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Motivation: The need to diversify their economies is an enduring challenge for fossil fuel‐dependent countries, one which will become ever more important as the world seeks to decarbonize. But the conditions under which major oil‐producing countries (petrostates) seek to diversify their exports—and those under which their attempts succeed—are poorly understood. Purpose: This article tests competing explanations for the successes and failures of petrostates' export diversification. Methods and approach: We employ a comparative case study approach using qualitative evidence from two comparatively successful diversification cases—Egypt and Malaysia—and one less successful case—Kazakhstan—selected using a Theil index of export concentration. Findings: The evidence indicates that Egypt and Malaysia's more successful outcomes stemmed more from necessity and policy design than from differences in domestic institutions and interests. All three countries were motivated to diversify by price volatility and declining revenues at various points from the 1980s to the 2000s and beyond, but reserve depletion was a greater threat in Egypt and Malaysia. As such, they adopted a more balanced approached to diversification, one that combined liberalization with state intervention. Policy implications: These cases suggest that petrostates may be willing and able to diversify as the global shift toward renewables raises the prospect of unburnable oil reserves. Petrostates can diversify efficiently by using a basket of policies that includes a mix of economic liberalization and government intervention to create investment and incentives in non‐oil tradeable sectors and nurture infant industries. Opposition to reforms in petrostates can be addressed by selectively compensating vested interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escalations in economic development and the concomitant upsurge in social globalization (SG) in the largest economies have enhanced the utilization of fossil fuels, which in turn has stimulated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Given that reducing global warming is one of the essential means to disrupt climate change and attain sustainable development, this study examines the interlinkages between SG, energy transition (ENTR), international tourism (ITU), and CO2 emissions. As environmental issues are widespread in the largest economies, this investigation analyzed the data from the 10 largest economies using the Method of Moments Quantiles Regression (MM‐QR) from 1995 to 2020. The study found that ENTR plays a significant role in decreasing emissions and promoting environmental sustainability. Alongside this, increasing social globalization also curbs CO2 emissions and facilitates environmental sustainability. Apart from this, the findings demonstrate a progressively increasing contribution of ITU and economic growth to enhancing environmental degradation. Furthermore, results indicated that carbon emissions are not influenced by reductions in political risks in the member nations. Finally, policies to support environmental sustainability are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper investigates the nexus between energy transition reporting practices and corporate efficiency of listed European companies from the agri-food sector. The study relies on key energy-related and financial indicators and logistic regression analysis conducted on 219 EU business entities publishing their financial and non-financial reports between 2004 and 2023. Based on the distribution of financial metrics in the sample, we assumed that entities reporting data on energy transition, either partially or fully, could achieve higher profitability and simultaneously have lower liquidity than non-reporting companies. The panel data model indicated a strong relationship between the reporting status of a business entity, its revenue, and the time variable, demonstrating that the likelihood of providing information on energy transition was associated with the size of a company and increased systemically over time. However, further regression analysis revealed a lack of a persistent, significant relationship between the key financial indicators and the entities' energy transition reporting status. Considering the substantial changes in the EU regulatory environment associated with introducing CSRD, we conclude that with increasing legal pressure over time, companies will gradually shift towards standardized industry-related reporting practices, resulting in more consistent and transparent evidence of their energy transition strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the need for a clean transition has made the upscaling of sustainable energy investment projects imperative. This paper addresses the increasing importance of sustainable energy investment projects in the context of climate change and the urgent need for a global energy transition. Given the complexity of decision-making in this field, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach is employed to assess the main criteria considered by project developers and financial institutions. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, eight criteria are identified and evaluated. Results highlight differing priorities between project developers and investors, emphasizing the need for adaptable approaches to accelerate sustainable energy investments. The study underscores the importance of understanding diverse stakeholder preferences and priorities in formulating effective strategies and managing associated risks to effectively promote sustainable energy projects. Future research should focus on real-life case studies and policy assessments to further enhance the understanding of sustainable energy investment dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy transition, aimed at significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, presents both opportunities and challenges in addressing energy poverty. This article explores the differing approaches of Poland and Sweden in energy poverty alleviation within the context of this transition. Poland, with its historical dependence on coal, faces considerable obstacles as it seeks to shift towards cleaner energy sources while minimizing the impact on vulnerable populations. Conversely, Sweden, supported by its advanced energy infrastructure and strong welfare systems, has implemented effective strategies that have