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Karolina Zubel
Environment, Energy and Climate Change Director
Karolina Zubel holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science and BA from the University of Warsaw and Sciences Po Paris. Currently, she is a PhD student at the Warsaw School of Economics, focusing her research endeavours on smart cities developments. Her work has been at the intersection of sustainability, low-carbon … <a href="https://case-research.eu/publications/europace-market-analysis-2/">Continued</a>
Articles from this author:
- Cancer: Repository of Regional Prevention and Detection Policies
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Affordable Sustainable Housing in the EU
The study commissioned by the European Economic and Social Committee, examines strategies to address the pressing challenges of housing affordability and sustainability across the EU. It focuses on two key areas: the role of digitalization in the housing sector and the contribution of social economy initiatives. Key findings include: Digitalization's Role: The study highlights how tools like Building Information Modelling (BIM) and AI can streamline planning, improve energy efficiency, and enhance building management. Case studies from Denmark, France, and the Netherlands illustrate successful digital solutions. Social Economy Contributions: Localized, community-oriented housing solutions, like cooperatives and social rental agencies, demonstrate the value of non-profit initiatives in creating affordable, resilient, and sustainable living environments. Examples include projects in Austria, Poland, and Spain. Policy Recommendations: Medium-term goals (by 2030) include harmonizing EU-wide housing policies and integrating digital platforms. Long-term strategies (by 2050) emphasize developing inclusive housing models and leveraging digital innovations. The study concludes that addressing housing issues requires a holistic approach, combining economic, environmental, and social strategies while fostering cooperation among local, national, and EU stakeholders.
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The means for cities and regions to support the energy transition in the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average, and population growth, tourism, and industrialisation are increasing pressure on its energy resources, which remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Despite vast renewable energy potential, Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries use only a small share of RES. Decarbonisation is essential to addressing the climate crisis and promoting sustainable growth. Local and regional authorities (LRAs) are key to accelerating an inclusive energy transition. Recommended actions include: - Developing tailored energy transition plans aligned with national and international goals. - Investing in capacity-building and training for local energy management. - Expanding beyond solar energy to include wind, bioenergy, and offshore renewables. - Collaborating across networks to share expertise and promote decentralised solutions. - Engaging communities through awareness campaigns and participatory decision-making. - Offering incentives to attract private investment and streamline processes. - Fostering international cooperation to share resources and innovation. By empowering local actors and promoting collaboration, the Mediterranean can lead a just and sustainable energy transition.
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Izabela Marcinkowska
Labor market, social policy, and employment director
Dr. Marcinkowska's areas of expertise include the labor market, social policy, and employment. As President of the Management Board, Dr. Marcinkowska is responsible for managing all research and projects in the areas of demography, labor, and social policy, overseeing CASE’s financial administration, and spearheading new business development activities. Dr. Marcinkowska has been cooperating with CASE since 2005, and has participated in numerous Polish and international technical assistance and research projects, including the multi-year MOPACT (Mobilizing the Potential of Active Ageing in Europe) Project, funded by the European Commission’s DG on Research and Innovation; NEUJOBS – Employment 2025: How will multiple transitions affect the European labor market, also funded by the European Commission’s DG on Research and Innovation; the Study on the effects and incidence of labor taxation, funded by the European Commission’s DG on Taxation and Customs Union, and Assessing Needs of Care in European Nations (ANCIEN), funded by the European Commission’s Health Cooperation Program. Dr. Marcinkowska obtained her PhD in Economic Science on Informal Employment from the University of Turin. She holds an MA in Economics from the University of Warsaw and an MA in Economics from CORIPE Piemonte in Turin. She has published extensively in the fields of labor economics, social policy, and health economics.
Articles from this author:
- How to eradicate skills poverty among the most vulnerable?
