In Search of a Triple Win

This briefing assesses energy policies in 30 countries between January 2020 and November 2021, finding that while 60% of policies may decrease poverty, only 11% likely decrease inequality and only 13% provide both social and environmental benefits. It argues that energy policies must be paired with social protections to avoid exacerbating inequality, noting that the wealthiest 10% of the global population produces nearly half of greenhouse gas emissions while the poorest 50% contributes only 12%.

• An analysis of energy policies indicates that while 60% are likely to reduce poverty, only 11% are likely to reduce inequality, indicating a need for policymakers to focus more on inequality.
• Only 13% of post-COVID energy policies across 30 countries provide both positive social and environmental impacts, though the document suggests opportunities exist to increase these 'win-win' policies, such as energy efficiency in social housing.
• To prevent increases in poverty and inequality, energy policies should be integrated with social policies, including retraining low-income workers, providing job paths for workers in sunset industries, and allocating energy tax revenues toward social benefits.
• There is a disparity in climate responsibility and impact: the poorest 50% of the global population contributes 12% of global emissions but suffers most from inaction, while the wealthiest 10% are responsible for nearly half of greenhouse gas emissions.

APA

Picciariello,, L. D. R. (2022). In Search of a Triple Win. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/covid-19-impacts-on-clean-energy-transition-inequality-poverty

Chicago

Picciariello,, Lucile Dufour,Joachim Roth,Angela. In Search of a Triple Win. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/covid-19-impacts-on-clean-energy-transition-inequality-poverty.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Picciariello, |first1=Lucile Dufour,Joachim Roth,Angela |title=In Search of a Triple Win |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=12 April 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/covid-19-impacts-on-clean-energy-transition-inequality-poverty |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{picciariello2022search, author = {Picciariello,, Lucile Dufour,Joachim Roth,Angela}, title = {{In Search of a Triple Win}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/covid-19-impacts-on-clean-energy-transition-inequality-poverty}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }