Open Access

ARTICLE

Stewardism-in the Context of Energy Poverty Alleviation, Renewable Energy Investment and High-Quality Economic Development in Developed and Emerging Economies

Sandra Kiessling^*

Department of Engineering, Staffordshire University, Mellor Building, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent, UK

* Corresponding Author: Sandra Kiessling. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Renewable Energy Community (REC) Engineering towards Sustainable Development and Energy Poverty Reduction)

Energy Engineering 2026, 123(11), 3 https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2026.084429

Received 22 April 2026; Accepted 08 July 2026; Issue published 24 September 2026

Abstract

The prevailing capitalist emphasis on perpetual economic growth conflicts with the ecological reality of a planet with finite resources, calling into question the long-term sustainability of the current economic framework. Both developed and developing countries require a new economic system that recognises humanity’s stewardship role in managing the natural environment and its finite resources. Drawing on the concept of steward-ownership, previously explored in both academic and commercial contexts, this article proposes a new socio-economic paradigm: Stewardism. Stewardism represents an emerging socio-economic governance model that fundamentally departs from both traditional shareholder capitalism and state socialism by embedding purpose, stewardship, and asset locks within ownership structures. Addressing the limitations of existing linear economic systems, this article proposes Stewardism as a sustainable socio-economic paradigm for the intergenerational stewardship of natural, productive, and social capital in both developed and developing countries. To demonstrate the practical applicability of Stewardism, this article examines renewable energy investment for energy poverty alleviation and high-quality economic development in both established and emerging economies. By integrating governance, sustainability, and intergenerational stewardship into a single conceptual framework, Stewardism is proposed as a novel socio-economic paradigm with the potential to inform future research and policy.

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Keywords

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