The Regional and Personal Disparities of Global Renewable Energy Use from Four Perspectives

He He, Zhuanting Wang, Zekai Jiang, Tian Liu and Zifei Qin ()
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He He: School of Economics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Zhuanting Wang: School of Economics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Zekai Jiang: School of Economics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Tian Liu: School of Economics, Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics, Lanzhou 730020, China
Zifei Qin: School of Economics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-21

Abstract: Global climate change demands a rapid transition to renewable energy for sustainable development and carbon neutrality. However, existing frameworks often overlook the dynamics of renewable energy use across production, consumption, final production, and income perspectives of the economy, thereby limiting understanding of global energy transitions. This study addresses this gap using a multi regional input-output (MRIO) model to analyze renewable energy use globally from 2000 to 2021 through multiple perspectives. Our findings reveal significant disparities in renewable energy use across countries. The United States is the largest renewable energy user by four perspectives in 2021, while per capita renewable energy use reveals pronounced disparities, with heavily populated countries like China and India having notably low use levels. Furthermore, resource-exporting countries, as primary suppliers for global renewable energy, promote renewable energy use, making a substantial contribution to the energy transition. Sectoral analysis highlights the significance of electricity, gas, and water industries in renewable energy use. This study provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing renewable energy use, offering valuable insights to policymakers to accelerate equitable and sustainable energy transitions.

Keywords: renewable energy use; multi-regional input–output (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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