**4.3 Environmental dimension**

**ENV1:** Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy production and use, per capita and per unit of GDP


Concentrations of pollutants in air


**ENV4:** Contaminant discharges in liquid effluents from energy systems


**ENV6:** Rate of deforestation attributed to energy use


Renewable Energy Use and Energy Efficiency – A Critical Tool for Sustainable Development 57

**Social dimension:-** Availability of energy has a direct impact on poverty, employment opportunities, demographic transition, pollution 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

The use of energy should not damage human health, but rather should improve it by improving conditions. Yet the production of non renewable 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 subjected to accidents that injure, main or kill people. Oil refineries and power stations may release emissions into the air that cause

**Economic dimension:-** Modern economics depend on a reliable and adequate energy supply, and developing countries need to secure this as a prerequisite for industrialization. All sectors of the economy – residential, commercial, transport, service and agriculture demand modern energy services. These services in turn foster economic and social development at the local level by raising productivity and enabling local income generation.

The prices of end-use energy by fuel and sector have obvious economic importance. Efficient energy pricing is a key to efficient energy supply and use and socially efficient

Addressing energy security is one of the major objectives in the sustainable development criteria of many countries. Interruptions of energy supply can cause serious financial and economic issues. To support the goals of sustainable development, energy must be available at all times, in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices. Secure energy supplies are essential to maintain economic activities and providing reliable energy services to society. **Environmental dimension:-** The production, distribution and use of energy create pressures on the environment in the household, workplace and city and at the national, regional and global levels. The environmental impacts can depend greatly on how energy is produced and used, the fuel mix, the structure of the energy systems and related energy regulatory actions and pricing structure. Gaseous emissions from the burning of fossil fuels pollute the atmosphere. Large hydropower dams cause silting. Both the coal and nuclear fuel cycles emit some radiation and generate waste. And gathering firewood can lead to deforestation

Water and land quality are important sub-themes of the environmental dimensions. Land is more than just physical space and surface topography; it is in itself an important natural resource, consisting of soil and water essential for growing food and providing habitat for diverse plant and animal communities. Non – renewable energy activities may result in land degradation and acidification that affect the quality of water and agricultural productivity. Land is also affected by energy transformation processes that often produce solid wastes, including radioactive wastes, which require adequate disposal. Water quality is affected by the discharge of contaminants in liquid effluents from energy systems, particularly from the mining of non renewable energy resources, which is environmentally unsustainable (Daly &

available to all at a fair price.

lung or respiratory diseases.

levels of pollution abatement.

Cobb1990; Hilgenkamp, 2005).

Energy supply affects jobs, productivity and development.

and desertification Daly & Cobb, 1990; Hilgenkamp, 2005).

**ENV8:** Ratio of solid waste properly disposed of to total generated solid waste


**ENV10:** Ratio of solid radioactive waste awaiting disposal to total generated solid radioactive waste

