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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Local level energy policies are gradually being seen as a main driver to raise energy efficiency in the
housing sector which is claimed to have a high potential for energy savings. Local initiatives are already
part of energy policies aiming to go beyond the usual top-down government’s approach that stems from
the interlinkage between national and international policies. Hence, a shift from government to
governance is in transition, grounded not only but also in dialog and partnerships involving multiple
local actors from different levels in networks rather than in hierarchical organizations. However, little
research has been carried out so far regarding the understanding of the specific challenges and the
potential of such local governance strategies, as well as their support by national policies. Semistructured
in-depth interviews with different stakeholders involved were conducted to make emerge
key subjects to this critique. The research outcomes shed some light on the fact that proximity with the
homeowners in energy policies is an ultimate key to pursue their success. Municipalities interweaved
with other local organizations seem to have promising abilities and structures to be facilitators and
intermediaries in order to act as policy vehicles to engage the homeowners in a house renovation
practice. The results also suggest that strengthening the sense of neighbourhood, community and
cooperation pave the way to empowering network-based programmes. Insights about how local public
and private parties together could collaborate in innovative local policies schemes to promote house
energy-related renovations are revealed.
Description
Keywords
Housing energy-related renovation Energy policies Homeowners Local bodies Local networks Information tools
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Abreu, Maria Isabel; Oliveira, Rui; Lopes, Jorge (2021). Local governance and network-based policies for housing energy-related renovations: insights from a portuguese case. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment. ISSN 1746-448X. 1, p. 163-175
Publisher
WIT Press