Assessing the role of sustainable strategies in alleviating energy poverty: an environmental sustainability paradigm

Abstract

The rapid urbanization and industrialization of India have caused a demand-supply gap in the electrical sector, leading to higher electric bills. Lower-income households face the worst energy poverty in the country. Sustainable strategies like corporate social responsibility are the most effective way to combat the energy crisis. This study aims to assess the contribution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to energy poverty alleviation (EPA) by developing the role of mediating variables such as assessment of renewable energy resource (RER), feasibility of sustainable energy supply (SES), and sustainable energy development (SED). We used hybrid research methodology such as partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the collected data from professionals, economic experts, and directors in the country in 2022. The study proved that CSR directly affects energy poverty alleviation. Besides, the findings suggest RER, SES, and SED significantly lead the energy poverty alleviation. The findings of this study will divert the attention of policymakers, stakeholders, and economists toward the corporate social responsibility to mitigate the energy crisis in Indian context. A mediating role of a renewable energy resource (RER) as a value-added contribution to this study can be strengthened more in future research. Based on the results, the study illustrates that CSR acts as a catalyst to alleviate energy poverty.

Household awareness, acceptance, and willingness to pay for renewable energy

“…By focusing on educational initiatives that increase awareness and demonstrating the tangible benefits of renewable energy, policymakers and stakeholders can effectively promote a sustainable energy transition. The integration of user-friendly designs in renewable energy technologies can further bolster this transition, making sustainable energy solutions more accessible and appealing to a broader audience (Altassan, 2023;Batool et al, 2023).…”

Energy Poverty—Do Energy Companies Care? Study Results from European Energy Companies

“…However, the presented content does not contain specific solutions that could be expected from businesses in this area [56]. There are also papers in which social responsibility correlates directly with poverty alleviation through the energy-related programs [57]. This orientation of CSR is also shared in other studies, which refer to the positive impact of CSR on utilization of renewable energy resource and sustainable energy supply [58] with direct relation to energy poverty.…”

Editorial: Sustainability challenges around energy poverty in an era of global environmental and economic crisis

“…The solutions must consider broader sustainability challenges at the global level, comprising environmental, economic, and sociodimensional resilience, improving policy coherence to increase the focus of energy access policy. Policymakers, stakeholders, and civil society all need to make a worldwide commitment to improve social cohesion by adopting common goals (Batool et al, 2022;Batool et al, 2023;Chen et al, 2023;Khalid et al, 2023;Walter et al, 2023;Walter et al 2023;Walter et al 2023).…”