📢 The Faculty of Economics at Chulalongkorn University is pleased to introduce the academic work presented at an international conference by Dr. Chanon THongtai.

📃 Paper Title: An economic development dilemma: The impact of energy poverty on fossil fuel consumption in pre-COVID Southeast Asian countries

📃 Conference Name: The 12th International Conference on Sustainable Development

📅 Conference Dates: 11 - 12 September 2024

📍Venue: Roma Eventi, Piazza della Pilotta, Rome

🎓 Organized by: The European Center of Sustainable Development

• Abstract •

Energy poverty, defined as the lack of access to modern energy services, poses a substantial barrier to economic development, limiting opportunities for education, healthcare, and income generation. It remains a significant challenge in many developing countries, affecting millions of people. Addressing this issue is vital for improving living standards, reducing inequality, and fostering economic development. However, the relationship between energy poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability is complex and warrants careful examination. This study brings to light a critical dilemma in development economics (a field of economics focused on improving the economic conditions). It finds that reducing energy poverty in ASEAN leads to increased fossil fuel consumption, which in turn exacerbates environmental degradation. This relationship is examined through the lens of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, which suggests that environmental degradation initially worsens with economic growth but improves after a certain income level is reached.