Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

AddedK. whereas climate change and climate-related disasters exacerbate the cost of living crisis and have a particular impact on women, since statistically women are at greater risk of poverty; whereas the groups already living on the margins are being hit the hardest by the volatility of the fossil fuel energy system, while major economic groups such as energy and food companies are making record profits;

AddedL. whereas energy poverty represents a huge challenge and a serious social problem for the EU; whereas even before the current crisis, in 2021, 6.9 % of all Union households were behind on their utility bills, and 6.4 % indicated that they were unable to keep their homes warm; whereas, in 2020, almost 15 % of all households lived in homes with leaks, broken roofs or rot;

AddedM. whereas, in 2022, over 41 million Europeans were unable to keep their homes adequately warm; whereas this number is equivalent to the populations of Greece, Portugal, Hungary and Sweden put together, which means that those people have to choose between heating their homes and buying food; whereas it is estimated that the figure could be much higher, with the EU Energy Poverty Observatory (EPOV) placing the number at more than 50 million households affected; whereas energy poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, considered to be caused by a combination of low income, high energy costs and poor energy efficiency in buildings;

AddedN. whereas buildings account for 40 % of final energy consumption in the EU and 36 % of its energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and 75 % of EU buildings are still energy inefficient;

AddedO. whereas energy poverty is compounded by existing gender inequalities, particularly those relating to income, such as the gender pay, pension and participation gap; whereas the gender pay gap still stands at 12.7 % across the EU; whereas the cumulative effect of these gendered income disparities throughout a woman’s lifetime leads to women receiving a retirement income which, in the EU, is on average 35 % lower than that received by men; whereas the right to equal pay for equal work is not always upheld and remains one of the biggest challenges in efforts to overcome pay discrimination; whereas considerable disparities persist in the gender pension gap across EU Member States, ranging from 2.6 % in Estonia to 46.1 % in Malta; whereas the gender pension gap leads to women being at a higher risk of old-age poverty and social exclusion;

AddedP. whereas women, particularly single mothers and those experiencing intersectional discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, race, migration status, sexual orientation, disability or age, are more likely to fall into energy poverty; whereas this means that the ongoing cost of living crisis will exacerbate gendered energy poverty in the EU; whereas further gender and intersectional equality disaggregated data is needed; whereas, according the UN, the world is facing the largest cost of living crisis for a generation;

AddedQ. whereas in 2022 more than one fifth of the EU’s population living in households with dependent children was at risk of poverty or social exclusion; whereas in late 2022, 44 % of single mothers and 31 % of single women anticipated difficulties affording energy costs over the coming months;

AddedR. whereas the energy crises and the higher share of energy costs in women’s total income reduces their financial capacity to build an autonomous existence making it harder for women without an income or with a low income to escape domestic violence and abuse from a partner to whom they are financially tied;

AddedS. whereas energy poverty is associated with significant impacts on human physical and psychological health as, for instance cold room temperatures are linked to increased risks of stress, sleep disruption, respiratory illnesses and circulatory diseases; whereas women face significant health and safety risks from household air pollution, and from a lack of lighting and, according to a WHO study, women have a higher relative risk than men of developing adverse health outcomes due to exposure to smoke from solid fuels, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer; whereas cold housing and associated health risks have been recognised as one potential cause of excess winter mortality;

AddedT. whereas rural, inland, ultra-peripheral areas and areas at high risk of depopulation are particularly exposed to energy poverty, due to the lower relative incomes of households located in these areas and given the specific energy needs of farmers’ households; whereas additionally there are fewer investments in improving energy efficiency in housing; whereas women living in these areas are more susceptible to falling into energy poverty and are disproportionately affected by inadequate access to clean and affordable energy as they are often the primary users of household energy;

AddedU. whereas there is little awareness or data available on the impact of energy poverty on women in the EU; whereas the EU Energy Poverty Observatory does not provide gender-disaggregated data in its publicly accessible set of indicators; whereas only a few Member States have adopted definitions of energy poverty and energy poverty indicators, which usually do not take gender into account;

AddedV. whereas not only can solar energy offer a solution to the current energy crisis, but it can also have a positive impact on gender equality and equity worldwide;

