Energy Poverty and Human Security Nexus: The EU Case Study

Šekarić Stojanović, Nevena (2022) Energy Poverty and Human Security Nexus: The EU Case Study. In: Book of abstracts: The 5th International Conference on Human Security: Innovation, Research, and Knowledge in the (Re)configuration of Human Security. University, Faculty of Security Studies, Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade, p. 39. ISBN 978-86-80144-54-2

Text Book_of_Abstracts-48.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (290kB)

Abstract

The phenomenon of energy poverty influences everyday life across the globe. Often described as an inability of individuals or households to provide needed energy services at affordable costs, it tackles many dimensions, such as health, gender, and environmental issues. In a word, it affects the well-being of many vulnerable groups, which makes it one of the biggest contemporary societal challenges. The phenomenon of energy poverty has a spillover effect, thus negatively affecting economic, social, and cultural development of a society. It has become one of the most important issues in the age of energy uncertainty – energy resources scarcity, uneven distribution of key energy resources, their strategic importance in national (security) policies and energy transition dynamics in the XXI century have shown that energy issues have wider economic and political causes that are manifested at the individual level. The fact that almost 50 million people in the EU are affected by energy poverty, in the context of some of the latest energy crises across the European continent, has set the phenomenon of the energy poverty very high at the EU agenda. Clear connection of this issue with some of the sustainable development goals and human security concept renders justifiable the analysis of the phenomenon of energy poverty. Hence, the goal of this paper is to highlight the energy poverty effects on some key human security dimensions, such are human well- being and health issues. The review of the significant academic knowledge base on this phenomenon, secondary data analysis from the last four European Quality of Life Surveys (2003, 2007, 2012, 2016) and the analysis of adequate EU policies and practices combating energy poverty will serve to outline the state of play when it comes to the energy poverty and human security nexus at the EU level. Temporal continuum and findings from cross-sectional data should be helpful in drawing some concluding remarks when considering energy poverty phenomenon within the European countries.

Actions (login required)

View Item