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Tourism and rural development
The study delves into the multifaceted impact and potential of tourism in fostering rural development across the European Union (EU). Its aim is to equip local governments with practical insights, empowering them to effectively leverage the benefits of tourism in rural EU regions. Employing a diverse array of research methodologies, including interviews, case studies, and … Continued
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Energy policy and the labour market: consequences for employment in regions undergoing energy transitions
This study examines the socio-economic situation of three lignite regions in the process of transitioning out of coal mining: Lusatia in Germany, Wielkopolska in Poland, and Upper Nitra in Slovakia. It assesses the effectiveness of various instruments, factors and approaches in creating quality jobs, employment, and economic growth. The research results suggest that a successful … Continued
EuroPACE is an innovative tool designed to make home renovation simple, affordable and reliable for all Europeans by combining affordable financing with people-centric technical assistance. EuroPACE offers 100% up-front financing that can be repaid over a long term of up to 25 years. The innovation lies in the collection and repayment mechanism – financing is attached to the property and is repaid regularly with charges linked to a property. Homeowners are offered logistical and technical support throughout the process and access to trained and qualified con-tractors. Thus, EuroPACE overcomes the main barriers to home renovation – lack of financing, technical knowledge and complexity of the works. The concept of EuroPACE is inspired by the success of a financing model called Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), launched in California in 2008. In the United States (US), the PACE market reached over USD 6 billion in funded projects, including the retrofit of over 220,000 homes, which resulted in more than 50,000 new local jobs and the creation of hundreds new companies.
EuroPACE combines the best practices from the US PACE market with project partners’ substantial experience in improving energy efficiency in European buildings. EuroPACE is a three-year project that intends to assess market readiness, deploy a pilot programme in Spain and scale across Europe to four leader cities. A two-phase research (firstly – legal & fiscal readiness, and secondly – market demand) has been carried to assess the overall readiness for adaptation of this model across the European Union (EU). This document is the second phase of the EuroPACE readiness assessment developed to identify European countries most suited for EuroPACE implementation. It complements the legal and fiscal assessment by focusing on the “demand dimension” by analysing local needs for energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy sources (RES) in residential building renovation of seven selected countries. Based on the results of legal and fiscal analysis of the EU28 MS, in October 2018 the Steering Committee Group of the EuroPACE Horizon2020 (H2020) project chose seven countries: Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Romania, for the second phase of evaluation. These countries were selected based on the scoring outlined in D2.1 and two additional considerations developed by the Steering Committee Group. First, a diverse geo-graphical distribution of the countries was an important element for the selection of these seven countries. Secondly, the knowledge and expertise of the Steering Committee Group about the national potential market opportunity was taken into consideration during the selection process. While in Austria a similar mechanism has already been tested but was unsuccessful, the country still has been chosen for further analysis. In Belgium, despite being a federal state, there is a strong local and regional interest in new financial mechanisms designed to upscale residential retrofits across the country. In the Netherlands, asset-based financial instruments are currently being discussed at the national level, which opens a window of opportunity for EuroPACE to be tested in the country. As for Italy, although the property-taxation system is far from stable, potential synergies with successful programmes like Ecobonus or Sismabonus should be explored. In Poland, nearly 70% of the 6-million residential buildings need significant energy efficiency overhaul; these buildings contribute to some of the worst air quality across the EU leading to approximately 47 thousand premature deaths annually. Portugal, given its Mediterranean climate, proves a great potential not only for EE, but also prosumer RES development, given that current incentives are far from sufficient. Romania has been chosen mainly because of its highest home-ownership rate across the EU and the most institutionalised property-related taxation, possibly setting a stable base for EuroPACE being collected alongside existing charges. The map above demonstrates the country scoring (from green to red). The fact that some of the high-scoring countries were not selected for the second phase of this research does not mean that EuroPACE implementation in those countries is not feasible. EuroPACE is a flexible financing instrument and it can be adapted to fit a variety of local legal, political and market conditions. The EuroPACE consortium is open to further explore the potential for EuroPACE financing programmes in other countries on a case by case basis. The seven country-reports presented below examine the social and economic conditions of households, social preferences and environmental attitudes of homeowners, as well as level and type of energy used, retrofit programs and incentives that could integrate or blend with the EuroPACE. Energy policies, that might support the programme, have also been identified. The research method is similar to that used in first phase of the assessment: in-country experts with relevant knowledge of their territories were recruited to provide reliable and most up-to-date information. As in case of D2.1, concise SWOT analyses conclude each of the seven country chapters to facilitate further selection of leader cities and regions.