Energy Demand Challenges in Europe: Implications for policy, planning and practice

This open access book examines the role of citizens in sustainable energy transitions across Europe. It explores energy problem framing, policy approaches and practical responses to the challenge of securing clean, affordable and sustainable energy for all citizens, focusing on households as the main unit of analysis. The book revolves around ten contributions that each summarise national trends, socio-material characteristics, and policy responses to contemporary energy issues affecting householders in different countries, and provides good practice examples for designing and implementing sustainable energy initiatives. Prominent concerns include reducing carbon emissions, energy poverty, sustainable consumption, governance, practices, innovations and sustainable lifestyles. The opening and closing contributions consider European level energy policy, dominant and alternative problem framings and similarities and differences between European countries in relation to reducing household energy use. Overall, the book is a valuable resource for researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and others interested in sustainable energy perspectives. .

Chapter 1: An introduction to energy demand challenges in Europe; Frances Fahy and Gary Goggins -- Chapter 2: Framing the sustainable energy challenge and implications for solutions; Charlotte Louise Jensen, Inge Røpke, Gary Goggins and Frances Fahy -- Chapter 3: The impact of German energy policy on household energy use; Eoin Grealis, Annika-Kathrin Musch and Henrike Rau -- Chapter 4: The role of households in Danish energy policy: Visions and contradictions; Inge Røpke, Charlotte Louise Jensen and Maj-Britt Quitzau -- Chapter 5: Reducing residential carbon emissions in Ireland: Challenges and policy responses; Gary Goggins, Frances Fahy and Eimear Heaslip -- Chapter 6: UK responses to the energy challenge: Dominant framings and new imaginaries; Marfuga Iskandarova and Audley Genus -- Chapter 7: Turning off the gas tap: Sustainable energy policies, practices and prospects in the Netherlands; Julia Backhaus -- Chapter 8: The energy challenge in Hungary: A need for more complex approaches; Edina Vadovics -- Chapter 9: Slovenia: Focus on energy efficiency, community energy projects and energy poverty; Lidija Živčič and Tomislav Tkalec -- Chapter 10: From efficiency to sufficiency: Insights from the Swiss energy transition; Laure Dobigny and Marlyne Sahakian -- Chapter 11: Sustainable energy consumption and energy poverty: Challenges and trends in Bulgaria; Marko Hajdinjak and Desislava Asenova -- Chapter 12: Finnish energy policy in transition; Eva Heiskanen, Senja Laakso and Kaisa Matschoss -- Chapter 13: Comparing household energy use across Europe: Uncovering opportunities for sustainable transformation; Patrick Naef, Marlyne Sahakian and Gary Goggins.