Last Friday, 7 October, the Chair on Energy Sustainability at the University of Barcelona held a workshop on energy poverty. The meeting, which brought together experts from various European universities, is part of the research project run by the IEB entitled ‘Policies for Resilient Societies in Times of Pandemics’. This project is funded by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Catalan government under the framework of the Pandemics 2020 call for applications.

The event, held in the Ramon y Cajal lecture hall at the University of Barcelona, was opened by the director of the IEB and UB lecturer, José María Durán Cabré; the director of the Chair, María Teresa Costa; and the professor of economics at the UB, José García Quevedo. Two sessions followed. The first focused on policies on the issue, coordinated by the researcher Elisenda Jové and the second, moderated by Professor García Quevedo, focused on key issues such as the problems deriving from energy poverty and their impact on society and the general public.

To close the day, a round table was held with the participation of representatives of the Red Cross, Cáritas and the Naturgy Foundation. Moderated by Professor Elisa Trujillo, the table highlighted the need to work with a variety of stakeholders in order to design social innovations that improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable households.