for policy makers.
- Continued participation in the IEEE GESI group, developing new standards for
Gender, Equality and Social Inclusion in new digital energy services.
Subtask 3: Reimagining just energy transitions: Prototyping inclusive interventions
and technologies.
Subtask 3A – Beyond ‘smart grids’ – towards new understandings of smartness in
relation to energy citizenship
Subtask 3B – Prototyping Low-carbon sufficiency lifestyles in the built environment
Subtask 3C – Prototyping gender sensitive energy engagement tools.
Motivation:
There is a need to turn empirical research into more concrete images of what transitions to just and inclusive low-carbon energy futures could look like. The current technocentric focus on ‘smart grids’ and ‘smart’ solutions seems to have difficulties with public acceptance and might have to be reconsidered to cater for users’ diverse and changing needs.
Norm-creative and speculative design is well suited to reimagining energy futures, building on gender and intersectional perspectives of justice. It produces scientific knowledge alongside concrete prototypes. These prototypes identify current challenges, visualise them, and finally produce illustrations and prototypes of more just and inclusive ways of organising energy production and use.
Aim:
- To reimagine the smart grid beyond its current gendered focus.
- To produce and test prototypes for energy planning in the household which challenges current gendered roles.
- To produce prototypes for low-carbon energy communities built bottom-up.
- Suggest policy recommendations based on the prototypes and their production and implementation.
Method:
- Norm-critical and speculative research through design processes.
- Interventions with prototypes.
- Collaboration and workshops with stakeholders
Proposed deliverables:
- Prototype(s) of the Energy Planner
- Prototypes of low-carbon technologies supporting vital resource flows
- Reimaginations of smart-grid approaches.
- Policy recommendations based on the prototypes
- Peer-reviewed papers
- Conference presentations
- Educational materials and guidelines
Subtask 4 – Pilot for a Knowledge Hub Helpdesk
Subtask 4A – Building an infrastructure for match-making between TCPs
Subtask 4B – Providing collaborations in various forms.
Motivation:
During the first phase of the Task, the Users TCP Gender and Energy Task has built a global hub for knowledge and expertise on the intersection of gender and energy technologies. Our Task brings together leading academics and consultancies working in this field. We have the potential and the willingness to collaborate with other TCPs on the gender issues relating to new technologies.
Aim:
The aim is to contribute to more just and inclusive technology development that faciltitates the uptake of new technologies.
Method:
- Norm-creative and speculative design processes
- Industrial design processes
Proposed deliverables:
- An infrastructure for collaborations
- Prototypes of just and inclusive technologies (depending on funding available and the type of collaborations).
Conference papers
2025
- December 2025: Abstract, in collaboration with the Hard-to-Reach Task, presented at the Behave conference: “Elevating Indigenous Voices in the Just Energy Transition“. Kira Ashby, Sea Rotmann, Ann-Sofie Kall, Camilla Andersson, Laney Sullivan, and Athalia Esty.
- December 2025: Abstract at the Behave onference: “Enabling socially just energy communities”. Joy Clancy, Marielle Feenstra, Nthabi Mohlakoana, and Aretina Stefani.
Deliverables and Publications
2026
- August 2026: Research article: Repoliticising users in energy transitions: A critique of dominant ideas and their effect in policy and practice. Helene Ahlborg, Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa, Joy S. Clancy, Niall P. Dunphy, Marielle Feenstra, Sylvère Hategekimana, Beatrix Hausner, Kate Hooper, Martin Hultman, Breffní Lennon, Kavya Michael, Alexandra Revez, Sam Unsworth, Anna Åberg
- January 2026: Research article: “Mapping understandings of corporate social and sustainability responsibility in an era of green transition in Swedish Sápmi: recommendations for extractive industry improvements”. Kristina Sehlin MacNeil
2025
- Open Access Book: Energy Citizenship: Envisioning Citizens’ Participation in the Energy System. Niall P. Dunphy , Breffní Lennon , Alexandra Revez , and Bin Bin J. Pearce
- November 2025: Research article: Participation in Energy Communities: the COM-B Model as a framework for exploring human motivations through living labs. Breffní Lennon et al
- October 2025: Doctoral thesis by Angelica Wågström , supervised by Martin Hultman, “Careful Energy Transitions: An Ethnography of Degrowth Everyday Utopias“
- September 2025: Policy Report: “Battling Exclusion in Energy Transitions”. Anna Åberg, Helene Ahlborg, Julia Norman, and Kavya Michael
- July 2025: Research article: Economic impacts of repowering wind turbines: a comparative analysis of advanced wind turbine technologies. Dorcas Mikindani, Peter Deeney & Niall P. Dunphy
- June 2025: Research article: All together now: building resilient citizen energy communities through collaborative learning. Paul Tobin and Breffní Lennon
2024
- December 2024: Open Access Book: Energy Citizenship: Envisioning Citizens’ Participation in the Energy System. Niall P. Dunphy, Breffní Lennon, Alexandra Revez, Bin Bin J. Pearce
Newsletters
2025
- October 2025: Martin Hultman prepared and gave Keynote Lecture: “Survival. Ecological Masculinities, Rights of Nature & Degrowth as Prefigurative Politics for a Livable Planet at “Feminist Coalitions for Livable Worlds: How, Where and for Whom?” at Mid Sweden University in Staare/Östersund.
