SUN4U for social

More and more people are having difficulty accessing a basket of energy goods and services. In particular, Italy continues to experience a difficult time in terms of energy poverty: for the second consecutive year, Istat, the national statistics institute, has published a focus on energy poverty in its Annual Report using the measure proposed by the Italian Observatory on Energy Poverty (OIPE).

The report estimates 2 million Italian families, 7.7% of the total, in energy poverty, particularly accentuated in households with minors (10.2% in energy poverty) and in those with a foreign reference person (18.1%).

SUN4U was born within a package of initiatives promoted by ICLEI Europe and with the support of Local Institutions and citizen representation networks, to develop educational programs, urban redevelopment projects, cultural and sports initiatives that actively involve citizens.

Our contribution is to promote the energy transition of the territories, stimulating and accompanying the birth of Renewable and Solidarity Energy Communities (CERS). The CER is an important contribution in terms of fighting climate change, energy sustainability, national and local economic development, but also in combating energy poverty.

The establishment of CER and CERS together with the development of energy efficiency can lead to reductions in bill costs of up to 25% for domestic and condominium users and up to 20% of the energy expenditure of small and medium-sized businesses, schools, artisan districts and other sectors.

In continuity with the Sun4All project, in which Italy participated with two partners: Rome Capital, through the Department of Social Policies and Health and CITERA – Interdepartmental Research Center for Territory, Building, Restoration, Environment of the Sapienza University of Rome, SUN4U addresses all associative realities, from large urban centers to small municipalities, providing tools and opportunities for social aggregation, access to specialized skills and the financial resources necessary for the creation of as many CER(S) as possible throughout the national territory, with a special focus on the territories most affected by social and economic hardship.

In two years, Sun4All has involved around 200 beneficiaries, informing around a thousand citizens and neighborhood associations through the engagement activities envisaged by the project, also thanks to the support of Forum Terzo settore Lazio.