ZEWKlima – Future Opportunities in Energy Transition in Southern Europe

The project is completed. The ZEWKlima project carried out a study on employment opportunities in the fields of climate action and energy transition in Cadiz and Athens.

Economy Energy Transition Energy Transition and Climate-Neutral Buildings

Beitragsbild

Project info

Countries:

Germany, Greece, Spain

Project duration:

11/17 - 02/18

Target groups:

-

Funding:

66,500.00 €

Contact info

Contact:

-

Partner:
  • SFZ Sekretariat für Zukunftsforschung
  • University of Cadiz
  • Wind of Renewal

Background

The reason for the study was high and persistent youth unemployment, especially in regions that are particularly affected by the climate crisis. A climate-friendly energy transition is urgently called for in such areas – and the prospects are particularly promising given the geographical and climatic conditions.

Project

The core of the project was a study being carried out in the Spanish province of Cádiz and the Greek capital Athens, where youth unemployment is unusually high and many skilled workers with relevant training cannot find employment. The study examined the employment potential created by energy transition activities in the two regions.

Many municipal buildings in Cádiz and Athens had an unfavourable energy balance and were urgently in need of renovation – however, there was often a lack of qualified personnel to carry out these economically-profitable refurbishments. Many municipalities could also benefit from the expansion of solar energy, although this field also suffered from a lack of skilled labour.

The project partners searched for synergy effects between the job seekers and the municipal need for expertise in the field of climate action, recording the needs and the supply in the respective regions and making proposals based on the information collected. Municipalities and job seekers alike benefited from targeted offers of further training. The study examineed the feasibility of such projects.

Possible areas of application for young experts included energy audits in schools, which were often overheated in summer and undercooled in winter. The climate, the school children, the municipality and the energy auditors will all benefit from meaningful and sustainable renovations. The energy auditors gained practical experience at the same time, making them better prepared for the future labour market.

Last update: February 2025

More about this project

Videos

videos

12 March 2018

Project video: ZEWKlima