- October 2025: Joy Clancy deliverd the opening presentation at gEneSys Autumn School: “Gender and Intersectional Inequalities in Energy Transition” in Venice.
September 2025: Joy Clancy and Marielle Feenstra presented Gender, Governance, and Justice in Energy Transitions: Towards Inclusive and Equitable Systems at the ESA RN12 ‘Environment and Society’ mid-term and ‘Energy and Society Network’ 7th joint conference, Kaunas, Lithuania.
- August 2025: Kickoff meeting of the EmPOWERing All Task with the international group of national experts. Workshop on the theme “How do we do research on justice and inclusivity in a changing political landscape?”
- June 2025: Workshop in Kiruna “A green and just transition in Northern Sweden – including diverse voices for energy justice”.
- June 2025: Pernilla Hagbert presented an extended abstract on “Citizens’ assemblies as a tool for transformation?” at the 18th Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics and 11th International Degrowth Conference in Oslo
- June 2025: Martin Hultman prepared and gave Keynote Lecture II: Climate change and green transitions at “Men and Masculinities in Transition” Stockholm University, Sweden.
- Alexandra Revez participated as invited speaker at ‘Climate & Energy Research Seminar’ in Dublin giving a talk on ‘Community Benefit Funding – How should we spend the €800 million?‘
- Anna Åberg, Camilla Andersson and Sylvia Breukers presented the results of phase 1 and the outline for phase 2 at RVO, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, at a webinar for Dutch policymakers.
2026
2027
All Users TCP Academy Webinars are available on our YouTube channel: User-Centred Energy Systems TCP Academy
Introduction
The role of gender in energy systems has been undervalued in the past. Yet, research has shown that norms and practices linked to gender have an impact on the development of policies, user systems and energy technologies, and that this can lead to the implementation of inefficient and excluding energy solutions. One central issue is that, often energy policies and technologies are assumed to be gender neutral when, in fact, they are gender blind. This means that they neglect the differential impacts on genders as well as socio-economic and cultural groups. Consequently, policies and technologies are less effective and may have unintended effects, hindering transitions to more sustainable energy systems.The aim of this international collaboration is thus to apply gender perspectives to support the participating countries in their work to design a more efficient and inclusive energy system, and through this also support ongoing efforts to foster energy transitions. This is particularly pressing now, as countries develop measures to mitigate the social and economic costs of the current COVID-19 crisis.
Although the assumed gender neutrality of energy policy and energy institutions has been questioned by researchers over several decades, the problems of gender-blind energy policies persist. In addition, social science research on user adaption of energy technologies, including gender research, is often ignored when designing new energy interventions. This new international collaboration sets out to bridge this gap between research and practice.
We will do this by carrying out comparative studies between the participating countries starting from three main questions: What research has already been done in the area, and what “best practices” can we learn from that research? What cultural and material barriers exist within today’s energy institutions that hinder the formulation and implementation of inclusive and gender-aware policies and technologies? How can we use gender perspectives when designing energy technologies and user solutions to ensure they are inclusive and effective? In addition to case studies and research overviews, we will publish educational materials, design new evaluation methods, and develop models and prototypes for new technology and user support. We also plan to organise workshops together with stakeholders in the energy policy and industry communities, to find ways to solve the problems that are identified during the course of the project.
Main task: Formulating country-specific briefs for clean, effective and inclusive energy policy, implementation and technological interventions.
Aim: The Task will bring science-based evidence on how to formulate and implement clean, effective and inclusive energy policy and interventions. This main task will gather, synthesize and distribute knowledge created in three subtasks. These subtasks are intended to be mutually reinforcing and contribute to the main task.
Deliverables: Country-specific policy briefs for the Task members focusing on how to practically formulate and implement inclusive user energy policy (where applicable), Repository of case studies and best practices, Educational material, Policy design workshops, Technology design workshops.
Subtask 1: Pathways to change: Learning across regions and best practices
Aim: Gather existing research on energy, gender and use. Review state of the art, identify best practices and study these further. In this task, we will focus specifically on how energy policy and planning, directives for funding and energy interventions shape energy use, and compare research done in different countries
Deliverables: Scoping study review, Academic case studies, Report on selected best practices from cases.
