Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development: Guidelines and Methodologies International Atomic Energy Agency United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs International Energy Agency Eurostat European Environment Agency

3.2
Dimensions of Sustainable Development 
Sustainable development is essentially about improving quality of life in a way that 
can be sustained, economically and environmentally, over the long term supported by 
the institutional structure of the country. For this reason, sustainable development 
addresses four major dimensions: social, economic, environmental and institutional. 
The indicators are divided into three dimensions: social, economic and environmental; 
institutional questions are largely considered to be responses and not readily 
quantified as indicators. Although a sound institutional structure is essential for an 
efficient and reliable energy system, indicators to reflect this institutional dimension 
are still being developed and may be incorporated into the EISD at a later stage. 
3.2.1 Social Dimension 
Availability of energy has a direct impact on poverty, employment opportunities, 
education, demographic transition, indoor pollution and health, and has gender- and 
age-related implications. In rich countries, energy for lighting, heating and cooking is 
available at the flip of a switch. The energy is clean, safe, reliable and affordable. In 
poor countries, up to six hours a day is required to collect wood and dung for cooking 
and heating, and this task is usually done by women, who could be otherwise engaged 
in more productive activities. In areas where coal, charcoal and/or paraffin are 
commercially available, these fuels take up a large portion of the monthly household 
1
EEA, 
2004. 
Energy Subsidies in the European Union: A Brief Overview. Technical report 1/2004. 
Copenhagen, Denmark: European Environment Agency. 

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income. Inadequate equipment and ventilation means that these fuels, burned inside 
the house, cause a high toll of disease and death through air pollution and fires. 
This example serves to illustrate the two themes of the social dimension: Equity and 
Health. Social equity is one of the principal values underlying sustainable 
development, involving the degree of fairness and inclusiveness with which energy 
resources are distributed, energy systems are made accessible and pricing schemes are 
formulated to ensure affordability. Energy should be available to all at a fair price. 
The Equity indicators have the sub-themes of Accessibility, Affordability and 
Disparities. Because of a lack of access to modern energy (for example, by not being 
connected to the electricity grid), poor households not only spend a larger portion of 
their income on energy than do the rich, but they often have to pay more in absolute 
terms per unit of useful energy. A household in an African township often has to pay 
more for the coal or paraffin needed to cook a meal than one in a European city pays 
for the electricity to do the same amount of cooking. The lack of electricity limits 
work opportunities and productivity, as without electricity it is only possible to use 
the simplest tools and equipment. It also usually means, among other limitations, 
inadequate illumination, limited telecommunications and no refrigeration. 
Limited income (limited affordability) may force households to use traditional fuel 
and inefficient technologies, and the time needed to find and collect fuelwood is time 
that cannot be spent cultivating fields or otherwise working. The poor usually have to 
spend a large share of their income on indispensable energy fuels such as those 
required for services like cooking and heating. 
There may be disparities in access or affordability between regions and between 
income groups within a region. Disparities within a country or between countries may 
result from highly uneven income distributions, inadequate energy transport and 
distribution networks, and major geographical differences among regions. In many 
countries the large disparity in household incomes and energy affordability is a major 
problem in low-income neighbourhoods in both urban and rural areas, even if 
commercial energy services are available.
The Accessibility and Affordability indicators are clear markers of progress towards 
development. They also mark an improvement in the situation of women, since it is 
invariably women who bear the burden of fuel collection in poor countries. With 
easily obtainable commercial energy, these women will have more time to improve 
their lot and that of their children. 
The use of energy should not damage human health, but rather should improve it by 
improving living conditions. Yet the production of energy has the potential to cause 
injury or disease through pollution generation or accidents. A social goal is to reduce 
or eliminate these negative impacts. The Health indicators have the sub-theme of 
Safety, which covers accident fatalities caused by the extraction, conversion, 
transmission/distribution and use of energy. Oil rigs and, particularly, coal mines are 
subject to accidents that injure, maim or kill people. Oil refineries and power stations 
may release emissions into the air that cause lung or respiratory diseases. However, 
per unit of energy, the toll from energy use in households is often much higher. In 
squatter camps or informal settlements, for example, fires that kill or maim people are 
regular occurrences. In households that burn coal, wood and kerosene for cooking and 

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heating in traditional fireplaces and stoves, there are high levels of respiratory 
diseases, especially in children.