AddedW. whereas women in the energy sector tend to work more in firms where wages are lower, more so than in the non-energy sector; whereas just 20 % of senior management roles are held by women in the energy sector and thus women play an insufficient role at the management level of energy companies; whereas women’s full inclusion in these positions would help promote innovation, implement new ways of management and promote diversity in the workforce, thus fostering a positive cycle of gender equality contributing to the green energy transition;

AddedX. whereas according to the UN, women can be powerful agents of change in the clean energy transition; whereas creating an enabling environment for women’s entrepreneurship and sustainable energy will also require collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders from within the private sector; whereas addressing the existing gender gaps in access to finance, information, technology, goods and services, is important to reduce the investment risks and encourage access to corporate funding for women entrepreneurs in sustainable energy;

AddedY. whereas increasing women’s access to sustainable energy and opportunities is a prerequisite for poverty alleviation and women’s economic empowerment worldwide;

AddedZ. whereas according to the World Economic Forum the energy sector is battling a regrettable lack of female science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) graduates, which reduces the pool of potential applicants; whereas women make up 52 % of the European population and the majority of tertiary graduates in the EU, yet only represent 17.9 % of full professors in engineering and technology fields, account for two out of five scientists and engineers and therefore make up only 34 % of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers; whereas the energy transition can gain significantly from women’s knowledge and experience;

AA. whereas the Commission has not delivered on its commitment set out in the Gender Equality Strategy to integrate a gender perspective into all major Commission initiatives, including the European Green Deal and related policies;

Change 4

ChangedI.AB. whereas the Commission is obliged to promote gender equality under the Treaties; whereas, however, the European Court of Auditors considers that a gender perspective has not been integrated into the EU budget;budget since key elements, such as gender analysis, gender-related objectives, indicators and accountability through reporting, are largely missing;

AC. whereas gender equality concerns are largely missing from the green transition and digital transformation pillars of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which represents a missed opportunity to effectively integrate gender equality into climate and environmental objectives;

Change 5

RemovedK. whereas a gender perspective is missing from the Member States’ and EU’s policies and measures aimed at countering and alleviating the effects of the cost of living crisis; whereas about two thirds of the measures introduced by Member States to mitigate rising inflation rates are not targeted at particular groups in vulnerable situations and only provide short-term solutions instead of responses that will contribute to a socially fair and green transition;

AddedAD. whereas a study requested by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) shows that men are often favoured over women and other marginalised groups when it comes to the design of subsidies and support under the Fit for 55 package, as well as in other policies, programmes and funding for the green transition;

RemovedFeminisation of energy poverty and gender responses to the crisis

AddedAE. whereas the gender perspective is missing from the Member States’ and EU’s policies and measures aimed at countering and alleviating the effects of the cost of living crisis; whereas about two thirds of the measures introduced by Member States to mitigate rising inflation rates are not targeted at particular groups in vulnerable situations and only provide short-term solutions instead of responses that will contribute to a socially fair and green transition such as promoting energy saving or the transition to renewable energy sources;

Removed1. Calls on the Commission to deliver on the commitment made by President von der Leyen to promote gender equality in all policymaking; calls for a European Green Deal and just and socially fair transition that works for all by developing a gender-transformative intersectional strategy to address energy poverty, and by increasing public investment in social, affordable and energy-efficient housing;

AddedAF. whereas EU action should take into account the importance of the concept of climate justice and the commitment of all parties to the Paris Agreement to respect, promote and consider their obligations on human rights, including gender equality, when taking action to address climate change;

Removed2. Calls for the Member States and the EU to urgently guarantee affordable utilities and food for low-income households and, in particular, for those facing intersectional discrimination; stresses that no one should have to freeze in the height of winter or overheat in the scorching summer months and calls for the Member States and the EU to ban energy disconnections;

AddedGender-sensitive solutions to energy poverty and the rising cost of living

Removed3. Calls on the Member States to increase public investment in policies that, directly or indirectly, aim to counteract the negative effects of the cost of living crisis on women in all their diversity, to guarantee access to high-quality public services for care, education, health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and housing, and to protect victims of gender-based violence;

Added1. Calls on the Commission to deliver on the positive commitment made by President von der Leyen to promote gender equality in all policymaking and stresses that more needs to be done since a gender perspective is lacking in the main climate, energy and environmental initiatives presented; calls for the European Green Deal to ensure a just and socially fair transition that works for all by developing a gender-transformative intersectional strategy to address energy poverty and by increasing public investment in social, affordable and energy-efficient housing, taking into account the specific needs of women, who often significantly contribute towards household energy management, yet lack equal access to resources;

