A framework of basic human energy needs for decent quality of life at household level: policy implications for enhancing energy justice and meeting SDG7

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. This study advocates that investigations of human energy needs must include the concept of quality of life, rather than addressing only access to or affordability of energy. This study proposes a framework based on securing the accessibility, quantity, affordability, reliability, quality, adequacy, and sustainability of energy services to meet basic human energy needs for achieving decent household-level quality of life, which is applicable to both developing and developed countries. This study further suggests applying this framework with a rights-based and a responsibility-based approach to enhance energy justice and meet SDG7. The framework can provide policymakers with the capability to identify basic human energy needs and potentially hidden household-level energy poverty in diverse national contexts and contribute to the formulation of strategic policy initiatives and measures in response.