The Interplay between Energy Poverty and Climate Change: A Systematic Review

Climate change is expected to worsen the critical problem of energy poverty, while at the same time energy poverty compels households and nations to rely on highly polluting energy sources which contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Existing literature has yet to examine the interplay between climate change and energy poverty, This paper addresses the gap by conducting a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of studies published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, adhering to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review identifies key themes and develops two models. The first links energy poverty and climate change, while also looking at the mechanisms of transmission. The second derives two narratives for the potential effects of energy poverty alleviation on climate change. The study emphasizes the need for an integrated bidirectional conceptualization of the relationship between climate change and energy poverty. The results also point to heterogeneity in the effects of climate change on energy poverty, necessitating policies tailored to the specific context. It is recommended that policymakers should take a long-term view and could reduce energy poverty by prioritizing a renewable energy-based approach.