<p>As Europe moves towards a fair energy transition, ensuring access to affordable, sustainable housing has never been more urgent. With the first-ever EU Commissioner for Housing, a dedicated Task Force within the European Commission, and the upcoming Affordable Housing Plan, housing policy is taking centre stage in Brussels.</p><p>In our first episode for 2025, we’re returning to a crucial question straight from the European Parliament: how can we achieve a fair energy transition while ensuring access to affordable, sustainable housing?</p><p>This episode explores the intersection of housing and climate policies, examining how initiatives like <em>Fit for 55</em> and the <em>Energy Performance of Buildings Directive</em> impact low-income households. Our guests, <strong>MEP Brigitte van der Berg</strong>, a leading voice in the European Parliament’s <em>Special Committee on the Housing Crisis</em>, and <strong>Julien Dijol</strong>, Policy Director at Housing Europe, share insights on the financial and regulatory solutions needed to scale up sustainable housing across Europe.</p><p>As the voice of over 43,000 public, cooperative, and social housing providers in 31 countries, <strong>Housing Europe</strong> highlights the role of social and cooperative housing as a driver of innovation. One key example is <strong>syn.ikia</strong>, an EU-funded project developing plus-energy neighbourhoods—communities that generate more renewable energy than they consume.</p><p>Enjoy listening!</p><p><br></p><p><em>The syn.ikia project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 869918.</em><br></p>