Operationalizing energy-related equity and inequity in developing economies: A systematic literature review

Energy is essential to human wellbeing, social participation, economic development, and low-carbon transition. Yet the benefits, burdens, and risks associated with energy systems and transitions are not distributed equally. Energy equity remains variably defined and unevenly operationalized across the literature. Equity-related language is often used in relation to energy poverty, energy access, affordability, energy justice, environmental exposure, infrastructure provision, and transition-related risks. However, it remains unclear what is being made equitable, for whom, at what scale, and through which forms of evidence. This paper asks: how are energy-related equity and inequity operationalized and measured in academic research on developing economies? To answer this question, the paper conducts a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed academic studies indexed in Scopus. The review identifies studies that connect energy issues with equity or inequity language and a measurement-related component. This strategy reflects the paper’s focus on operationalization and measurement, rather than on the wider literature on energy poverty, energy access, vulnerability, energy justice, or just transition. These adjacent concepts are not used as the primary search terms, but are examined where they appear in studies that explicitly use equity or inequity language. The review includes studies that address an energy-related issue, use equity or inequity language in relation to energy, provide a basis for analysing operationalization or measurement, and relate to developing economies. It considers how studies define energy equity or inequity and how they use indicators, metrics, thresholds, composite indices, datasets, statistical models, spatial analysis, policy assessment frameworks, or qualitative analytical categories to make equity-related energy outcomes observable. Rather than assuming a single definition of energy equity, the paper examines how different studies construct the relationship between equity language, energy-related disadvantage, and measurement. By identifying which energy burdens, transition risks, populations, and places are rendered visible or overlooked through existing approaches, the paper contributes to debates on energy justice, hardship, and policy evaluation in developing economy contexts.