On 24 September 2026, the EEAC Network's Climate & Energy Working Group held a webinar on the social dimension of climate policy. It covered the EU Social Climate Fund and national Social Climate Plans, which protect vulnerable groups from the costs of the new emissions trading system for buildings and road transport (ETS2), and discussed the role of social infrastructure in climate resilience.
Zofia Mańka (former intern of the EEAC Secretariat) opened the webinar with the Secretariat's briefing on the Social Climate Fund (SCF) and Social Climate Plans. The Fund will mobilise at least EUR 86.7 billion between 2026 and 2032 to support vulnerable households, with each Member State setting out its measures in a national plan.
Fee Kirsch (European Commission, DG CLIMA) presented the state of play. The plans submitted or adopted so far allocate most funding to long-term investments in public transport and building renovation, especially social housing, while direct income support makes up only a small share. She stressed that adopting a plan is only the first step: Member States will report twice a year on energy and transport poverty and on implementation, allowing the Commission to check that the measures are actually delivered.
Prof. Dr Suzanne Hulscher and Ramy El-Dardiry (Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy, WRR) presented the report People and Climate: How Social Infrastructure Powers Adaptation. They showed how risk perception, social cohesion and socioeconomic position shape how well communities prepare for and recover from climate events, and called on governments to invest in social as well as physical infrastructure.
The discussion after, moderated by Folmer de Haan (Rli, co-chair of the Working Group), explored how and whether the Social Climate Plans can strengthen social cohesion, why some plans are delayed, and how councils can facilitate knowledge exchange between Member States.