Publications:
Osunmuyiwa and Ahlborg: “Stimulating competition, diversification, or re-enforcing entrepreneurial barriers? Exploring small-scale electricity systems and gender-inclusive entrepreneurship” in the journal Energy Research & Social Science. There is also a news item on the this publication in Nature Energy
Subtask 1 is producing a state-of-the-art review on research in the nexus of energy use, policy and gender. This article is in progress. A short summary of the German language state of the art, written by the ÖGUT team, is available: State of the art: Engendering Energy policy
The Chalmers task team were asked to give a comment on the recent special issue in Buildings & Cities on Energy, Emerging Technologies and Gender in Homes. The comment is published here: Dismantling Power and Bringing Reflexivity into the Eco-modern Home – Commentaries (buildingsandcities.org)
Subtask 2: Understanding and countering systematic inertias in the sociotechnical energy system hindering gender aware policies and interventions
Aim: To analyse the values and norm systems underlying energy policy making and planning in governments, as well as the logic of energy interventions by the private sector and identify how these norms and values become inertias in the energy transition processes. Develop ways to counter these inertias.
Deliverables: Academic case studies, Tool for comparative assessment of national user policies, Report synthesizing and comparing case studies and presenting the tool.
Publications:
Mariëlle Feenstra (Delft University of Technology) has written a policy brief for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) as input for the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66). The policy brief focussed on gender and climate change, emphasising women’s role in the energy transition and the gender face of energy poverty. Feenstra’s recommendations were mentioned by the Minister in his speech to the general assembly. A follow up meeting to discuss these recommendations will be planned with the Minister of Energy and Climate. The policy brief can be found in the report “Klimaatverandering & Gender”.
Joy Clancy was asked by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM Committee) of the European Parliament to make a gender impact assessment of the Fit4Fiftyfive Package (the package of legislation proposed by the EU Commission to meet the EU’s 2030 climate goals). Kavya Michael from Chalmers is a reviewer and Marielle Feenstra is contributing as an expert. This work is a part of bringing the results and research of the task to the EU policy makers.
The report was discussed at a workshop 8 December 2022.
Deliverables to be published:
- Swedish case
- Austrian case
- Dutch case
- Executive Game
- Policy briefs Subtask 2
Subtask 3: Designing inclusive and efficient technological interventions
Aim: To collaborate with designers within the energy sector as well as with user organizations to develop guidelines and prototypes for more gender aware and efficient technologies and interventions. This includes methods for collecting user data and user engagement.
Deliverables: Educational materials and guidelines for developing gender aware and efficient user technologies and interventions, New templates for gathering user data, Models and prototypes for inclusive technology.
Publications:
Reihana Mohideen (University of Melbourne) leads the working group within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) developing GESI standards for digital technology development. Anna Åberg is also a member of this working group, in order to help integrate the work of the task to the IEEE GESI work. A white paper was published by the working group in the fall 2022, and is now available on the IEEE SA DIITA website.
The White paper was presented at the ISTAS conference Ethics day ETHICS DAY @ ISTAS 2022 – ISTAS 22
Boyle, E., Galvin, M., Revez, A., Deane, A., Ó Gallachóir, B., Mullally, G. (2022) Flexibility & structure: Community engagement on climate action & large infrastructure delivery, Energy Policy, 167, 113050.
Conference papers
2021
- Energy & Society Conference (Trento/online) “Integrating gender into energy policy design: the Rwandan approach” Marielle Feenstra (presenting), Joy Clancy, Helene Ahlborg, Samuel John Unsworth, Sylvere Hategekimana (11 February 2021)
- Panel participation at the BEHAVE-conference “Is energy efficiency (fe)male? The role of gender for sustainable energy use”, including Joy Clancy and Martin Hultman (21 April 2021)
- European Consortium for Political Research General Conference. Marielle Feenstra presented joint case study for Subtask 1 and Subtask 2 (31 August 2021)
- Gender in the Green New Deal”. Conference participation highlighting UsersTCP work by Joy Clancy (2 September 2021)
- Participation by Marielle Feenstra and Joy Clancy in the SIET conference organised by TU Delft, the Netherlands. Presentation of Executive Game and the Gender Just Energy Policy framework. (November 2021)
2022
- Two sessions organised by the task at the ERSS in Manchester, with participation form the majority of our task members. (20-24 June 2022)
ERSS session 10: Closing the gender gap in energy policies for a just transition:
- When smart energy technologies meet everyday household labour: gendered practices and negotiations. Sylvia Breukers*, Aggeli Aggeliki, Marten Boekelo, Toke Haunstrup
- Care Labour as Energy Transition: Ethnographic Accounts from Sweden. Angelica Wågström
- When energy turned intersectional. Analysing the women lead call for a small-scale renewable decentralised energy network in Sweden 1971-1981. Martin Hultman
- Energy, sense-making and gender: exploring public perceptions of new technologies. Alexandra Revez, Niall Dunphy
- Barriers and Enablers of Gender Just Transitions in India: A comparative case study analysis. Kavya Michael, Swati Pillai, Arunima Hakku
- A gender just energy policy framework to engender the energy transition in Europe. Mariëlle Feenstra, Gül Özerol
ERSS Session 25: Gender in Energy Transitions: Mapping the conceptual and methodological landscapes. Organised by the task with external speakers.
