58 - Bridging Gaps: Europe, New York, and the Global Quest for Energy Equity - Louise Sunderland

The EU Fit-From-55 policy framework aims to balance climate goals with social objectives, but is it enough?

Host Marine Cornelis sits down with Louise Sunderland, Managing Principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), to explore how Europe’s energy transition can become more equitable—and what lessons we can learn from global movements.

The EU framework: a step forward, but…

Europe has made strides with the Fit for 55 framework, but Louise raises an important point: Europe still has blind spots when addressing energy poverty and inequality.

“The package does more than just cut emissions. There was a more significant than ever balancing of the climate and social objectives,” Louise explains. However, the real challenge is how these policies are implemented.

Bringing civil society into the room

One of the most groundbreaking elements of Fit for 55 is the involvement of civil society. “It’s about getting the right people in the room,” Louise says. For the first time, the framework ensures that civil society groups and national panels on energy poverty are part of the decision-making process.

Learning from global movements

Louise shares her experience at New York Climate Week, where energy justice is part of a broader conversation about civil rights and environmental justice. “The conversation there feels much more visceral,” she notes. Unlike in Europe, where discussions are often technical, the U.S. approach is deeply rooted in addressing historical injustices faced by marginalized and indigenous communities.

Louise urges Europe to adopt a similar global perspective, focusing on equity: “We’re talking about who controls energy, who benefits, and who’s left behind.”

Key Takeaways:

1. Fit for 55 is critical to balancing climate and social objectives, but it needs proper implementation.

2. Civil society ensures that energy policies are fair and inclusive.

3. Global lessons from places like the U.S. show that energy justice requires addressing historic and systemic inequities.

4. Energy equity isn’t just about prices but control, access, and fairness.

What’s next?

In Louise's words: "We can either have a social lens when we change that infrastructure, or we can just deliver it for infrastructure's sake.”

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Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory 

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