The RENOVERTY released seven new policy briefs, published across Europe to address the critical issue of energy poverty in rural and peri-urban areas. These briefs, available in Italian, Hungarian, Croatian, Spanish, Slovenian, Estonian and Portuguese, highlight the project’s innovative approach to aligning rural energy renovations with the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD, 2024/1275).
A fundamental characteristic of RENOVERTY is its participatory approach, actively involving citizens, local authorities, and Local Action Groups in designing tailored strategies to meet the specific needs of vulnerable rural territories. The project directly contributes to several core priorities of the revised EPBD, especially its focus on vulnerable households and worst-performing buildings. RENOVERTY supports the implementation of the EPBD at the local level through the creation of Rural Energy Efficiency Roadmaps (REERs). These roadmaps serve as practical tools to facilitate compliance with the directive, ensuring an inclusive energy transition where rural communities are not left behind. The project emphasizes that renovating buildings can not only reduce excessive energy bills but also prevent and alleviate energy poverty in the long term.
The RENOVERTY project demonstrates how targeted building renovation strategies can improve energy efficiency while enhancing the quality of life for rural residents. By addressing specific challenges, the project offers a replicable and inclusive model for advancing a just energy transition in rural areas, ensuring that energy-poor households can benefit from healthier and more efficient living environments.
The project’s experiences highlight the importance of co-creation and integrating local knowledge into national efforts for energy renovations. Going forward, broader institutional adoption of the RENOVERTY methodology is essential and timely. Policymakers, local administrations, professionals, and civil society actors are encouraged to adopt, adapt, and scale the REER model, ensuring no territory is left behind in the energy transition.
