Assessing the role of sustainable strategies in alleviating energy poverty: an environmental sustainability paradigm

The rapid urbanization and industrialization of India have caused a demand–supply gap in the electrical sector, leading to higher electric bills. Lower-income households face the worst energy poverty in the country. Sustainable strategies like corporate social responsibility are the most effective way to combat the energy crisis. This study aims to assess the contribution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to energy poverty alleviation (EPA) by developing the role of mediating variables such as assessment of renewable energy resource (RER), feasibility of sustainable energy supply (SES), and sustainable energy development (SED). We used hybrid research methodology such as partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the collected data from professionals, economic experts, and directors in the country in 2022. The study proved that CSR directly affects energy poverty alleviation. Besides, the findings suggest RER, SES, and SED significantly lead the energy poverty alleviation. The findings of this study will divert the attention of policymakers, stakeholders, and economists toward the corporate social responsibility to mitigate the energy crisis in Indian context. A mediating role of a renewable energy resource (RER) as a value-added contribution to this study can be strengthened more in future research. Based on the results, the study illustrates that CSR acts as a catalyst to alleviate energy poverty.