- ECEEE Summer Study, Hyeres, France. Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo “Gender, expertise and control in Dutch residential smart grid pilots” (paper & ptt). (6-9 June 2022)
- ECPR Conference, Innsbruck, Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo: “Revisiting the smart grid promise: Residential smart grid experiments as sites of contestation”. (paper &ppt) (24-29 August 2022)
- Conference presentation: Velasco-Herrejón, P., & Dunphy N.P. (conveners) (2022) ‘Understanding the lived experiences of energy poverty in the Global North and South’ at the DSA Conference Just sustainable futures in an urbanising and mobile world. (Online 6-8 July 2022)
- Martin Hultman and Kavya Michael presented the task at the Nordic Energy Equality conference. Nordic Energy Equality Conference 2022 – Nordic Energy Equality Network (neen.network)
Deliverables and Publications
Subtask 1 – Pathways to change: Learning across regions and best practices
- Osunmuyiwa and Ahlborg: ”Stimulating competition, diversification, or re-enforcing entrepreneurial barriers? Exploring small-scale electricity systems and gender-inclusive entrepreneurship” in the journal Energy Research & Social Science. There is also a news item on the this publication in Nature Energy
- Subtask 1 is producing a state-of-the-art review on research in the nexus of energy use, policy and gender. This article is in progress.
A short summary of the German language state of the art, written by the ÖGUT team, is available: State of the art: Engendering Energy policy - Chalmers University has reported on the case study made by Kavya Michael and Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa on the Solar Mama’s programme in Zanzibar: länk The women who tear down power structures with solar energy | Chalmers
- The Chalmers task team as well as Duneworks were asked to give a comment on the recent special issue in Buildings & Cities on Energy, Emerging Technologies and Gender in Homes.
The Chalmers comment is published here: Dismantling Power and Bringing Reflexivity into the Eco-modern Home – Commentaries (buildingsandcities.org))
And Duneworks comment here: What is the Problem that Smart Home Technologies Solve? – Commentaries (buildingsandcities.org)
Subtask 2 – Understanding and countering systematic inertias in the sociotechnical energy system hindering gender aware policies and interventions
- Mariëlle Feenstra (Delft University of Technology) has written a policy brief for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) as input for the the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66). The policy brief focussed on gender and climate change, emphasising women’s role in the energy transition and the gender face of energy poverty. Feenstra’s recommendations were mentioned by the Minister in his speech to the general assembly. A follow up meeting to discuss these recommendations will be planned with the Minister of Energy and Climate. The policy brief can be found in the report “Klimaatverandering & Gender”.
- Joy Clancy was asked by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM Committee) of the European Parliament to make a gender impact assessment of the Fit4Fiftyfive Package (the package of legislation proposed by the EU Commission to meet the EU’s 2030 climate goals). Kavya Michael from Chalmers is a reviewer and Marielle Feenstra is contributing as an expert. This work is a part of bringing the results and research of the task to the EU policy makers.
The report was discussed at a workshop 8 December 2022. - Publication: Wågström Angelica and Michael, Kavya: Caring for energy, energy to care: Exploring the energy-care nexus through examples from Sweden and India, Journal for Energy research and Social Science (Science Direct)
- Publication: Hauser. B, Badieijaryani, A. et. al.: Austria’s Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. A critical analysis This is a first case study on Austria’s Integrated Energy and Climate plan, published by ÖGUT in German
Deliverables to be published:
- Swedish case
- Austrian case
- Dutch case
- Executive Game
- Policy briefs Subtask 2
Subtask 3 – Designing inclusive and efficient technological interventions
- Fact sheet: “Creating energy technologies, that are meaningful and usable for all” (in English and in German). The ÖGUT research group has developed a fact sheet with advice for technology developers for how to include gender perspectives when designing user technology. The fact sheet has been developed through workshops with practitioners.
