As part of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2026, the webinar From People to Policy: Inclusive Energy Transitions with Residents at the Centre brought together four Horizon Europe projects to explore how Europe’s energy transition can become more inclusive, accessible and citizen-centred.
The session showcased complementary approaches from REN+HOMES, AccesS, BuildON and Inclusive Spaces, highlighting the importance of combining technological innovation with active citizen participation, accessibility and social inclusion.
Residents as key actors in the energy transition
REN+HOMES presented its vision for Positive Energy Buildings and residential districts, emphasising that technology alone is not enough to achieve energy efficiency goals. The project places residents at the centre of the transition process, recognising that everyday behaviours and habits have a significant impact on building performance.
Through surveys, design labs, prototyping activities and continuous feedback mechanisms, residents are actively involved in co-designing energy-saving strategies tailored to their communities. This participatory approach aims to bridge the gap between awareness and action, ensuring that knowledge about energy efficiency translates into long-term behavioural change.
The project’s strategic pillars focus on overcoming the intention-action gap, improving communication around complex technical concepts, ensuring adaptability to changing circumstances and validating results through evidence-based assessment. By empowering residents to become informed contributors, REN+HOMES demonstrates how community engagement can strengthen the effectiveness of sustainable housing solutions.
Accessibility and inclusion as fundamental principles
AccesS highlighted the need to integrate accessibility into the design and operation of smart buildings and cities. Central to the project is the development of a comprehensive Accessibility Assessment Scheme for the built environment, covering physical accessibility, usability, safety, comfort and social inclusion. The framework aims to establish clear, measurable criteria, guidelines and performance indicators that can support the evaluation and promotion of accessibility across buildings and urban environments.
Alongside this assessment framework, the project is developing digital tools and methodologies that support user-centred design, sustainable operation and universal accessibility. By combining accessibility requirements with energy efficiency and smart technologies, AccesS seeks to contribute to the creation of barrier-free environments where all users can access services and facilities equally.
Inclusive Spaces presented its work on fostering collaboration between cities, practitioners, researchers and end users through Communities of Practice that support the co-creation of more inclusive built environments. The project focuses on translating knowledge and lived experience into practical guidance that can be applied by planners, designers and decision-makers.
As examples of this approach, the webinar highlighted two key tools developed by the project. ISAACC is a digital platform that supports accessibility audits of the built environment by enabling people with intellectual disabilities or borderline intelligence to participate as Accessibility Support Technicians, promoting both more inclusive assessment processes and employment opportunities. The session also showcased the Universal Design Manual for the Built Environment, a practical resource containing recommendations and best practices to help planners, designers and public authorities create more accessible and inclusive spaces.
Together, these tools demonstrate how Inclusive Spaces translates the principles of participation, accessibility and co-creation into practical solutions that can support more inclusive communities across Europe
Moving from innovation to implementation
BuildON demonstrated how digital tools can support smarter and more energy-efficient housing through its Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) Toolkit. The platform helps building owners, users and policymakers assess building performance, identify improvement opportunities and develop targeted renovation pathways.
Discussions throughout the webinar highlighted a shared challenge across European projects: scaling successful pilot initiatives into widespread implementation. Participants agreed that stronger links between policy, citizen engagement, accessibility requirements and practical implementation tools will be essential to accelerate progress.
Key conclusions
A recurring message across all presentations was that truly sustainable energy transitions must be both people-centred and inclusive. Smart technologies can play an important role, but their impact depends on how effectively they respond to the needs of residents and communities.
The webinar reinforced the idea that accessibility, inclusion and energy efficiency should no longer be addressed in isolation. Instead, they should form part of a single conversation that places citizens at the heart of Europe’s transition towards a more sustainable and equitable built environment.
By combining participatory approaches, universal design principles and innovative digital solutions, the featured projects are helping to shape a future where energy-efficient buildings are not only smart, but also accessible and inclusive for all.