On 13 October, we welcomed a delegation of local government officials from the Chungnam Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI, South Korea) for an exchange on energy transition and local sustainability challenges.

Following an introduction to CENSE by our head of lab, Dr. Francisco Ferreira, our researchers Dr. João Pedro Gouveia, Dr. Miguel Macias Sequeira and Dr. Pedro Palma presented CENSE’s work on energy poverty and just energy transitions, with detailed accounts of the Telheiras/Lumiar Renewable Energy Community and the LIFE LOCATEE project.

The discussion highlighted some of the different energy-related challenges faced in Portugal and South Korea. While Portugal has increasingly relied on renewable energy, the Korean energy system remains more dependent on fossil fuels and nuclear energy. At the local level, however, both countries are facing rural depopulation and the need to attract people and economic activity to less populated areas, as well as community concerns around new energy infrastructure. The Korean delegation highlighted opposition to power lines related to landscape and perceived health impacts, prompting an interesting parallel with social acceptance challenges surrounding renewable energy infrastructure in Portugal, also explored by CENSE through projects such as ENTRACK.

The visit provided an opportunity to exchange experiences across very different energy and territorial contexts and to identify potential areas for future dialogue and collaboration.