No Energy Transition without the Social Sciences and Humanities: Why a PERSONal approach is needed

The European Commission has presented their new policy directions for a consumer centred clean energy transition. The European Commission acknowledges that consumers are active and central players on the energy markets of the future. Consumers across the EU need to have a better choice of supply, access to reliable and affordable energy and the possibility to produce and sell their own electricity. Increased transparency and better regulation are needed to give more opportunities for civil society to become more involved in the energy system and respond to price signals, according to the new policy packages. The package also contains a number of measures aimed at protecting the most vulnerable consumers.

In the symposium, we aim to discuss whether the new policy directives sufficiently address the current barriers that actually prevent consumers to play a central role. Next, we will discuss whether the new policy work will employ the right enablers to put consumers in the centre? The PERSON platform aims to contribute to the policy discussions and implementation by sharing the latest insights from Social Sciences and Humanities energy research. We showcase the importance and highly valuable contribution of SSH research to strengthen sustainable energy transition policy.