MRP in Portugal

1st MRP meeting: At the beginning of the session, each participant introduced themselves and the entity they represented. A presentation by NOVA-FCT followed, introducing the ENTRACK Project, explaining the selection process for the Portuguese pilots and providing an overview of the ENTRACK taxonomy, stakeholder mapping and analysis, stakeholder interviews and initial reflections on the Climate Explorers fieldwork activity. The presentation also introduced the parallel development of the ENTRACK Community of Practice. Next, the objectives of the MRP were outlined and a provisional timetable was shared. To wrap up the presentation, the MRP members participated in a Mentimeter activity assessing their perceptions of the group’s purpose and ideas for the potential contributions of the MRP. The session concluded with some reflections on the ENTRACK taxonomy and a brief open discussion between members. 

4th MRP meeting: The meeting was held at the Gavião Business Incubator and was the first presential meeting of MRP members and also the first session dedicated to policy co-design activities. The meeting began with a review of project activities to date. Following this the topic of the meeting “Energy poverty diagnosis and identification of vulnerable groups at the local scale and in rural areas” was introduced. MRP members were provided with an introduction of the energy poverty concept and practical examples of targeted action, they were then guided through four exercises exploring; the identification of vulnerable locations in the pilot areas, what questions a local level diagnosis should answer, assessment of relevant vulnerable groups and the completion of a checklist of data sources available at the municipal level. Several important insights were generated as a result of this activity including the revelation that the local area faces significant literacy challenges, exacerbated by an ageing population and significant social inequity. Correspondingly a key need in the area is to address low literacy and reduced access to information. Proposed measures and ideas included targeting of social neighbourhoods and vulnerable groups, mapping of the vulnerable population and the implementation of measures to target inequality.

2nd MRP meeting: A presentation was given by NOVA-FCT, providing an overview of the ENTRACK project and a reminder of the objectives of the MRP. An activity in break out rooms exploring the Portuguese ENTRACK taxonomy followed. In the breakout rooms MRP members were asked to highlight anything they felt stood out on the map, to identify any policies they felt might be missing and to outline any wider gaps in terms of social energy planning. Overall, the policy taxonomy maps and accompanying report were well received by the stakeholders, several of whom were complimentary about the level of detail included in the analysis. Importantly, the stakeholders felt the policy taxonomy was a useful tool which they could draw upon for their work. The meeting concluded with a presentation summarizing the key results from Deliverable 2.1.

5th MRP meeting: The meeting was held at the Gavião Business Incubator and was the second session dedicated to policy co-design activities. The meeting began with a review of project activities to date. Following this a Roundtable activity, focused on One Stop Shops and Energy Efficiency Financing schemes relevant in the Alto Alentejo region began. The roundtable activity exposed gaps between needs at the citizen level and the format of support provided, with a tendency to over-rely on digital formats excluding those without digital capabilities. On a more positive note, a general trend of progress regarding energy efficiency initiatives in the Portuguese context was highlighted, where the theme of the energy transition is more generally recognisable and the availability of supports has increased in recent years. Proposed measures and ideas included the need to adapt current schemes to better reflect specific rural characteristics. Another central idea was that vulnerable citizens should be approached directly rather than being expected to seek support on their own initiative. Proactive outreach, coordinated through local networks, was considered crucial to overcoming persistent gaps between citizen needs and available support mechanisms.

3rd MRP meeting: The Portuguese results of the ‘Report on citizens’ perceptions, needs and priorities regarding energy transitions’ (Deliverable 3.2) were presented, outlining the results of 227 ethnographic interviews carried out in Ponte de Sor and Gavião. In addition, the results of 23 interviews carried out in Comenda (a village in Gavião municipality) were presented, an interesting case study where there are plans to implement a Renewable Energy Community (REC). The village is also the planned location for a large photovoltaic solar power installation, which if approved will surround the village. At the end of the session a short open discussion was held, with more background provided on the Comenda case by a local stakeholder and some brief clarifications of the interview methodology applied.