Presentation short abstract

The study finds that Mediterranean NetZeroCities plans include few substantive energy-poverty measures, revealing a major gap between global ambitions and local action. This gap shows how technocratic transitions overlook vulnerable groups and reinforce inequalities.

Presentation long abstract

International agreements on ecological transition have accelerated global green transitions, yet they frequently produce limited—if any—meaningful improvements for the most vulnerable populations, illustrating how power dynamics embedded in environmental information management fail to prioritize equitable outcomes. Energy poverty (EP) disproportionately affects marginalized groups in Mediterranean cities—including economically disadvantaged, migrants from the Global South, elder adults, and children—and exposes how planning systems often reinforce existing inequalities and exclusions rather than challenge them.

This study examined the extent to which the concept of EP has been incorporated into, and operationalized through, local policies emerging from NetZeroCities plans in Mediterranean cities, namely Climate City Contracts (CCC). First, we consulted experts to map how intersecting vulnerabilities relate to EP factors and corresponding policy types. Second, we developed an assessment framework to qualitatively evaluate the efficacy of these policies against the identified factors. Third, we applied the latter to eleven selected CCC.

The overall low introduction of substantive EP reduction measures reveals a significant implementation gap between global ambitions and local action. This forces a critical re-evaluation of the true interests driving these green transition agreements and the knowledge systems used to design them. This research contributes to understanding how environmental information systems mediate science and policy in ways that undermine efforts toward inclusive and just governance for tackling EP holistically.