Next Energy Consumer

"People are ready for change... we just need to make it easier for them" And I couldn't agree more. Find out why in this new edition of the newsletter.

What does going beyond fossil fuels really mean for people? Is it about reducing emissions?  Lowering energy bills?  Or building a fairer world? In my latest Energ' Ethic Podcast episode, I spoke with Duygu Kutluay, a campaigner with Europe Beyond Coal/Beyond Fossil Fuels. Her answer was clear: it’s all of the above—and more. Here’s what she shared: - Local solutions make a difference: In London, Energy Gardens turn railway stations into solar hubs and community gardens. Cleaner air, fresher food, and hands-on skills for local residents.  - SMEs are the missing link: 3 out of 4 SMEs say they’d adopt renewables if barriers like funding and regulations were removed. Imagine the impact if we made it easier for them.  - The transition must be fair: In Turkey, rooftop solar projects inspired people to act—but bureaucracy and grid issues left them frustrated. Duygu put it perfectly:  "We can’t just replace one centralised system with another. This transition has to empower people." Going beyond fossil fuels isn’t just about technology. It’s about people. It’s about making clean energy accessible, fair, and real in everyday lives. 💡 Want to hear how we can make it happen?  👉 Listen to the full episode now: https://lnkd.in/dyZfKVPA What does going beyond fossil fuels mean to you? Let me know in the comments! 👇 

⚡️What if your #electricity bill could help fight #climatechange and tackle inequality? #Europe’s #energytransition is not just about counting solar panels and wind turbines: it is about making the system work for everyone. Well-designed bills and fair electricity tariffs can make #cleanenergy affordable and accessible, but today’s prices often leave the most vulnerable behind. What needs to change, and how can we act now? 🎙️By Marine Cornelis, Executive Director and Founder, Next Energy Consumer, #EUSEW Digital Ambassador

Our spinoff Energ' Ethic Podcast is 4!

If small businesses are the backbone of Europe, why aren’t they leading the energy transition? SMEs make up 90% of Europe’s businesses, but they’re often sidelined in climate action. This needs to change. As Duygu Kutluay explains in this clip, “When SMEs change, it’s a game changer for the electricity system.” Want to know how we get them involved—and why it matters for all of us? 👉 Watch the reel, then listen to the full episode, out on Wednesday: Beyond Fossil Fuels Europe Beyond Coal

On our ability to innovate, depend our freedom, security, and autonomy.* So Europe needs more women. I've been thinking about this panel I moderated at Enlit Europe last October. Because, as we've seen, dusty legacy mindsets are still alive and well - yet innovation is at the centre of all policy conversations. The lessons from this very much feel like reading the "how-to" make big shifts happen. “Conformism simply kills innovation, so we need better gender equality” said Flore Patrat-Delon. Yet: 🔴 Women in energy? Still a minority. - 22% in oil & gas. 32% in renewables. - Leadership? Even lower. - Pay gap? Nearly 20% less. - Lack of representation? You name it. Di Napoli Mariangela had to convince someone she was actually THE engineer. 💰 Let’s talk money. - Women-led businesses get less than 2% of funding. - Yet, they deliver higher returns. - Oh, and half of women have NEVER asked for a raise. 🚫 Work-life balance and stereotypes aren’t the challenge. The system is. 💡So what’s next? Courage. Visibility. Asking for help and sorority. Saying no. Because women are transforming the industry from the inside, not just joining it: - Valerie Layan walked into an industry stuck in its ways and made it rethink digitalisation and innovation.  - Luca Mezossy-Dona came from neuroscience and realised that fixing energy systems is just as urgent as fixing the brain.  - Lara Beers reminded us: “The energy transition is happening, and women are becoming part of the solution.” It is up to us to stand up against outdated mindsets and practices. It's up to us to innovate. Try, fail, and try again. As Lara Beers put it: Negotiate until they say no. And negotiate more! If we want to go farther, we need more women. We don’t need to “prove” we belong. We already do. We need leaders who refuse to be the last. 👉 Read the full summary here: https://lnkd.in/diP2bPue 👏 And a huge thanks to my powerhouse panellists; hope to see you in Bilbao in November! * To paraphrase the Competitiveness Compass released yesterday.

🌍 (Climate + Energy + Competitiveness) x People = Europe’s winning formula. In my latest interview with INFOBUILD | INFOBUILDENERGIA, I tackled the big question: How do we balance bold climate action, energy security, economic competitiveness, and people’s every day realities? Here’s the math: Climate + Energy: Clean energy is non-negotiable. It’s not just about saving the planet: it’s about securing our future. Energy + Competitiveness: Renewable energy isn’t a cost; it’s an investment in resilience. Stable energy prices and independence make businesses stronger. (Climate + Energy + Competitiveness) x People: A fair transition isn’t a luxury. It’s the backbone of success. Workers, families, and communities must see the benefits, not just the costs. Public ownership and participation are as critical as the tech itself. No trust, no transition. The result? A sustainable Europe doesn’t pit climate against growth or people against progress. It finds synergy in all four. 📖 Dive into the full interview (in Italian): https://lnkd.in/dNaDDU3n Thanks, Andrea Ballocchi, for this important conversation. 

