Reforming environmentally harmful energy subsidies will need to play a central role in moving the world onto a more sustainable development path. However, there is a lack of information and understanding about the size of the problem, the need for policy reform and the best way to go about it. This report summarises, in non-technical language, the issues and challenges in removing or modifying subsidies on energy that undermine the pursuit of sustainable development. It updates the first edition, published jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2002, drawing on the findings of recent work related to energy subsidies by various organisations.
