Making a Case for Centring Energy Poverty in Social Policy in Light of the Climate Emergency: A Global Integrative Review

Abstract

The recent polycrises of COVID-19, economic recession, and energy price increases have reinforced the critical importance of energy services – such as heating, information and communications technology, and refrigeration – to everyday societal functioning. Compromising access to these energy services, or energy poverty, limits social and economic development affecting education, health, and social participation. Energy poverty is impacted by climate change and climate-related policies – however, this nexus has been marginalised within social policy. We critically review literature at the intersection of climate change and energy poverty identifying policy approaches, tensions, and solutions of relevance for social policy. While tensions exist between efforts to mitigate climate change and energy poverty, climate-friendly mitigation of energy poverty requires better integration of social perspectives to disrupt current technical biases, recognising the characteristics and needs of individuals in energy poverty, and holistic governance approaches, especially involving the health and housing sectors.

Future Scenarios of Firewood Consumption for Cooking in the Mexican Tropical Region

“…where CO 2e TSF tij are the CO 2e emissions from burning firewood in TSF in year t for SL i of SP j; FCTSF tij is the firewood consumption in TSF in year t for SL i of SP j; EFTSFCO 2 is the CO 2 emissions factor of firewood burned in TSF; NRF is the non-renewability factor of firewood; EFTSFCH 4 is the CH 4 emissions factor of firewood burned in TSF; BCETSF tij are the BC emissions in CO 2e units that were obtained by estimating the percentage of BC contained in the PM 2.5 emissions from the burning of firewood in TSF in year t for SL i of SP j (See Equations ( 9) and (10), and Table 1).…”

“…PM 2.5 TSF tij = FCTSF tij × EFTSFPM 2.5 (10) where COTSF tij are the CO emissions from burning firewood in TSF in year t for SL i of SP j; FCTSF tij is the consumption of firewood in TSF; EFTSFCO is the CO emission factor of firewood burned in TSF. PM 2.5 TSF are the PM 2.5 emissions from burning firewood in TSF in year t for SL i of SP j; EFTSFPM 2.5 is the PM 2.5 emission factor of firewood burned in TSF.…”

“…It was established as a goal in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 7, "Affordable and clean energy", to increase the proportion of the population that uses clean fuels and technologies. In addition, concerns about the consequences for climate change on energy poverty have gained prominence in recent years [10].…”