Sofia-Natalia Boemi is a Senior Energy Transition Expert with extensive experience in energy efficiency, energy poverty and climate policy issues. Natalia is currently the Head of the Energy and Climate Action Department in the Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia leading Just Transition projects.
On Education
In your APD intervention, you emphasized the pivotal role of education towards achieving a just transition. Could you elaborate on how education can be transformed to not only facilitate but actively drive equitable and sustainable twin transitions in communities?
Education can play a transformative role in driving the twin transition, digital and green, by equipping individuals and the local community with the essential digital and energy literacy and mindsets necessary to engage with and shape the forthcoming transition.
However, in order to achieve its scope, education must go beyond theoretical knowledge to include a systems-thinking approach as well as undergo a transformation of its own by embedding sustainability, inclusivity, and adaptability. Apart from that, education systems need to pivot from a focus on early-stage learning to one that supports lifelong and sustainable learning opportunities. Inclusivity should also be a key to ensuring that “no one and nowhere” should be left behind.
In that direction, we are actively contributing to this transformation through two ERASMUS CoVE projects, HABITABLE and SEED, that focus on vocational training for sustainable energy and the habitat sector. Their main aim is to transform education into a collaborative effort where VTCs, businesses, governments, and communities work together. By creating networks of support and real-world learning opportunities, education can directly link students to green and digital job opportunities. Moreover, education should instil a commitment to sustainable practices, digital ethics, and equitable development, preparing individuals to lead in the twin transitions while fostering social and environmental justice across borders.
How can the Territorial Just Transition Plans embed cutting-edge educational practices that prioritize upskilling and reskilling of the workforce? What innovative approaches can ensure that these educational efforts are tailored to the needs and obstacles faced by these communities?
From my perspective, Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs) should not only focus on boosting the competitiveness of SMEs and industries, but also prioritize the continuous upskilling and reskilling of the local workforce in just transition regions. As mentioned before, green and digital skills should be the vehicle for targeted training programs that build into larger qualifications, with the aim of urgently updating the skills of workers living in transition areas.
Furthermore, the collaborative nature of TJTPs, bringing together local governments, industry leaders, tech companies, and educational institutions, is a promising approach to co-create effective reskilling programs. This collaborative effort can lead to innovative solutions and a brighter future for transitioning regions.
One of the most new and interesting education approaches, that can assist in that local twin transformation, is the creation of local living labs and hubs that can serve as both educational and social spaces where workers and vulnerable groups receive tailored training, mentorship programs, and access to upskilling and reskilling resources.
Ultimately, the inclusivity of flexible learning pathways, digital platforms, localised hubs, and targeted programs for vulnerable groups is a testament to our commitment to ensuring that “no one and nowhere” is left behind in that twin transition process.
Reflecting on your field research in energy poverty, what role do you believe evolving social factors plays in shaping educational programs for just transitions? How can these factors be integrated to make education more impactful and relevant to the lived experiences of citizens in transition areas?
Energy poverty refers to the inability to access affordable and reliable energy. Especially in just transition regions it often affects marginalised groups, whether due to geographical isolation, low incomes, and/or dependence on carbon-intensive industries. These social factors significantly influence how educational programs should be designed and implemented as well as take into account the economic realities of these communities in order to ensure they are impactful, accessible, relevant, affordable and inclusive for communities experiencing the twin transition.
Moreover, energy poverty’s social consequences such as lack of access to quality housing, healthcare, or employment opportunities, including gender imbalance require educational programs that not only teach green or digital skills but also address the root causes of exclusion and marginalisation, provide equal access to training. Thus, education must serve as a tool for social mobility, enabling individuals to break out of cycles of poverty.
Finally, one of the social factors that should not be overlooked is the evolvement of a local active community in order to create a trust-building educational initiative that will not fail to reach or resonate with those most in need as well as to establish in parallel, with a continuous feedback mechanism where community members can voice their opinions on how educational programs are progressing.
On one-stop shops
Drawing from your experience with Greece’s first one-stop-shop for energy poverty in a just transition region, can you share your thoughts on how can these hubs be reimagined to support citizens in just transition areas? What innovative practices have proven to be successful in engaging citizens and addressing their specific needs?
Drawing from my experience with Greece’s first one-stop-shop (OSS) in the small community of Mavrodentri in Kozani, Greece, for energy poverty, I believe these hubs have the potential to evolve into dynamic, citizen-centric platforms that holistically support just transition regions.
These hubs are not just about technical assistance. They can offer a comprehensive range of services, from housing assistance to financial literacy programs and mental health support. They can also serve as catalysts for empowerment, community leadership, integrating education, solutions that address both immediate energy challenges and the broader socio-economic needs of citizens and vocational training and job placement in green industries.
One common misconception about OSS is that they can only act as a consultation office. In contrast, OSS should focus on practical solutions and act as an Energy Service Company (ESCO) by providing information about energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy adoption, energy-saving kits, conducting home visits to help citizens, especially vulnerable households, implement energy-saving measures as well as streamlining access to low-interest loans and government subsidies for renewable energy installations in order to accelerate the twin transition.
Finally, another key aspect of the OSS is its emphasis on partnerships. By collaborating with local businesses and NGOs, these hubs can significantly broaden their scope and impact.
In your view, how can one-stop-shops be reimagined to ensure they reach and resonate with marginalized communities, thereby fostering a more inclusive and holistic transition process? Can you share any pioneering examples where they have successfully bridged significant gaps?
Indeed, in my opinion, one-stop-shops should be transformed into inclusive, community-centered hubs that actively engage marginalized groups, ensuring that “no one and nowhere” should be left behind but, on the contrary, will be at the forefront of the twin transition. In that direction, with the aim to achieve that, those hubs need to offer tailored services, address specific barriers faced by underserved groups, engage marginalized communities by embedding them directly within the communities they are meant to serve and create spaces where trust and local participation are central to their operation while in parallel being designed based on accessibility principles and cultural relevance to ensure that all citizens benefit.
For example, at Kozani in Greece, before we started the OSS operation, we recorded the current situation with the aim to provide a tailored energy solution. For the OSS operation, we tried to educate the local engineer. Finally, with the aim of building trust with the local community, we cooperated with the local energy community as well as one major PV park installer.
All in all, in my opinion, what is missing from those initiatives, which is also missing from ours due to financial capacity, was long-term engagement, that is the essential ingredient for an impactful result.
Thank you so much for the interview and the interesting insights, Sofia Natalia Boemi!
