Raukawa Energy Innovation Project Baseline Results: Understanding energy hardship in Raukawa

Описание: Speakers: Kimberley O'Sullivan & Zhiting Chen

Raukawa Energy Innovation Project Baseline Results: Understanding energy hardship in Raukawa

Author name(s): Kimberley O'Sullivan [1], Zhiting Chen [1], Rachel Dohig [1], Aamer Daji [1], Maria Te Kanawa [1], Kim Blomfield [2], Rebecca Mills [3], Xavier Black [3], Lydia Le Gros [1], Nevil Pierse [1].
Affiliation: University of Otago [1], Raukawa Charitable Trust [2], The Lever Room [3]

The Raukawa Charitable Trust, the governance entity of the iwi Raukawa, is taking steps to address energy hardship in their rohe (region) in the South Waikato. Partnering with The Lever Room and He Kāinga Oranga – Housing and Health Research Programme at Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka/University of Otago, the Raukawa Energy Innovation Project was launched in 2023. The Project aims to reduce and subsidise power bills and identify what is required of these interventions to generate positive wellbeing outcomes, while also promoting mana motuhake (self-determination) and tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) for the Raukawa whānau during the sustainable energy transition.

During the baseline phase, Raukawa whānau were recruited to join the project through a relational approach, based on community knowledge of those most in need. After installing temperature sensors in the homes of these whānau, 98.8% of those recruited were determined to be suffering from energy hardship, experiencing temperatures below the World Health Organisation recommended minimum of 18°C for more than one third of the time during the winter measurement period. This presentation provides an overview of the project and presents the baseline outcomes prior to interventions being implemented, detailing the confronting realities of living with energy hardship in Aotearoa New Zealand.