SUSTAINABILITY • Article • 03 Oct 2024
Plenitude and CESVI: an alliance against educational poverty
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Energy for everyone: Plenitude's commitment alongside Banco dell’energia
At the sixth Plenary Assembly of the Banco dell’energia Foundation, new projects for 2025 were unveiled, along with updates on ongoing initiatives.
06 December 2024
Ensuring access to energy for everyone is a crucial challenge to foster an equitable and inclusive society. This is the goal the Banco dell’energia Foundation has pursued for years, fighting energy poverty and providing tangible support to families in need. Plenitude, as a Benefit Corporation, actively supports the Foundation. In May 2023, it signed the manifesto "Together against energy poverty," and in September of the same year, it joined the Foundation’s board of directors.
The Foundation’s Plenary Assembly, held in Rome on November 4, provided an opportunity to take stock of ongoing projects and present Banco dell’energia’s new initiatives. Since its establishment in 2016, the Foundation has raised €13 million, benefitting approximately 13,000 people. Looking ahead, Banco dell’energia plans to implement 30 new projects in 2025 to support vulnerable families across Italy.
Energy poverty: definition and figures in Italy
Energy poverty refers to the inability to access essential energy goods and services. It’s a complex phenomenon, also highlighted by the United Nations, which emphasizes the importance of ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for everyone under Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda, fostering inclusion and equity.
During the November Plenary, a study conducted by Ipsos in collaboration with Banco dell’energia was also presented. It reveals that energy saving is a pressing concern for Italian families: 40% strive to cut their bills, but only one in five Italians (22%) claim to have adopted efficient consumption habits. While 58% of Italians recognize energy poverty as a potential issue in the country, only 21% say they understand it fully, and 41% have only heard of it. These figures depict a complex scenario, marked by both the challenges families face and a lack of awareness about how to effectively combat energy poverty.
CHANGE +: partnering with Croce Rossa Italiana for energy efficiency
Among the various initiatives discussed at the Plenary was CHANGE +, Replace Energy-Guzzling Appliances. This project stems from a collaboration between the Banco dell’energia Foundation, Plenitude (an Eni Benefit Corporation), and Croce Rossa Italiana (CRI). It spans 10 municipalities nationwide, where CRI Committees operate. Four committees were selected through an internal CRI call (Benevento, Cagliari, Civitavecchia, Sesto San Giovanni), while territories like Brescia, Giaveno, Ronciglione-Sutri, Giulianova, Lecce, and Caltanissetta were included to leverage existing experiences and strengthen local networks.
«We are pleased to support Banco dell’energia Foundation with energy efficiency initiatives that optimize consumption and contribute to the development of renewable, inclusive energy communities for third-sector organizations and economically and socially vulnerable families. Specifically, we are proud to partner with the Italian Red Cross on the CHANGE + project, aimed at reducing energy costs over time for participating families by replacing outdated appliances with high-efficiency ones and initiating energy-saving education programs. This demonstrates our commitment, as a Benefit Corporation, to creating shared value in the areas we operate», explained Stefano Goberti, CEO of Plenitude.
40 CRI volunteers, trained by Banco dell’energia, are ensuring the energy-saving education process, guiding beneficiary families on this journey towards awareness.
Plenitude and Banco dell’energia: a partnership to fight energy poverty
Together with Banco dell’energia, Plenitude has supported eleven projects so far, helping economically and socially fragile families through financial aid, energy efficiency initiatives, and the creation of renewable and inclusive energy communities for third-sector organizations.
Among the supported initiatives, Plenitude has promoted five renewable and inclusive energy communities (CERs) in southern Italy, involving 225 families and five third-sector organizations. These communities not only drive the energy transition but also help families significantly reduce their energy expenses. In Naples, "Comunità Energetica e Solidale Casa del Fanciullo" installed a 50 kW photovoltaic system for 30 families in the Barra district. In Sicily, in Regalbuto "CER Posto Anche Per Te" is an 80 kW photovoltaic system at Casa KARIS, benefiting 60 families and providing community training activities. In Benevento, "La Cittadella Energetica" created a CER in the Ferrovia neighborhood with a 30 kW photovoltaic system to serve 20 families, third-sector organizations, and small businesses. Finally, In Messina, “Energia È Partecipazione" established a CER powered by a 114 kW photovoltaic system, supporting 50 families.
Plenitude has also supported four projects focused on economic support and energy efficiency, benefiting over 1,400 families in 14 cities across the country. Among the assistance provided are bill payments (regardless of the energy provider), the replacement of light bulbs and old appliances with new, high-efficiency ones, and the training of Domestic Energy Tutors who guide families in awareness-building regarding energy consumption.
Among the economic support and energy efficiency projects, "Energia Consapevole: Conosci Come Consumi" provided economic and educational aid to 240 families in Como, Appiano Gentile, and Morbegno, while "Ogni Casa È Illuminata" supported 225 families in Milan, in the Giambellino-Lorenteggio neighborhood, with bill payments, appliance replacement, and training operators on energy savings. "Energia in Periferia" carried out energy efficiency interventions for over 200 families in Turin and Naples, including the replacement of energy-intensive appliances and educational pathways on energy savings.
Plenitude also supported two energy efficiency and redevelopment initiatives benefiting third-sector organizations engaged in social inclusion projects in the outskirts of Milan and Naples, freeing up economic resources that the organizations can allocate to their social purposes.
Because the commitment to combating energy poverty means, above all, ensuring that no one is left behind, this ambitious goal cannot be achieved solely through economic support but also requires a profound cultural shift, a new energy awareness involving families, institutions and companies.
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