Unsustainable Energy Planning in Resource-Rich Developing Economies: Case of Iran

Energy is essential to guarantee economic growth, and simultaneously it is responsible for environmental concerns, such as climate change. Although international agreements (such as the Kyoto protocol, Paris agreement, and Glasgow COP26 in 2021) and national obligations and plans are documented, actions are postponed. As a result, we are facing an unsustainable world in a lose-lose game. From the perspective of developing countries, challenges are different and in some cases it is more challenging to reconcile with sustainable development goals. In the case of energy, resource-rich economies’ concerns are different where low fossil fuel prices are a high barrier to reducing pollution. In addition, cheap fuels mean a competitive advantage for those nations. In this chapter, sustainable energy development challenges are investigated from developing countries’ point of view and it especially seeks to formulate concerns in resource-rich economies. Iran was selected as the case study to evaluate, analyze, and propose policy recommendations in order to reconcile with sustainable development goals.