What is the state of the art in energy and transport poverty metrics? A critical and comprehensive review

Christopher Lowans; Dylan Furszyfer Del Rio; Benjamin K. Sovacool; David Rooney; Aoife M. Foley

doi:10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105360

What is the state of the art in energy and transport poverty metrics? A critical and comprehensive review

Christopher Lowans^*, Dylan Furszyfer Del Rio, Benjamin K. Sovacool, David Rooney, Aoife M. Foley

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

64 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

This review investigates the state of the art in metrics used in energy (or fuel) and transport poverty with a view to assessing how these overlapping concepts may be unified in their measurement. Our review contributes to ongoing debates over decarbonisation, a politically sensitive and crucial aspect of the energy transition, and one that could exacerbate patterns of inequality or vulnerability. Up to 125 million people across the European Union experience the effects of energy poverty in their daily lives. A more comprehensive understanding of the breadth and depth of these conditions is therefore paramount. This review assessed 1,134 articles and critically analysed a deeper sample of 93. In terms of the use of metrics, we find that multiple indicators are better than any single metric or composite. We find work remains to be conducted in the transport poverty sphere before energy poverty metrics can be fully unified with those of transport poverty, namely the stipulation of travel standards. Without such standards, our ability to unify the metrics of both fields and potentially alleviate both conditions simultaneously is limited. The difficulties in defining necessary travel necessitate the further use of vulnerability lenses and holistic assessments focused on energy and transport services.

Original language	English
Article number	105360
Journal	Energy Economics
Volume	101
Early online date	05 Jun 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105360
Publication status	Published - Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Mr. Christopher Lowans gratefully acknowledges support from ‘The Northern Ireland Department for the Economy.’ Dr. Aoife Foley is funded by the Collaborative REsearch of Decentralization, ElectrificatioN, Communications and Economics (CREDENCE) project, which is funded by a US-Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE) , Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) , National Science Foundation (NSF) and Research and Development Partnership Program (Centre to Centre) award (grant number USI 110 ). Dr. Aoife Foley, Dr. Dylan Furszyfer del Rio and Professor David Rooney are funded by the Bryden Centre project and are supported by the European Union‘s INTERREG VA Programme , managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Professor Benjamin Sovacool and Dr. Dylan Furszyfer del Rio are supported by the UK Research and Innovation through the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions, grant reference number EP/R035288/1 . The authors would like to thank the reviewers for their comments and insight.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

Energy
Energy justice
Fuel
Just transition
Metrics
Operationalise
Poverty

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Economics and Econometrics
General Energy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105360Licence: CC BY

What is the state of the art in energy and transport poverty metrics? A critical and comprehensive review
Copyright 2021 the authors. This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the author and source are cited.
Final published version, 4.05 MBLicence: CC BY

A socio-techno economic analysis of energy and transport poverty in Northern Ireland
Lowans, C. (Author), Rooney, D. (Supervisor) & Foley, A. (Supervisor), Dec 2023
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy

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Cite this

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note = "Funding Information: Mr. Christopher Lowans gratefully acknowledges support from {\textquoteleft}The Northern Ireland Department for the Economy.{\textquoteright} Dr. Aoife Foley is funded by the Collaborative REsearch of Decentralization, ElectrificatioN, Communications and Economics (CREDENCE) project, which is funded by a US-Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE) , Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) , National Science Foundation (NSF) and Research and Development Partnership Program (Centre to Centre) award (grant number USI 110 ). Dr. Aoife Foley, Dr. Dylan Furszyfer del Rio and Professor David Rooney are funded by the Bryden Centre project and are supported by the European Union{\textquoteleft}s INTERREG VA Programme , managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Professor Benjamin Sovacool and Dr. Dylan Furszyfer del Rio are supported by the UK Research and Innovation through the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions, grant reference number EP/R035288/1 . The authors would like to thank the reviewers for their comments and insight. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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KW - Energy justice

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What is the state of the art in energy and transport poverty metrics? A critical and comprehensive review

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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Student theses

A socio-techno economic analysis of energy and transport poverty in Northern Ireland

Cite this