I: Introduction
Energy systems are broadly categorised according to the source of the energy they use: non-renewables (fossil fuels) and renewables. Given the huge impact of fossil-fueled energy on climate change, the decarbonization of existing systems emerges as a pressing issue. Energy systems must transition towards renewable sources, such as wind and solar power. Additionally, there is a critical need to reduce energy consumption in the Global North and ensure a more equitable distribution of access to energy. In 2015, the EU adopted the Energy Union Strategy aiming to diversify energy sources and to foster cooperation among EU nations, aiming for an internal energy market while embracing the principles of the Paris Agreement to decarbonise the economy (reducing CO₂ emissions). However, despite shared competence in the EU in certain energy policy areas under Article 194 of the TFEU, each Member State retains the right to determine its energy resource exploitation conditions, energy source preferences, and overall energy supply structure. Although the consumption of renewable energy has been growing each year, in 2021, most of the EU’s energy came from fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, highlighting the continued slow pace of Europe’s green transition. 
There is growing evidence that the energy crisis disproportionately impacts women and girls, including LGBTIQ people. Still “gender and energy” remain an under-researched area. The lack of intersectional and transformative gender mainstreaming in energy policy, regulations and subsidies contributes to exacerbating inequality. Recognising and tackling crucial intersections in the gender-energy relationship to generate climate solutions is of paramount importance. It is not only a matter of promoting energy-efficient technologies, but also of ensuring equity in energy use, and about fundamentally adjusting macroeconomic policies that are currently geared to an unlimited use of energy.