- Reihana Mohideen (University of Melbourne) leads the working group within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) developing GESI standards for digital technology development. Anna Åberg is also a member of this working group, in order to help integrate the work of the task to the IEEE GESI work. A white paper was published by the working group in the fall 2022, and is now available on the IEEE SA DIITA website.
The White paper was presented at the ISTAS conference Ethics day ETHICS DAY @ ISTAS 2022 – ISTAS 22 - ECEEE Summer Study, Hyeres, France. Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo “Gender, expertise and control in Dutch residential smart grid pilots” (paper & ptt). (6-9 June 2022)
- ECPR Conference, Innsbruck, Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo: “Revisiting the smart grid promise: Residential smart grid experiments as sites of contestation”. (paper &ppt) (24-29 August 2022)
- Boyle, E., Galvin, M., Revez, A., Deane, A., Ó Gallachóir, B., Mullally, G. (2022) Flexibility & structure: Community engagement on climate action & large infrastructure delivery, Energy Policy, 167, 113050.
- Dunphy, N. P., & Lennon, B. Whose Transition? A Review of Citizen Participation in the Energy System. Routledge Handbook of Energy Transitions, 2022 (taylorfrancis.com)
- Foulds, C., et. al, including Dunphy N. from the Gender & Energy task: An agenda for future Social Sciences and Humanities research on energy efficiency: 100 priority research questions. Humanities and social sciences communications, 9(1), 1-18. (Nature.com)
Newsletters
2021
- ASSET EnergyTransition Webinar GIRL POWER: the role of women in the energy transition, including Joy Clancy (24 March 2021)
- Webinar Horizon 2020 project SCCALE “Engendering the energy transition: what’s in it for municipalities” including Joy Clancy and Marielle Feenstra (26 April 2021)
- Including gender: policy choices towards a just energy transition. Presented by MariëlleFeenstra – University of Twente, Joy Clancy – University of Twente and Martin Hultman – Chalmers University. Presentation Slides. (12 May 2021)
- Joy Clancy: “Have we got the measure of gender and energy?” Presentation in on-line lecture series on Energy, Gender and Space, organised by the UK’s Royal Geographic Society’s Energy Geographies and Gender Group (EnGRG), (2 November)
2022
- Contribution to SECAD Sustainable Communities Training Programme (webinar), ‘Energy Poverty – a growing social issue’ by Dr Niall Dunphy (January)
- Dr Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa and Dr Helene Ahlborg: “Reframing power and gender struggles in energy projects as territoriality and place-making” Presentation in on-line lecture series on Energy, Gender and Space, organised by the UK’s Royal Geographic Society’s Energy Geographies and Gender Group (EnGRG). (21 January)
- Contribution to SECAD Sustainable Communities Training Programme (webinar), ‘Overview of energy behaviour change initiatives’ by Dr Alexandra Revez, Cork, Ireland (February)
- Reihana Mohideen (University of Melbourne, Leader of the IEEE Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Workstream) and Anna Åberg (Chalmers University of Technology) participated in the UsersTCP academy webinar “How can energy standards help to promote Gender Equality and Social Inclusion?” (9 March)
- Sylvia Breukers(Duneworks) presented in the UsersTCP webinar #32 Gender, expertise and control in Dutch smart grid pilots. Interoperability of smart energy management and household management – Sylvia Breukers (DuneWorks, Netherlands) Recording https://youtu.be/s0W09CDmXeA
All UsersTCP academy webinars are available from the Leonardo ENERGY YouTube channel: User-Centred Energy Systems Academy
Introduction
The role of gender in energy systems has been undervalued in the past. Yet, research has shown that norms and practices linked to gender have an impact on the development of policies, user systems and energy technologies, and that this can lead to the implementation of inefficient and excluding energy solutions. One central issue is that, often energy policies and technologies are assumed to be gender neutral when, in fact, they are gender blind. This means that they neglect the differential impacts on genders as well as socio-economic and cultural groups. Consequently, policies and technologies are less effective and may have unintended effects, hindering transitions to more sustainable energy systems.The aim of this international collaboration is thus to apply gender perspectives to support the participating countries in their work to design a more efficient and inclusive energy system, and through this also support ongoing efforts to foster energy transitions. This is particularly pressing now, as countries develop measures to mitigate the social and economic costs of the current COVID-19 crisis.
Although the assumed gender neutrality of energy policy and energy institutions has been questioned by researchers over several decades, the problems of gender-blind energy policies persist. In addition, social science research on user adaption of energy technologies, including gender research, is often ignored when designing new energy interventions. This new international collaboration sets out to bridge this gap between research and practice.