The eyes of the EU are on trade menaces, cheap prices, and competitiveness. But shouldn’t we look at the bigger picture? 🏠 People matter. Energy affordability isn’t just a business issue: it’s about families, workers, and communities staying afloat. When policymakers say Europe’s electricity prices remain too high - thinking of growth -, they shouldn’t forget that it is actually also about well-being. 📊 A recent Ember report shows promising trends: - Renewables continue to grow, driving cleaner and cheaper energy. - But we’re not moving fast enough. Fossil fuels still hold a grip, keeping prices volatile. To go faster and stronger, as I shared with Energy Traders Europe, we should frame energy as right that permeates our sustainability journey. And this is why EU and national policies must be more proactive in including different people, communities, households, and small businesses too. It’s necessary for a sustainable transition that passes the test of time, climate change, economic wars, and political instability. Framing energy as a right is essential for a just resilience. Here’s how we get there: - Supporting renewables to stabilize prices: Shine Baby Shine ✨ as SolarPower Europe beautifully said. - Boosting demand-side flexibility to help consumers manage energy use better, and unlocking the potential of aggregation, so households can benefit of better prices in energy markets (check my latest Energ' Ethic Podcast with Olivia S. from Sympower ) - Bridging the gap between business needs and household realities. I’m thinking of safeguards and gatekeepers, such as energy ombudsmen, who can actually uphold those rights, keep suppliers accountable, and build and foster the trust and confidence of citizens with all the uncertainties we’re surrounded by. Energy, and the prices that we pay for it, affect all of us. When we frame energy a right, we empower. 👉 Read my article here: https://lnkd.in/d6KSXSRk And thanks Energy Traders Europe for such a nice magazine and Federico Barbieri for the picture! I almost look young enough to be part of European Youth Energy Network - EYEN 😆

🌐 What’s a spider doing on the energy grid? Balancing it. This new Energ’Ethic newsletter features Olivia S. from Sympower, who describes her work in flexibility aggregation like this: "We’re like a spider on the web, connecting energy assets and using their flexibility to keep the grid stable." It’s clever, simple, and critical for the renewable future we all need. Curious? 🕸️ Check out the newsletter to learn more about: - Why flexibility matters for renewables. - How Sympower’s innovative approach is reshaping the grid. - My own take on why this conversation is so urgent. 👉 Read now and share your thoughts!

These tents - and the queue outside Turin's immigration office are a spit on fundamental rights. A scar on our collective conscience. And a warning. This “queue of shame”, “coda della vergogna” is finally doing the headlines here. It was about time. It’s unjust. It’s infuriating. It’s exactly under my home, and from endless conversations with my neighbours about what can we do, how can we be part of the solution, I’ve decided to share this story here. Every day, every weekend, families, children, men, and women gather there, arriving as early as 11 AM on Saturdays to get a chance to be seen on Tuesday morning. They live and sleep on the street for days and nights, braving the rain, the cold and the heat to renew their residency permits. In 2025, this should not happen. We live in a world where you can book a medical exam online, so why are people forced to queue for days? They are people who work and whose kids go to school. Their presence on the Italian territory isn’t up for debate. But the way they are treated is inhumane. Are they - are we? - even wanted? The only difference between my right to stay and theirs is the colour of my passport (be EU citizenship blessed). It isn’t just bureaucratic inefficiency. It’s a sign of a system stretched to its breaking point. Many of those waiting have come to Italy to study, or for a job. Or even, for love! Many others have fled war, poverty, and, increasingly, the climate crisis. By 2050, climate change could displace 1.2 billion people. If our governments continue neglecting climate and human rights agendas, this is just a glimpse of the chaos that awaits. It’s maddening to see the injustice play out under my window. And yet, these people don’t lose their smiles. Neighbours bring tea. Strangers stick together. There’s solidarity-but it shouldn’t have to be this way. Things have been moving too slowly. This isn’t just a failure of administration. It’s an attack on dignity and democracy. This week, many people on this platform have shared their indignation for what has been happening on the other side of the pond. But look what happens here? How much longer can we look away? I can’t. And I would very much like my beloved Città metropolitana di Torino Comune di Torino and all the administrations to take their responsibilities. Faster. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dAdTK3aa #EUFundamentalRights #ClimateMigration #Torino #CodaDellaVergogna Il Post La Stampa La Repubblica Marco Porcedda