Global warming and other environmental threats from the huge amount of pollutants and greenhouse gases that fossil-fuel power stations dumps into the air is not the only issue faced due to the same causes of energy poverty. According to a 2007 study by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), about 5% of the world deforestation is due to collection of fuel-wood.

The lack of electricity usage due to high electricity costs or the absence of grid-connection is the prime cause behind the harvesting of fuel wood. As it’s well proven these days, the cutting down of trees reduces the carbon dioxide intake by plants and thus traps more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As this is a greenhouse gas, this issue too finally leads to global warming. Further issues such as groundwater imbalances, soil erosion, and landslides are also results of deforestation.

Hence it is also apparent that energy poverty is also a noticeable cause of deforestation, and a whole lot more issues stemming from that. In simple terms, this problem could be solved by grid-connected or off-grid renewable energy systems.