Removed4. Calls on the Commission to assess and propose, where appropriate, new legislative acts to counter the financialisation of housing markets and to stop speculators from making housing unaffordable;

Added2. Regrets that Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/2407 of 20 October 2023 on energy poverty and the accompanying guidance fail to recognise the gendered aspects of energy poverty and the essential need for gender disaggregated data to adequately assess the needs of vulnerable households as a key indicator; is concerned that the Commission did not embrace the numerous calls of the European Parliament, civil society and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) to develop gender specific indicators to ensure that the green transition is socially fair;

Removed5. Highlights that access to electricity plays a fundamental role in poverty reduction and in ensuring full and equal participation in society; calls for the EU and the Member States to recognise the right to energy;

Added3. Calls for the EU to promote an extraordinary package to support people struggling with skyrocketing costs of living, including EUR 100 billion for families, especially single-parent families – the vast majority of which are headed by women – most affected by energy poverty and at least EUR 20 billion to scale up the European Child Guarantee scheme;

Removed6. Calls on the Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy to develop a gender action plan that ensures that all EU energy legislation, including the right to energy sharing as mentioned in Directive (EU) 2018/2001, integrates the gender dimension and develops specific measures and targeted funds to combat the feminisation of energy poverty;

Added4. Calls for the Member States and the EU to urgently guarantee affordable utilities and food for low-income households and, in particular, for those facing intersectional discrimination; stresses that no one should have to freeze in the depths of winter or overheat in the scorching summer months and calls for the Member States and the EU to ban energy disconnections; stresses that increasing energy efficiency through housing renovation should be a priority across all Member States;

Removed7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the inclusion of gender and intersectional dimensions in all schemes for energy efficiency and renewable electricity, so as to support the citizens most affected by energy poverty;

Added5. Recalls that with more than 50 million people affected by energy poverty in the EU, financial assistance should be provided to support low-income households in compliance with minimum energy performance standards; considers it important that Member States guarantee access to electricity for vulnerable people;

Added6. Recalls that energy poverty affects women disproportionately throughout the EU and therefore Member States should dedicate the necessary support to alleviate energy poverty among women;

Added7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take urgent action to address poverty and increasing inequalities among women, especially among vulnerable groups, including single mothers, women with disabilities, women from racial and ethnic backgrounds, LGBTIQ+ persons, migrant and refugee women, elderly women and women in rural or depopulated areas; calls on the Commission to develop an ambitious 2030 European anti-poverty strategy, including time poverty, with concrete targets for reducing poverty and a focus on ending women’s poverty and breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty risks;

Added8. Calls on the Member States to adopt specific measures to combat the risk of poverty in old age and take a gender sensitive approach when reforming pension systems, adapting the retirement age and strengthening pensions and social benefits and services such as long-term care, taking into account women’s under-representation in the labour market, as well as labour market segregation and gender-based discrimination;

Added9. Calls on the Commission to assess and propose, where appropriate, new legislative acts to stop speculators from making access to energy unaffordable for women;

Added10. Highlights that access to electricity plays a fundamental role in poverty reduction and in ensuring full and equal participation in society;

Added11. Calls on the Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy to develop a gender action plan that ensures that all EU energy legislation, including the right to energy sharing as mentioned in Directive (EU) 2018/2001, integrates the gender dimension and develops specific measures, indicators and targeted funds to combat energy poverty, and in particular its gendered consequences;

Added12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the inclusion of gender and intersectional dimensions in all schemes for energy efficiency and renewable electricity, including the right to energy sharing, so as to support those citizens most affected by energy poverty; recognises the contribution of women-led initiatives to sustainable energy solutions and the instrumental role of women in the design of such solutions at all levels, including the household, community, local, national and European levels;

Added13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to mainstream gender equality into all policies in order to achieve the best response to the energy crisis, which disproportionately affects women; in this respect, calls on the Commission to prepare a report on the gender-related consequences of the rising cost of living due to the energy crisis, including a gender assessment of the implementation of its recommendation on energy poverty; calls on the Member States to monitor the prices of energy, transport and other essential goods in view of developing specific measures to combat the risk of social exclusion and poverty, focusing on access to affordable housing, transport, justice and energy;

