Pathway through which COVID-19 exacerbates energy poverty and proposed relief measures

Qinglong Shao

doi:10.1016/j.esd.2023.03.008

Pathway through which COVID-19 exacerbates energy poverty and proposed relief measures

Energy Sustain Dev. 2023 Jun:74:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.esd.2023.03.008. Epub 2023 Mar 16.

Author

Qinglong Shao¹

Affiliation

¹ Institute of Chinese Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Fabeckstr. 23-25, 14195 Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Increased residential energy consumption and reduced income caused by the lockdown measures invoked to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have deepened energy poverty, particularly in vulnerable communities. In this context, the pathway through which COVID-19 impacts energy poverty is constructed, and six relief measures are proposed: consistent financing of energy suppliers and consumers, developing various forms of socio-economic aids, leveraging fiscal stimuli to promote renewable energy transition, identifying vulnerable populations to improve policy effectiveness, designing equitable resource allocation mechanisms, and rethinking socio-economic transition in the post-pandemic era.

Keywords: COVID-19; Energy poverty; Equitable allocation; Renewable transformation; Socio-economic aids; Stable financing.