Energy Justice and Human Rights

The UN aspires to ensure—through Goal 7 of the SDGs—that all major aspects of shared prosperity among the world population are further enhanced by having access to clean, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. By 2030, approximately between 2 and 3 billion people will have to rely on unsustainable fuels and technologies. Accordingly, this chapter aims to examine access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, which is the key to the development of all other aspects of having a habitable life guaranteed under most of the constitutions as a ‘right to life’. It argues that although there is no explicit mention of ‘energy justice’ as ‘human rights’ in international human rights conventions, there exists a ‘subtle connection’ between the ‘right to life’—guaranteed under numerous international conventions as well as most of the constitutions—and ‘access to energy’ which requires special attention from all stakeholders.