energy poverty

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the condition of lacking access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services sufficient to support human wellbeing and economic development; energy poverty encompasses lack of access to electricity, dependence on polluting biomass and charcoal for cooking and heating, inability to afford electricity bills, and vulnerability to energy price shocks; approximately 700 million people worldwide lacked access to electricity as of the early 2020s, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South and Southeast Asia; energy poverty is linked to poor health outcomes from indoor air pollution, barriers to education through lack of lighting, limited economic opportunities, and vulnerability to climate extremes; addressing energy poverty is central to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy