Can digitalization alleviate multidimensional energy poverty in rural China? Designing a policy framework for achieving the sustainable development goals

The material foundation for societal advancement and human survival is energy. The advancement of digitalization has emerged as a brand-new force behind the advancement of society. Scholars from a variety of nations are starting to concentrate on the ways that the growth of digitalization affects social sustainability. However, the impact of digitization on multidimensional energy poverty (MEP) in rural China has not yet been proven. There is no micro-empirical evidence on how the introduction of digitization into MEP contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). In this study, we construct a multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI) for rural households in China based on Alkire and Foster's theory, use mixed methods to explore the contribution of each energy poverty dimension to MEP, and empirically test the impact of digital development on the MEP of farm households. Our results show that cultural recreation in rural areas has the highest contribution to MEP. In addition, digital empowerment mitigates MEP, with the largest effect on cultural entertainment but not on household equipment poverty. Based on the empirical results of this paper, we have designed a policy framework for China and other developing countries with similar MEP problems to achieve some of the UN SDGs.