Pursuing Sustainable Development Goals: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Energy Poverty and Human Development

ABSTRACT This paper examines the dynamic relationship among energy poverty (ENP), human development (HD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in China over the period 2001–2023 using wavelet analysis. Wavelet analysis is superior to traditional methods for detecting relationships in time and frequency domains, effectively handles non‐stationary series, and requires no pre‐testing for stationarity and lag determination. The findings show a relationship between ENP and HD in terms of time and frequency. Moreover, the results reveal medium‐term correlations between SDGs and ENP. Similarly, the results find that in the absence of SDGs, the coherence between ENP and HD weakens and shifts to longer frequency bands. The results align with the capability theory, which explains that energy deprivation impacts opportunities and capabilities. The study emphasizes the immediate need for measures to alleviate ENP and the importance of aligning energy policies with sustainability objectives for long‐term HD.