A systematic review and meta-analysis of residential and transport energy poverty

Abstract

Historically, energy poverty research has been dominated by an analysis of residential energy use. More recently, efforts to capture the full extent of energy poverty recognise the importance of transport energy. This paper presents the findings from a meta-narrative review of research which investigates both forms of energy poverty together, including literature from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. It presents a novel framework to facilitate the study, synthesis, and interpretation of findings in this complex field. We find that most of the literature can be classified within five overarching approaches: the development, justice, vulnerability, consumption, and geopolitical approaches. The development approach focuses on inequality of access to efficient, sustainable, and affordable energy sources, along with its impact on human and economic development. The justice approach advocates for greater inclusion of civil society in energy transition and decision-making processes. In the vulnerability approach, energy poverty is presented as a continuum of vulnerability with a focus on the effect of the energy transition on vulnerable individuals or groups. In the consumption approach, the understanding of energy consumption patterns and drivers is key. Finally, the geo-political approach highlights the importance of understanding energy inequalities at national and regional scales. The thematic framework introduced in this study provides an effective means of distilling findings from the multidisciplinary fields of energy and transport poverty to aid the development of policy and investment interventions. This will enable policymakers to make an informed appraisal of empirical findings based on a richer understanding of the research field.