During the session entitled “Renewable energy policies: co-creation or co-optation of the rural population in the energy transition”, UVIGO professor Xavier Simón presented the paper entitled “Energy for people”, in which he briefly characterised the methodological and action proposal for the progress of community energy that we are working on within the EC4RURAL project. Professor Simón highlighted the need to define regulatory frameworks and public support systems that encourage the progress of community energy initiatives that are directly controlled by citizens. In this sense, he pointed out the relative delay of these initiatives in Galicia in relation to other Iberian territories such as Portugal, Navarre, Catalonia, Andalusia, and also in relation to other European countries such as Greece, Italy, Germany or France.

In the same session, other experiences of energy transition in countries such as the Republic of South Africa, Nepal, India and Portugal were presented.

This congress brought together in Pontevedra more than 1,300 researchers from 5 continents, making the city of Lérez and the University of Vigo the global centre of the ecological economics.

 

10th International Degrowth Conference

The International Degrowth Conference has been held since 2008 in various cities including Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Venice, Leipzig, Budapest, Malmö, Vienna, Manchester, and The Hague. The 2023 edition took place in Zagreb, before coming to Pontevedra in 2024.