About the product
Subsidies on the supply and use of energy have emerged as a major theme in international discussions and negotiations aimed at promoting sustainable development. Energy subsidies matter, both because they are big and because they affect in wide-ranging and diverse ways the economy, social welfare and the environment – the three dimensions of sustainability. Reforming energy subsidies must, therefore, be a central plank of government efforts to promote energy systems that strike a better balance between these three dimensions. This booklet draws on recent work on energy-subsidy reform carried out by UNEP and the International Energy Agency. It summarizes in non-technical language the central issues related to energy subsidies and key messages for policy-makers looking to reform subsidy programmes.
