Stojilovska, Ana and Szabó, Sára and Szücs, Lili and Kirilenko, Katerina (2026) Trust to Transition - Toolkit linking lived experience to local decarbonization action. ELTE Centre for Social Sciences, Research Documentation Centre, ELTE Centre for Social Sciences.
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Text (ISBN: 978-963-7311-95-6)
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Abstract
This toolkit targets decision-makers and a broader group of stakeholders working on the transition to a low-carbon society to inform them about the challenges disadvantaged groups in Hungary face regarding decarbonization, and the intermediation needed to make the transition more inclusive. The toolkit is developed based on action research, using qualitative methods. The 2022 energy crisis, which has led to skyrocketing energy prices for all sectors, has especially affected Hungary due to the abrupt change of the previous government's flagship utility cost reduction program in the midst of the crisis, with implications for the energy bills of households. We worked with local actors, such as NGOs that are close to disadvantaged groups, to be able to access these groups and gain their trust. After getting in touch with participants who belong to disadvantaged groups, the fieldwork we conducted helped us understand their needs as part of a complex policy ecosystem. The Lightbringers Foundation is named as a good practice example working on mitigating energy poverty among the Roma community in a segregated and highly materially deprived context in Hungary. We worked with migrants, single mothers, and members of the Roma minority as distinct disadvantaged groups, whose access to safe and affordable energy and housing is usually only one of the key challenges they are facing, as they are intertwined with other forms of vulnerability underpinned by broader systemic barriers these groups have been facing in Hungary. After understanding the needs of the disadvantaged groups, we were able to offer some concrete help for small-scale home improvements. The selection of measures was determined by the needs of the disadvantaged groups, but also the availability of services offered by the cooperative that made the improvements, and the availability of the products, further limited by logistics and finances. Our toolkit showcases the painting work and key items from the thermal comfort package, such as window and door seals, reflective foil, water-saving aerators, and thermal curtains. The needs of vulnerable groups should be the central point around which policies to foster the low- carbon transition are created, while intermediaries can play a crucial role in creating an environment of trust. The pilots we undertook were also a demonstration of how their lived experiences, needs, and opinions were included, which can serve as a model to further upscale building renovation and solar installation programs by creating a supportive and solidarity-based community that can help remove some initial barriers faced by disadvantaged groups in their path toward full decarbonization, and offer interim support to improve their thermal comfort. We emphasize that systematic and holistic solutions are needed to address the energy vulnerability of disadvantaged groups and support their participation in the low-carbon transition.
| Item Type: | Other |
|---|---|
| Title in English: | Trust to Transition - Toolkit linking lived experience to local decarbonization action |
| Keywords in English: | energy poverty, energy transition, intermediaries, local actors, vulnerable groups |
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HM Sociology |
| Divisions: | Institute for Political Science |
| Research funder: | European Climate Foundation |
| Depositing User: | Enikő Meiszterics |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Jun 2026 09:01 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jun 2026 11:36 |
| URI: | https://openarchive.tk.mta.hu/id/eprint/666 |
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