Achieving access to modern energy services: a study of legal strategies

This chapter provides an overview of the societal problems and the poverty trap created in developing countries where universal access to energy services does not exist. It relates the efforts made in recent years by the United Nations and other international institutions in seeking to promote universal energy access. The chapter then focuses on the following range of legal options open to the international community to address the issue:• Does a human right of access to energy services exist?• If not, what other international law strategies exist to provide for universal access to energy services?• In the absence of suitable international law instruments, what role can national law play in promoting and/or guaranteeing universal access to energy services?• Is there a role for the judiciary to play in this context?What are the most likely future legal developments in this field?Adrian J Bradbroo