We will do this by carrying out comparative studies between the participating countries starting from three main questions: What research has already been done in the area, and what “best practices” can we learn from that research? What cultural and material barriers exist within today’s energy institutions that hinder the formulation and implementation of inclusive and gender-aware policies and technologies? How can we use gender perspectives when designing energy technologies and user solutions to ensure they are inclusive and effective? In addition to case studies and research overviews, we will publish educational materials, design new evaluation methods, and develop models and prototypes for new technology and user support. We also plan to organise workshops together with stakeholders in the energy policy and industry communities, to find ways to solve the problems that are identified during the course of the project.
Main task: Formulating country-specific briefs for clean, effective and inclusive energy policy, implementation and technological interventions.
Aim: The Task will bring science-based evidence on how to formulate and implement clean, effective and inclusive energy policy and interventions. This main task will gather, synthesize and distribute knowledge created in three subtasks. These subtasks are intended to be mutually reinforcing and contribute to the main task.
Deliverables: Country-specific policy briefs for the Task members focusing on how to practically formulate and implement inclusive user energy policy (where applicable), Repository of case studies and best practices, Educational material, Policy design workshops, Technology design workshops.
Subtask 1: Pathways to change: Learning across regions and best practices
Aim: Gather existing research on energy, gender and use. Review state of the art, identify best practices and study these further. In this task, we will focus specifically on how energy policy and planning, directives for funding and energy interventions shape energy use, and compare research done in different countries
Deliverables: Scoping study review, Academic case studies, Report on selected best practices from cases.
Publications:
Osunmuyiwa and Ahlborg: “Stimulating competition, diversification, or re-enforcing entrepreneurial barriers? Exploring small-scale electricity systems and gender-inclusive entrepreneurship” in the journal Energy Research & Social Science. There is also a news item on the this publication in Nature Energy
Subtask 1 is producing a state-of-the-art review on research in the nexus of energy use, policy and gender. This article is in progress. A short summary of the German language state of the art, written by the ÖGUT team, is available: State of the art: Engendering Energy policy
The Chalmers task team were asked to give a comment on the recent special issue in Buildings & Cities on Energy, Emerging Technologies and Gender in Homes. The comment is published here: Dismantling Power and Bringing Reflexivity into the Eco-modern Home – Commentaries (buildingsandcities.org)
Subtask 2: Understanding and countering systematic inertias in the sociotechnical energy system hindering gender aware policies and interventions
Aim: To analyse the values and norm systems underlying energy policy making and planning in governments, as well as the logic of energy interventions by the private sector and identify how these norms and values become inertias in the energy transition processes. Develop ways to counter these inertias.
Deliverables: Academic case studies, Tool for comparative assessment of national user policies, Report synthesizing and comparing case studies and presenting the tool.
Publications:
Mariëlle Feenstra (Delft University of Technology) has written a policy brief for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) as input for the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66). The policy brief focussed on gender and climate change, emphasising women’s role in the energy transition and the gender face of energy poverty. Feenstra’s recommendations were mentioned by the Minister in his speech to the general assembly. A follow up meeting to discuss these recommendations will be planned with the Minister of Energy and Climate. The policy brief can be found in the report “Klimaatverandering & Gender”.
Joy Clancy was asked by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM Committee) of the European Parliament to make a gender impact assessment of the Fit4Fiftyfive Package (the package of legislation proposed by the EU Commission to meet the EU’s 2030 climate goals). Kavya Michael from Chalmers is a reviewer and Marielle Feenstra is contributing as an expert. This work is a part of bringing the results and research of the task to the EU policy makers.
The report was discussed at a workshop 8 December 2022.
Deliverables to be published:
- Swedish case
- Austrian case
- Dutch case
- Executive Game
- Policy briefs Subtask 2
Subtask 3: Designing inclusive and efficient technological interventions
Aim: To collaborate with designers within the energy sector as well as with user organizations to develop guidelines and prototypes for more gender aware and efficient technologies and interventions. This includes methods for collecting user data and user engagement.
Deliverables: Educational materials and guidelines for developing gender aware and efficient user technologies and interventions, New templates for gathering user data, Models and prototypes for inclusive technology.
Publications:
Reihana Mohideen (University of Melbourne) leads the working group within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) developing GESI standards for digital technology development. Anna Åberg is also a member of this working group, in order to help integrate the work of the task to the IEEE GESI work. A white paper was published by the working group in the fall 2022, and is now available on the IEEE SA DIITA website.
The White paper was presented at the ISTAS conference Ethics day ETHICS DAY @ ISTAS 2022 – ISTAS 22
Boyle, E., Galvin, M., Revez, A., Deane, A., Ó Gallachóir, B., Mullally, G. (2022) Flexibility & structure: Community engagement on climate action & large infrastructure delivery, Energy Policy, 167, 113050.
