Mapping energy poverty policies across the EU: pathways towards eco-social integration?

Among new socio-ecological risks, energy poverty emerges as a particularly salient issue at least in Europe, where both extreme weather events and climate mitigation policies drive up energy prices and intensify social vulnerabilities. As a response, the sustainable welfare literature emphasizes the importance of adopting eco-social policies integrating social and ecological objectives. However, policy analysis studies investigating the empirical diffusion of eco-social policies remain relatively limited. The paper addresses this gap by assessing EU member states’ responses to energy poverty as outlined in their 2023 updated National Energy and Climate Plans. Specifically, relying on qualitative content analysis and an original analytical framework, this research maps the policy mixes – strategies, governance, and instruments – and the types of instruments – social, green energy, regulatory, and soft-law measures – that EU countries employ to address energy poverty (lack of adequate access to sufficient energy services). The ultimate goal is to shed light on the extent to which eco-social policy approaches are emerging. Our findings indicate that most EU countries have implemented some form of national public policies to combat energy poverty, with Hungary and Slovenia being notable exceptions. Nonetheless, significant variation exists. Notably, while some countries emphasize social policies, others prioritize green energy measures. A ‘silo’ approach persists in most cases, underscoring the complexity of eco-social policy integration, which is mainly pursued by some Southern European countries and Ireland through dedicated strategies.