largely mitigated energy poverty, though challenges persist for low-income households, especially in rural areas. The article delves into the definitions, drivers, and alleviation strategies of energy poverty in both countries. Through a comprehensive literature review and the analysis of key initiatives such as Poland's Clean Air Program and Sweden's Warm Rent scheme, the study underscores the potential for policy interventions to address energy poverty. It concludes with recommendations on how both countries can further reduce energy poverty, highlighting the critical role of energy efficiency, social support systems, and the integration of renewable energy in achieving a fair and equitable energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term global target of facilitating energy security and optimizing resource utilization while supporting the transition to sustainable energy systems has led the pathway towards regional cooperation in the context of energy infrastructures and trading. Recent trends highlight the development of transnational energy grids, pipelines, and renewable energy projects, facilitating efficient distribution of electricity, gas, and other energy forms. These advancements offer benefits such as increased reliability of energy supply, cost savings through shared resources, and strengthened relationships between countries. However, challenges persist, including regulatory differences, geopolitical tensions, alignment of market rules as well as substantial investment requirements in infrastructure and technology. Addressing these challenges necessitates harmonized policies, robust legal frameworks, and cooperative international governance, which are crucial for effective cross-border energy trading. The aim of the work is to present the current landscape as well as analyze the latest trends and developments in the dynamic field of electricity interconnectors, providing insights into its trajectory and implications for the European internal energy market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual rights are the right to choose asset uses not specified in the contract. They are essential in situations of uncertainty. The current energy transition presents a greater variety of assets. Moreover, it is impossible to anticipate all relevant states that the assets and the environment can embody, making it impossible to optimize them contractually. Furthermore, there is consensus that the transition must occur quickly, which means high levels of investment in new specific assets. How should we distribute property rights to maximize social benefits in a context with specific and dispersed assets? Because of the complementarity between network and distributed resources, this article questions the premise that deverticalization is invariably beneficial to consumers and argues for the need to revise the concept of network and develop the regulatory implications of such a reconceptualization. We defend the need to evaluate alternative network concepts considering the technological repertoire available to operationalize them. When considering the technological repertoire available today, characterized by the competitiveness of information and communications technology (ICT) and distributed resources, we should recognize the inherently incomplete nature of the contracts signed between network operators and users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transition in the electricity sector is central to limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. Countries around the world rely on official planning documents, such as strategies, special programs, and action plans, to guide these efforts. However, there are few systematic approaches and tools that can help policy makers determine comprehensiveness, coherence, consistency, and coordination when designing these planning documents. This represents a risk to meet energy transition and climate change goals if the relationships of policies and actions included in these documents are not addressed properly. To this end, this paper proposes an approach to model hierarchical relationships using the theory of change, while causal relationships are allocated using policy makers' experience (yet can also be exogenously allocated using other models). As a case study, this work investigates Mexico's energy transition policy of the electricity sector over the 2013–2018 period. The results show that Mexico's official planning documents lack a good design since most policies and actions are not articulated in the right sequence and privilege clean centralized and distributed generation and energy efficiency, while others related to the modernization of electrical grids and climate and environmental policies are barely included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transitions are reshaping hydrosocial relations. How they will be reshaped, however, depends on location and water's material relationship to other resources and industrial activities embedded within energy transitions. To highlight this, we focus on three different resources—coal, natural gas, and lithium—to signal how the water–energy nexus will be reworked in a transition away from fossil fuels. We examine the water–coal nexus as an example of a resource relationship that is transitioning out, or that is being moved away from in the green energy transition. Natural gas represents the "bridge fuel" used through the transition. Lithium illustrates a resource inside the green transition, as it is a fundamental material for green technologies in the transition to a low‐carbon future. Coal, natural gas, and lithium each have their own material impacts to water resources that stem from their industrial lifecycle and different implications for communities shaped by coal, natural gas, and lithium activities. To explore this, we review each of these resources' connection to water, their legal and regulatory dimensions, and their impact on communities and water justice. We argue that the energy transition is also a hydrosocial transition that will create uneven water‐related benefits and burdens. To maximize sustainability and equity, efforts to decarbonize energy systems must examine the localized, place‐based hydrosocial relations that differentially affect communities. This article is categorized under:Engineering Water > Planning WaterHuman Water > Water GovernanceHuman Water > Rights to Water [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, states are increasingly