LA POBREZA ENERGÉTICA Y SUS IMPLICACIONES

The document defines energy poverty as a lack of sufficient alternatives to access adequate, affordable, and sustainable energy services, which hinders economic and human development. It highlights that 1.3 billion people lack electricity and 2.7 billion rely on biomass, leading to severe health issues. The author argues that energy poverty is both a cause and consequence of general poverty, creating a 'poverty trap' that requires specific policy interventions beyond general economic growth. The briefing notes that universal energy access by 2030 is financially feasible, requiring an annual investment of 30 to 35 billion dollars, which is significantly less than global fossil fuel subsidies.

• Energy poverty is defined as the "falta de alternativas suficientes para acceder a unos servicios energéticos adecuados, económicos, fiables, seguros y ambientalmente sostenibles que permitan ayudar el desarrollo económico y humano". It is viewed not just as a lack of income, but as an exclusion from options that enable wellbeing, including access to education, health, information, and political participation.
• As of 2012, 1.3 billion people lacked access to electricity and 2.7 billion people depended on biomass for cooking. In many Sub-Saharan African countries, electricity access rates remain below 15%.
• The use of traditional biomass for cooking and heating causes high levels of indoor air pollution, resulting in 1.3 million deaths annually in poor countries and 2 million deaths globally. According to the OECD, these deaths are more numerous than those caused by tuberculosis and malaria.
• Energy poverty is measured through three complementary approaches: a technological threshold (access to modern services like electricity), a physical threshold (minimum energy consumption for basic needs), and an economic threshold (percentage of income spent on energy, primarily used in developed countries).
• Universal access to modern energy sources by 2030 would require an average annual investment of 30,000 to 35,000 million dollars between 2010 and 2030. This amount is lower than the 544,000 million dollars in global fossil fuel subsidies recorded in 2012.
• Energy poverty creates a 'poverty trap' or vicious circle where it is both a cause and a consequence of general poverty. Therefore, it requires specific mitigation policies and programs, particularly those aimed at reducing health impacts, rather than relying solely on general economic growth.

APA

González-Eguino, M. (2014). LA POBREZA ENERGÉTICA Y SUS IMPLICACIONES. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201412110455321893274839.pdf

Chicago

González-Eguino, Mikel. LA POBREZA ENERGÉTICA Y SUS IMPLICACIONES. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2014. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201412110455321893274839.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=González-Eguino |first1=Mikel |title=LA POBREZA ENERGÉTICA Y SUS IMPLICACIONES |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=December 2014 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201412110455321893274839.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gonzlezeguino2014pobreza, author = {González-Eguino, Mikel}, title = {{LA POBREZA ENERGÉTICA Y SUS IMPLICACIONES}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2014}, month = dec, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201412110455321893274839.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }