Energy consumption inequality and human development

Abstract

The literatures show that growing energy consumption is leading to a rapid increase in global greenhouse gases emissions(henceforth GHG). As the largest market failure ever experienced, diffusion of GHG in the global atmosphere happens quickly, it does not matter where the GHG is emitted(Sinn, 2007). Evidently, by century's end, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions would, at current rates, more than double, putting the world onto a potentially catastrophic trajectory which could lead to warming of 5 °C or more compared with preindustrial times(IEA, 2009). The co-evolution of energy, environment, economic and social development has resulted in synergistic development-a process of reinforcing development among energy, environment, economy and society and such synergism is now embedded in each other. Indeed, Energy system have underpinned and constructed deeply unequal social relations, as well as imbalanced nature-society relations, since the dawn of the fossil fuel era. More problematic, the causes and effects of energy consumption inequity have raised many questions for decision makers, one of them is that energy consumption has a distinct and critical social dimension. Relationship between the quality of life and energy consumption is perhaps even more complex than is the energy-economy nexus. Meanwhile, the UN Human Development Index(HDI) establishes the relationship among energy use, economic growth and social development. When energy use is associated with HDI, it is possible to find opportunities to put into practice the synergistic development of energy and society, by looking for new conditions to shift the focus of the economy to satisfying basic human needs. As a matter, it is innovative to introduce a sufficientarian ‘development threshold’ for the attribution to global energy consumption, by the use of the nationally based HDI indicator. Compared with developed countries (also called high HDI countries), developing countries(usually they have lower HDI) have different duties concerning energy consumption. Their responsibility to improve human quality of life will mean greater use of modern energy, especially when it is not now available. At the same time, lower HDI countries should use energy efficiency and conservation when it is cost effective to do so. High HDI countries should take a leadership role on reducing energy consumption, they should employ energy efficiency and conservation to the extent it is cost effective, help foster replicable models of the good quality life that are based on much lower energy consumption levels. At a fundamental level and in the perspective of human development, the social dimension of energy consumption represent an equity problem involving three global stakeholder groups1: High human development levels economies(HHDE), those countries should be responsible for the majority of atmospheric GHG stocks, who will continue to represent a significiant share of future GHG flows based on their great current per capita energy consumption level, and have the greatest ability (technological ability, financial resources a)to promote sustainable development, sometimes referred to as ‘developed countries’ Medium human development levels economies(MHDE), most of those countries who will be responsible for the majority of growth in GHG flows and an increasing share of future atmospheric GHG stocks, who have rapid human development