Marrakesh

Collaborating Authors

Marrakesh

Energy Is About Quality of Life of Bottom of Pyramid People

OnePetroJuly, 2017

Abstract Large ground has been covered in literature and in public policy debate about role of energy in sustainable development and climate change. The issues of energy supply security, energy access and affordability, improving energy efficiency and managing demand, while de-carbonizing the energy sector, have brought focus on coherent and predictable energy policy, stable regulatory and legal framework for long term investment and innovation. Amidst plethora of objectives being advocated, this paper argues that securing energy equity stands at the front-end of national objectives, particularly for developing countries. Energy equity has been defined as having accessibility and affordability of energy supply across the population. Irrespective of the quantum of energy supply and consumption trend in a developing country, the lack of access to adequate and affordable energy contributes to and is supported by poverty. People who lack access to cleaner and affordable energy are often trapped in a reinforcing cycle of deprivation. This paper hypothesizes that energy equity has to be the frontline objective, with following parts.The trend and pattern of energy consumption in the world, split into geo-political blocks, energy types and usage, linking to the growth in GDP, will be studied to examine the point that low per capita energy consuming countries are in the low rung of development. Measures of energy equity; indices built by ‘World Energy Council’ and ‘World Economic Forum’ will be plotted on time scale for select developed and developing countries. The paper then brings out the case of India, profiling the energy consumption pattern with focus on energy equity. The story of India, in the light of the ratification of Paris Agreement, on the eve of UNFCCC COP22 at Marrakesh, will bring out the struggle that a country has to undertake for balancing the components of sustainable development.

OnePetro

WPC

WPC-22-1565

22nd World Petroleum Congress