Energy Poor Need More Energy, But do They Need More Carbon?

Abstract

In the era of low-carbon energy transitions, both climate and energy justice studies are concerned about the deterioration of energy poverty in line with deeper carbon mitigation. Nevertheless, no in-depth analysis has thus far examined the relationship between the energy poor and their carbon dioxide emissions. This study presents a novel approach to measuring people’s basic carbon needs (BCN), defined as the amount of carbon emissions needed to achieve (socially and materially) adequate levels of domestic energy services, and clarifies the distribution of people’s BCN using Japan as a case study. The results reveal the differences in people’s BCN based on climatic, socio-demographic, and dwelling factors as well as show that the energy poor need greater carbon emissions to fulfil their basic energy needs than the affluent population. Going forward, people’s BCN must be reduced, with satisfying their basic energy needs, through low-carbon energy transitions. However, the carbon intensity of domestic energy services for the energy poor is high, inevitably leading deep carbon mitigation policies to adversely affect them without suitable countermeasures. Hence, ensuring access to low-carbon energy for all, including the energy poor, is crucial to engender an inclusive low-carbon energy transition.