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.
17
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
18
heating in traditional fireplaces and stoves, there are high levels of respiratory
diseases, especially in children.
Dostları ilə paylaş: |