Conference papers
2021
- Energy & Society Conference (Trento/online) “Integrating gender into energy policy design: the Rwandan approach” Marielle Feenstra (presenting), Joy Clancy, Helene Ahlborg, Samuel John Unsworth, Sylvere Hategekimana (11 February 2021)
- Panel participation at the BEHAVE-conference “Is energy efficiency (fe)male? The role of gender for sustainable energy use”, including Joy Clancy and Martin Hultman (21 April 2021)
- European Consortium for Political Research General Conference. Marielle Feenstra presented joint case study for Subtask 1 and Subtask 2 (31 August 2021)
- Gender in the Green New Deal”. Conference participation highlighting UsersTCP work by Joy Clancy (2 September 2021)
- Participation by Marielle Feenstra and Joy Clancy in the SIET conference organised by TU Delft, the Netherlands. Presentation of Executive Game and the Gender Just Energy Policy framework. (November 2021)
2022
- Two sessions organised by the task at the ERSS in Manchester, with participation form the majority of our task members. (20-24 June 2022)
ERSS session 10: Closing the gender gap in energy policies for a just transition:
- When smart energy technologies meet everyday household labour: gendered practices and negotiations. Sylvia Breukers*, Aggeli Aggeliki, Marten Boekelo, Toke Haunstrup
- Care Labour as Energy Transition: Ethnographic Accounts from Sweden. Angelica Wågström
- When energy turned intersectional. Analysing the women lead call for a small-scale renewable decentralised energy network in Sweden 1971-1981. Martin Hultman
- Energy, sense-making and gender: exploring public perceptions of new technologies. Alexandra Revez, Niall Dunphy
- Barriers and Enablers of Gender Just Transitions in India: A comparative case study analysis. Kavya Michael, Swati Pillai, Arunima Hakku
- A gender just energy policy framework to engender the energy transition in Europe. Mariëlle Feenstra, Gül Özerol
ERSS Session 25: Gender in Energy Transitions: Mapping the conceptual and methodological landscapes. Organised by the task with external speakers.
- ECEEE Summer Study, Hyeres, France. Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo “Gender, expertise and control in Dutch residential smart grid pilots” (paper & ptt). (6-9 June 2022)
- ECPR Conference, Innsbruck, Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo: “Revisiting the smart grid promise: Residential smart grid experiments as sites of contestation”. (paper &ppt) (24-29 August 2022)
- Conference presentation: Velasco-Herrejón, P., & Dunphy N.P. (conveners) (2022) ‘Understanding the lived experiences of energy poverty in the Global North and South’ at the DSA Conference Just sustainable futures in an urbanising and mobile world. (Online 6-8 July 2022)
- Martin Hultman and Kavya Michael presented the task at the Nordic Energy Equality conference. Nordic Energy Equality Conference 2022 – Nordic Energy Equality Network (neen.network)
Deliverables and Publications
Subtask 1 – Pathways to change: Learning across regions and best practices
- Osunmuyiwa and Ahlborg: ”Stimulating competition, diversification, or re-enforcing entrepreneurial barriers? Exploring small-scale electricity systems and gender-inclusive entrepreneurship” in the journal Energy Research & Social Science. There is also a news item on the this publication in Nature Energy
- Subtask 1 is producing a state-of-the-art review on research in the nexus of energy use, policy and gender. This article is in progress.
A short summary of the German language state of the art, written by the ÖGUT team, is available: State of the art: Engendering Energy policy - Chalmers University has reported on the case study made by Kavya Michael and Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa on the Solar Mama’s programme in Zanzibar: länk The women who tear down power structures with solar energy | Chalmers
- The Chalmers task team as well as Duneworks were asked to give a comment on the recent special issue in Buildings & Cities on Energy, Emerging Technologies and Gender in Homes.
The Chalmers comment is published here: Dismantling Power and Bringing Reflexivity into the Eco-modern Home – Commentaries (buildingsandcities.org))
And Duneworks comment here: What is the Problem that Smart Home Technologies Solve? – Commentaries (buildingsandcities.org)
Subtask 2 – Understanding and countering systematic inertias in the sociotechnical energy system hindering gender aware policies and interventions
- Mariëlle Feenstra (Delft University of Technology) has written a policy brief for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) as input for the the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66). The policy brief focussed on gender and climate change, emphasising women’s role in the energy transition and the gender face of energy poverty. Feenstra’s recommendations were mentioned by the Minister in his speech to the general assembly. A follow up meeting to discuss these recommendations will be planned with the Minister of Energy and Climate. The policy brief can be found in the report “Klimaatverandering & Gender”.
