The Effect of the Energy Poverty Reduction and Renewable Energy Use on the CO2 Emissions: Empirical Evidence from ASEAN Countries – Frontiers

Report on the Interlinkages Between Energy, Economy, and Environment in ASEAN Nations in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction and Alignment with Global Goals

This report summarizes research investigating the critical nexus of energy access, economic development, and environmental sustainability within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from 2000 to 2021. The study directly addresses the challenges outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the inherent tension between ensuring access to affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) and combating climate change (SDG 13). The research recognizes that failure to provide adequate energy access carries significant negative implications for health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), and economic prosperity (SDG 8), while rising CO2 emissions threaten global climate stability.

Research Focus and Methodology

The primary objective was to analyze the influence of energy poverty, renewable energy consumption, and per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on CO2 emissions. The analysis employed causality and cointegration methods to examine the relationships between these variables across the ASEAN region.

Key Findings and Their Relevance to Sustainable Development Goals

• Economic Growth and Energy Poverty Impact on Emissions: The analysis revealed a significant causal effect of per capita GDP (an indicator of SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth) and energy poverty indicators (a core challenge of SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy) on CO2 emissions. This highlights the challenge of decoupling economic progress from environmental degradation, a key target for achieving SDG 13: Climate Action.
• The Role of Renewable Energy: A bidirectional causal relationship was identified between CO2 emissions and the use of renewable energy. This finding underscores that transitioning to renewable sources is fundamental to mitigating climate change (SDG 13) and that, conversely, policies aimed at reducing emissions can drive the adoption of clean energy technologies (SDG 7).
• Regional Disparities: The research uncovered that the specific effect of energy poverty on CO2 emissions varies significantly among the ASEAN member states. This suggests that a one-size-fits-all policy approach is insufficient and that national strategies must be tailored to local contexts to effectively advance both SDG 7 and SDG 13.

Policy Implications for Achieving the SDGs

The conclusions of the research strongly support an integrated policy approach to sustainable development. To advance the 2030 Agenda, the following actions are recommended:

1. Integrate Clean Energy into Development Strategies: Prioritize the expansion of energy access through clean and renewable energy sources. This approach simultaneously addresses energy poverty, improves environmental quality, and supports the achievement of SDG 7 and SDG 13.
2. Promote Energy Efficiency: Invest in and deploy energy-efficient technologies across all sectors. This is a crucial strategy for reducing CO2 emissions while supporting sustainable economic activity, thereby contributing to SDG 8 and SDG 13.
3. Develop Context-Specific Policies: ASEAN nations should formulate tailored policies that reflect their unique economic and energy landscapes to ensure that efforts to alleviate energy poverty do not lead to increased carbon emissions.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article directly addresses this goal by focusing on “Access to affordable and clean energy,” “energy poverty,” and the “use of renewables.” It identifies access to energy as a “fundamental requirement of life.”
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This goal is central to the article’s research, which investigates the drivers of “increasing CO2 emissions” and their negative impacts, such as “global warming, climate change, and air pollution.”
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article connects economic growth to environmental impact by analyzing the “influence of … per capita GDP on CO2 emissions,” which relates to the challenge of sustainable economic development.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: The concept of “energy poverty” is a key variable in the study. The article notes that problems in energy access have “negative educational, health, environmental, and economic implications,” linking energy access directly to broader poverty and well-being issues.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. The article’s focus on “energy poverty” and “problems in access to energy” directly relates to this target of achieving universal access.
2. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The research explicitly investigates the “use of renewables” and its relationship with CO2 emissions, highlighting its importance in the energy transition.
3. Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. The study’s analysis of the “significant effect of per capita GDP… on CO2 emissions” directly examines the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation, which is the core of this target.
4. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The research, by investigating the factors influencing CO2 emissions in ASEAN states, provides an evidence base that can be used to inform and integrate climate action policies, such as promoting “clean energy sources and energy efficient technologies.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 7.1.1 / 7.1.2 (Access to electricity / clean fuels): The article explicitly uses “energy poverty indicators” as a variable in its analysis. This directly implies the measurement of the proportion of the population lacking access to modern energy services.
• Indicator 7.2.1 (Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption): The study’s use of the variable “use of renewable energy” directly corresponds to this indicator, which measures the percentage of renewables in the energy mix.
• Indicator 13.2.2 (Total greenhouse gas emissions per year): The primary dependent variable of the research is “CO2 emissions.” This is a direct measure used to track progress on climate action.
• Indicator 8.4.1 / 8.4.2 (Material footprint / Domestic material consumption): While not named explicitly, the article’s core analysis of the relationship between “per capita GDP” and “CO2 emissions” is a method of measuring the carbon intensity of an economy, which is a key aspect of tracking the decoupling of economic growth from environmental degradation.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: frontiersin.org