Added14. Calls on the Commission to require the Member States to conduct mandatory gender impact assessments in national energy and climate plans, including when reporting on energy poverty;

Added15. Calls on the Commission to develop specific guidelines on how to ensure that Member States correctly apply gender mainstreaming and gender analysis when designing National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP), including measures and actions to alleviate energy poverty; considers that incorporating a gender analysis with an intersectional perspective in NECPs is key to promoting a socially fair energy transition;

Added16. Calls on the Member States to increase public investment in policies that aim, directly or indirectly, to counteract the negative effects of the cost of living crisis on women in all their diversity, protecting victims of gender-based violence and to guarantee access to high-quality public and free services for care, education, health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and affordable housing, transport and energy, as well as access to decent employment; calls on the Member States to pay special attention to rural, inland, ultra-peripheral regions and regions at risk of depopulation that often lack adequate provision of these services;

Added17. Highlights that the impact of high inflation and energy costs are undermining public services, which women are more likely to rely on and in which women are more likely to work; stresses the fact that cuts in the Member States’ budgets for childcare, education and preschool activities and carers have direct implications for women who take on the majority of the additional tasks entailed; calls on the Member States to increase funding for the social infrastructure in particular for healthcare and care services and prioritise social housing and the investment in retrofitting homes to reduce energy costs;

Added18. Stresses that the cost-of-energy crisis, together with the cost-of-living crisis, is having a negative impact on women’s economic and social inclusion, health and fundamental rights including sexual and reproductive health and rights; highlights that around one third of people say they gave up medical treatment in 2022, and more are reporting being forced to give up medical care owing to rising costs, longer waiting times, and shortages of doctors and medication;

Added19. Calls for an adequate minimum income to be ensured, following the European recommendations, with a view to promote gender equality, income security and the economic independence of women; recalls that adequate minimum wages are a necessary safeguard to ensure a fairer wage distribution and to guarantee a basic wage floor that protects women; highlights that the above-mentioned instruments need to respect the rights established in collective agreements;

Added20. Calls on the Commission to refrain from promoting any policy recommendation that would lead to an increase in precarious working relations, the deregulation of working hours, a reduction in salaries, an attack on collective bargaining or the privatisation of public services and social security;

Added21. Calls for a public transport policy that takes account of gender equality, in particular by expanding and improving the public transport service and offering effective mobility so that women can find work and participate more actively in the labour market (and achieve a better work-life balance);

Added22. Calls on the Member States to ensure that no artificial speculative bubble is created to the detriment of women’s welfare;

Added23. Recalls that adequate housing is a fundamental right that must be protected and be recognised as a precondition for the exercise of, and access to, other fundamental rights and a life in dignity; regrets that as a result of discrimination and inequality in housing, many women live in insecure, undignified and unsafe conditions, and are at increased risk of homelessness and violence; stresses that forced evictions and other violations of the right to housing disproportionally impact women and reinforce existing inequalities, representing a significant barrier to gender equality; calls on the Commission to assess and propose, where appropriate, new legislative acts to mitigate the financialisation of housing markets and to stop speculators from making housing unaffordable;

Added24. Calls on the Commission to give local authorities, including city authorities, the option to tighten their control over online housing rental platforms; calls on the Member States to take steps to regulate prices, increase the supply and choice of public housing available and address the impact of interest rate hikes caused by inflation;

Added25. Calls on the Commission to urge the Member States to safeguard energy supplies in areas far from urban centres so that rural areas provide the minimum comfort conditions for women and families;

Added26. Stresses that the burden placed on the most vulnerable consumers caused by energy market volatility can be significantly reduced by enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings;

Added27. Calls on energy companies to take a proportional approach to disconnecting users from power, taking into account the needs, challenges and other difficulties of women, single mothers, disabled women, older women, girls, as well as women living in rural and inland areas during a cost of living crisis, which is inherent to the energy crisis;

Added28. Calls for the EU and its Member States to integrate a gender and intersectional perspective in their definitions of energy poverty, so as to enable comparison and monitoring of this reality in a way that goes beyond the general concept of ‘vulnerable households’, thereby allowing a better understanding of the different situations within each household;