taking regulatory action, especially in the natural resources and energy sectors, to address these pressing environmental problems. This regulatory action can impact financially on investments in the host state. In response, investors are resorting to investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses in investment treaties between states, claiming compensation for the financial impact of the regulatory action. This increase of ISDS claims is controversial. Amongst other criticisms, the bringing of ISDS claims, or even the threat of ISDS claims, has a chilling effect on states taking needed regulatory action to address pressing environmental problems. There have been calls for reform of the ISDS system, including its application to environmental regulation. This article maps the nature, history and evolution of ISDS claims in natural resources, energy and other environmental cases and the controversies these ISDS claims have attracted. The article canvasses the calls for reform of the ISDS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the course of the past decade, critical and strategic minerals lists have soared in popularity globally. Though nomenclature may range from critical minerals to critical raw materials, the core understanding is generally one informed by critical functionality – often linked to the energy or digital transition or to military purposes – and economic scarcity, which renders it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. This paper develops a compendium of core critical and strategic minerals with global importance by comparing the critical and strategic minerals lists of ten jurisdictions (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and collating a single list on the basis of clear majority representation. Because most mining law practitioners are not trained geologists, the paper then unpacks information that will be valuable to practitioners who encounter a given critical mineral in their practice: Where is it listed as a critical and strategic mineral? Geopolitically speaking, what does the world's security of supply look like? What are its main uses and why is it critical? How is it mined and refined, and are there any particular associated risks? What are the social and environmental impacts that are specifically associated with this mineral (as opposed to impacts broadly associated with all mining)? How easily substitutable is this commodity (given that that constitutes an economic risk to the mine)? Finally, what is the position regarding recyclability? Critical and strategic minerals vary in important ways from one another. The careful practitioner will want to derisk critical and strategic mineral projects in a targeted manner, mindful of the characteristics of the commodity at hand. Thus a rare earths project raises different considerations than a lithium one. Bespoke contracts require insight into the characteristics of critical and strategic minerals, as outlined in the Core Critical and Strategic Minerals Compendium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transition is a national agenda, prioritised in many countries, to ensure public safety and achieve climate goals. Although enacting laws is a critical means of realising energy transition policy, legal scholarship has paid little to no attention to the role of law in a sustainable energy transition. Countries are currently experimenting with their legal frameworks to achieve sustainable and smooth energy transition policies that are most beneficial. The pivotal role of law in energy transition has led researchers to place a growing emphasis on introducing and analysing the recently enacted domestic laws in various countries, seeking implications and insights in this regard. This study draws on the example of Korea's legal framework for energy transition to argue that the voluntary nature of this agreement between the government and operator would have policy implications for many countries striving towards sustainable energy transitions. Unlike numerous other countries (eg Germany) that unilaterally force early closure of nuclear power plants by law, Korea tries to innovatively establish legal grounds that enable a voluntary agreement between the government and operators and the considerable efforts on just transition, while the government commits to contributex to bearing the costs of energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores spillover into advanced energy conversion technologies as an oil industry response to US energy and environmental policies from the last third of the twentieth century. These policies initiated the ‘quasi-planned’ renovation of energy infrastructure through an uncoordinated mixture of regulation and innovation/industrial stimulus intended to develop all forms of primary energy and the technologies that could efficiently and cleanly convert that energy. Influenced by this sweeping public policy objective as well as the global consumer electronic industry’s increasing demand for petroleum-derived inputs from the late 1970s, Western oil interests doing business in the US engaged the technoscience of advanced energy conversion. Big Oil researched, developed, and in some cases manufactured materials and components associated with power sources including fuel cells, galvanic batteries, and photovoltaic arrays in projects that illustrate the affinities and antagonisms between enterprises of naturally stored primary energy, energy conversion, and flows and carriers of energy. Case studies of Big Oil’s involvement with these technologies illustrate how public policies supporting all-of-the-above energy and energy conversion limited the extent of oil spillover into advanced energy conversion systems and complicated the transition to a fossil fuel-free future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The development of new energy and the application of intelligent technologies are crucial for ensuring energy security and promoting high‐quality economic growth. This article utilises a sample of A‐share listed enterprises in China from 2008 to 2020, employing a difference‐in‐differences (DID) approach to explore the impact of new energy demonstration cities (NEDC) on innovation quality and focuses on the role of intelligent development. It is found that the construction of NEDC contributes to the improvement of enterprise innovation quality. Corporate intelligence transformation further enhances the effect of the NEDC policy, demonstrating