Energy Poverty Alleviation

This book presents research on energy poverty alleviation, approaching the complex phenomenon topic holistically and with heterogeneity. It includes contributions from research teams studying the topic at a national, regional and local levels worldwide. The book is divided in two main blocks. The first part, New Approaches, involves novel assessments and concepts from a global and multidisciplinary point of view. The second part, Contexts, offers new theoretical diagnoses focused on case studies of different scales from around the world, and concepts for future trends. Energy Poverty Alleviation will be of interest to policy makers, stakeholders, academics and researchers with knowledge in the energy poverty field.

The UNDP Regional Energy Programme for Poverty Reduction (REP-PoR) aims to affect broad-based interventions in the energy sector, focusing on Asia Pacific countries. The emphasis is on harnessing energy effectively to meet developmental targets laid out in the Millennium Development Goals. As a first step to achieve the objectives of REP-PoR, this publication reports on China's energy sector and its linkages to poverty concerns, gaps therein, and modalities for overcoming the same. It aims to facilitate the inclusion of a strong energy component to China's socio-economic development programmes.

Energy Poverty in China: Evaluation and Alleviation offers a thorough, methodological approach to energy poverty, which is a major obstacle in terms of the green or low-carbon transition of energy systems in China. The authors follow the framework of measurement, potential impact, and alleviation paths, supporting the design of effective energy and environmental policies for a globalized nation, especially considering the low-carbon transition of energy structures and energy poverty alleviation in the context of carbon neutrality. The book begins by providing an overview of energy poverty, explaining the concept, summarizing the current situation globally and in China, and introducing the approach of the authors. The second chapter looks to build a comprehensive index system for the calculation of energy poverty in China. This is followed by three chapters that apply a range of methods to empirically assess the economic, environmental, and social effects of energy poverty. Individual chapters then explore specific alleviation paths, including digital economy, technological innovation, low-carbon energy transition, inclusive finance, and coal-to-gas/electricity policy. This book is of interest to all those with an interest in energy poverty, energy and environmental policy, energy economics, carbon emission reduction, green growth, energy transition and renewable energy, including researchers, scientists, advanced students, engineers, R&D professionals, and policy makers or other experts at governmental or non-governmental organizations. Provides a comprehensive evaluation of energy poverty in China Analyzes the economic, environmental, and social impacts of energy poverty Explores alleviation paths across economy, technology, structure, finance, and policy

Drawing on cases from electricity distribution and other infrastructure industries, and from experiences spanning Asia, Africa and Latin America, this book examines new business models to bring basic utility services to the four billion people comprising the base of the socio-economic pyramid. Access to utilities is key for achieving economic growth and improving the lives of citizens worldwide. Throughout the world, people continue to suffer severe electricity shortages and lack potable water. Contributors to this work, who include academics and practitioners from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, USAID, the AES Corporation and several academic institutions, show that access to utilities is key for achieving economic growth and improving the lives of citizens worldwide. They offer analysis of business models in utilities serving the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) through market mechanisms and showcase innovations in organizational processes and services in order to effectively reach the BOP. The book also discusses the key factors in developing profitable business ventures that can engage the world's four billion poor. The book is aimed at both academics with an interest in applied research in business and the role of markets in servicing the poor worldwide, practitioners, public sector organizations and NGOs engaged in supplying,financing, and managing microcredit and market initiatives with low-income sectors, and international utility companies and other firms seeking to expand in emerging markets. In addition, the book will be useful as a text in a variety of courses and will give readers a deeper understanding of the potential for business to alleviate poverty, as well as inspire a deeper involvement in social issues as a career alternative or voluntary activity.

This open access book not only describes the challenges of climate disruption, but also presents solutions. The challenges described include air pollution, climate change, extreme weather, and related health impacts that range from heat stress, vector-borne diseases, food and water insecurity and chronic diseases to malnutrition and mental well-being. The influence of humans on climate change has been established through extensive published evidence and reports. However, the connections between climate change, the health of the planet and the impact on human health have not received the same level of attention. Therefore, the global focus on the public health impacts of climate change is a relatively recent area of interest. This focus is timely since scientists have concluded that changes in climate have led to new weather extremes such as floods, storms, heat waves, droughts and fires, in turn leading to more than 600,000 deaths and the displacement of nearly 4 billion people in the last 20 years. Previous work on the health impacts of climate change was limited mostly to epidemiologic approaches and outcomes and focused less on multidisciplinary, multi-faceted collaborations between physical scientists, public health researchers and policy makers. Further, there was little attention paid to faith-based and ethical approaches to the problem. The solutions and actions we explore in this book engage diverse sectors of civil society, faith leadership, and political leadership, all oriented by ethics, advocacy, and policy with a special focus on poor and vulnerable populations. The book highlights areas we think will resonate broadly with the public, faith leaders, researchers and students across disciplines including the humanities, and policy makers.

Energy poverty is a crippling component of the poverty trap that consigns victims to lives of drudgery and subsistence. Accordingly, we have recently seen the rise of concern for energy access on the international stage. However, at the national level the gravity of this issue has yet to be fully appreciated, and poor people's energy access is consequently insufficiently prioritized in many countries.The PPEO 2014: Key messages on energy for poverty alleviation looks back at three years of robust analysis and innovative approaches to defining and addressing energy poverty, as presented in previous PPEOs, to re-emphasise the key role energy for poor people plays in development. Together, these topics form the basis for a revised framework of scaled-up global and national action presented at the conclusion of the PPEO 2014.The PPEO 2014 will be of interest to anyone seeking to better understand the interaction between energy access and community services, and what must be done to achieve universal access to modern energy services by 2030 as called for by the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative.

A limited number of definitions have dominated academic and political discourse and poverty understanding over the last few decades. The aim of this "glossary" is to widen the choice of definitions available, thereby expanding the scientific field of poverty research so it gets closer to the complex reality of poverty and the lives of poor people. This book has over 200 definitions and explanations of terms used with poverty.--[from book].

Urban Fuel Poverty describes key approaches to defining and alleviating fuel poverty in cities using a multidisciplinary perspective and multiple case studies. It provides empirical knowledge on the levels and intensities of energy poverty in urban areas, along with new theoretical perspectives in conceptualizing the multidimensionality of energy poverty, with special focus given to the urban environment. Chapters discuss what energy poverty is in terms of taxonomy, stakeholders and affected parties, addressing the role of the economy and energy bills, the role of climate and city factors, the role of buildings, and the health and psychological impact on fuel poverty. The book addresses how to measure energy poverty, how to map it, and how to draw conclusions based on illness and social indicators. Finally, it explores measures to ‘fight’ fuel poverty, including policy and governance actions, building efficiency improvements and city planning. Bridges interdisciplinary divides between policy and economy, cities and buildings, and health and society Addresses the physical performance of urban fuel poverty and their effect on thermal comfort and human health Provides strategies and policies to mitigate energy and fuel poverty