- Joy Clancy was asked by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM Committee) of the European Parliament to make a gender impact assessment of the Fit4Fiftyfive Package (the package of legislation proposed by the EU Commission to meet the EU’s 2030 climate goals). Kavya Michael from Chalmers is a reviewer and Marielle Feenstra is contributing as an expert. This work is a part of bringing the results and research of the task to the EU policy makers.
The report was discussed at a workshop 8 December 2022. - Publication: Wågström Angelica and Michael, Kavya: Caring for energy, energy to care: Exploring the energy-care nexus through examples from Sweden and India, Journal for Energy research and Social Science (Science Direct)
- Publication: Hauser. B, Badieijaryani, A. et. al.: Austria’s Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. A critical analysis This is a first case study on Austria’s Integrated Energy and Climate plan, published by ÖGUT in German
Deliverables to be published:
- Swedish case
- Austrian case
- Dutch case
- Executive Game
- Policy briefs Subtask 2
Subtask 3 – Designing inclusive and efficient technological interventions
- Fact sheet: “Creating energy technologies, that are meaningful and usable for all” (in English and in German). The ÖGUT research group has developed a fact sheet with advice for technology developers for how to include gender perspectives when designing user technology. The fact sheet has been developed through workshops with practitioners.
- Reihana Mohideen (University of Melbourne) leads the working group within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) developing GESI standards for digital technology development. Anna Åberg is also a member of this working group, in order to help integrate the work of the task to the IEEE GESI work. A white paper was published by the working group in the fall 2022, and is now available on the IEEE SA DIITA website.
The White paper was presented at the ISTAS conference Ethics day ETHICS DAY @ ISTAS 2022 – ISTAS 22 - ECEEE Summer Study, Hyeres, France. Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo “Gender, expertise and control in Dutch residential smart grid pilots” (paper & ptt). (6-9 June 2022)
- ECPR Conference, Innsbruck, Sylvia Breukers & Marten Boekelo: “Revisiting the smart grid promise: Residential smart grid experiments as sites of contestation”. (paper &ppt) (24-29 August 2022)
- Boyle, E., Galvin, M., Revez, A., Deane, A., Ó Gallachóir, B., Mullally, G. (2022) Flexibility & structure: Community engagement on climate action & large infrastructure delivery, Energy Policy, 167, 113050.
- Dunphy, N. P., & Lennon, B. Whose Transition? A Review of Citizen Participation in the Energy System. Routledge Handbook of Energy Transitions, 2022 (taylorfrancis.com)
- Foulds, C., et. al, including Dunphy N. from the Gender & Energy task: An agenda for future Social Sciences and Humanities research on energy efficiency: 100 priority research questions. Humanities and social sciences communications, 9(1), 1-18. (Nature.com)
Newsletters
2021
- ASSET EnergyTransition Webinar GIRL POWER: the role of women in the energy transition, including Joy Clancy (24 March 2021)
- Webinar Horizon 2020 project SCCALE “Engendering the energy transition: what’s in it for municipalities” including Joy Clancy and Marielle Feenstra (26 April 2021)
- Including gender: policy choices towards a just energy transition. Presented by MariëlleFeenstra – University of Twente, Joy Clancy – University of Twente and Martin Hultman – Chalmers University. Presentation Slides. (12 May 2021)
- Joy Clancy: “Have we got the measure of gender and energy?” Presentation in on-line lecture series on Energy, Gender and Space, organised by the UK’s Royal Geographic Society’s Energy Geographies and Gender Group (EnGRG), (2 November)
2022
- Contribution to SECAD Sustainable Communities Training Programme (webinar), ‘Energy Poverty – a growing social issue’ by Dr Niall Dunphy (January)
- Dr Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa and Dr Helene Ahlborg: “Reframing power and gender struggles in energy projects as territoriality and place-making” Presentation in on-line lecture series on Energy, Gender and Space, organised by the UK’s Royal Geographic Society’s Energy Geographies and Gender Group (EnGRG). (21 January)
- Contribution to SECAD Sustainable Communities Training Programme (webinar), ‘Overview of energy behaviour change initiatives’ by Dr Alexandra Revez, Cork, Ireland (February)
- Reihana Mohideen (University of Melbourne, Leader of the IEEE Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Workstream) and Anna Åberg (Chalmers University of Technology) participated in the UsersTCP academy webinar “How can energy standards help to promote Gender Equality and Social Inclusion?” (9 March)
- Sylvia Breukers(Duneworks) presented in the UsersTCP webinar #32 Gender, expertise and control in Dutch smart grid pilots. Interoperability of smart energy management and household management – Sylvia Breukers (DuneWorks, Netherlands) Recording https://youtu.be/s0W09CDmXeA
All UsersTCP academy webinars are available from the Leonardo ENERGY YouTube channel: User-Centred Energy Systems Academy