a synergistic relationship with new energy transition. Additionally, compared with collaborative innovation, the improvement effect of NEDC policy on enterprise self‐innovation quality is more significant. Non‐state‐owned enterprises, those in the growth stage, with a solid technological foundation and located in non‐resource‐based cities are more likely to achieve improvements in innovation quality during the energy transition. Our work provides empirical evidence and valuable insights for ensuring energy security and facilitating intelligent innovation development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transition and green innovation have appeared as new hopes for environmental impact due to human activity, which has destroyed biodiversity and increased environmental degradation. Therefore, developed and emerging economies are focusing on green innovation and energy transition to tackle the environmental impact. Thus, this study was initiated to provoke a meaningful relationship between energy transition, economic growth, trade, green innovation, and good governance to measure the role of concerning factors in achieving environmental sustainability. For this objective, dynamic econometric approaches such as cointegration, heteroskedastic OLS estimation using GMM (HOLS-GMM), AMG, and Driscoll–Kraay were implemented to estimate the Asian dataset between 1990 and 2022. The result indicates that concerning factors have a significant influence on environmental impact. The findings specify that a 1% rise in the energy transition and green innovation will influence the environment by 0.0517% and 3.051%, respectively. Further, AMG and Driscoll–Kraay validate the findings of HOLS-GMM. The robust tests indicate that the factors, which are concerning, significantly impact environmental sustainability. Consequently, the energy transition, trade, and green innovation significantly contribute to attaining ecological sustainability in the long term, and the Sustainable Development Theory prevails in the economy. Thus, innovative policy implications, including energy transition, green innovation, trade, and economic growth, are required to make Asia prominent in achieving environmental sustainability via implementing sustainable and green technologies and clean energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting renewable energy targets is one of the most significant global challenges to achieving SDG 7—Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. This study focuses on the global energy transition to understand the factors that influence success or failure in achieving targets. First, the gap between the stated targets and our predictions was calculated. Next, the roles of economic, political, and environmental variables in determining this gap were analyzed. Data were collected from 63 countries from 2000 to 2022, ensuring the global representativeness and robustness of the results. Many countries may struggle to meet their renewable energy targets. Political stability, regulatory quality, and investment freedom play a remarkable role in helping countries get closer to achieving their targets. More industrialized countries with large populations face greater challenges due to high energy intensity. This paper aims to predict the propensity of countries to meet their energy targets by integrating the forecasting and analysis of the economic, political, and geographical factors that influence a green transition. The results provide new insights into how socioeconomic and geopolitical differences influence the energy transition, offering insights for more effective policies. It is argued that accelerated administrative procedures are needed to reduce investment uncertainty and improve energy systems' flexibility. In addition, involving local communities in the decision-making process is important to ensure the acceptance of RE projects. Finally, introducing energy markets that reflect the characteristics of renewable sources is recommended to facilitate a more rapid and sustainable transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing social, economic, and political pressure causes many companies to pledge to decarbonize. A common measure involves the use of Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC), such as the European Guarantees of Origin (GO), to reduce emissions from electricity procurement (Scope 2). However, previous studies find no effect on additional renewable energy capacity. Focusing on Norway and Germany as dominant contributors to net GO exports and imports, this study examines the GO trade alongside corporate carbon accounting data to answer the research question: Does the decarbonization of corporate electricity procurement using Guarantees of Origin contribute to the expansion of renewable electricity generation capacity in Norway and Germany? The analysis of CDP and Association of Issuing Bodies data reveals Norway's consumption mix is more carbon intensive than Germany's because Norway exports GO and imports fossil electricity attributes. German companies report predominantly market‐based approach, mainly using green tariffs and GO for zero emission claims, while Norwegian companies favor the location‐based approach. The largest share of GO issued in Norway comes from hydropower plants aged 41 to 70 years. The results highlight the urgency to revise corporate carbon accounting standards. GO lack additionality due to double counting of renewable attributes. Potential solutions include additionality criteria, GO trade restrictions based on physical capacities, and age limits for eligible power plants. This study's novelty is linking CDP data with GO trade, to assess the integrity of corporate decarbonization strategies. It contributes valuable insights to ongoing discourse on the role of EAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this essay is to pierce behind the veil to understand better how social and environmental conditions have shaped the development of Britain's canal network across time. The first part of the argument looks at the place of climate and technology in regulating the water supply in the canal system. The second examines the role of draft animals in supplying motive power for barge transport. Inspiration for this dual framework comes from two closely related methodological strands: the perspectives of political ecology and the labor history of energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of its climate action policy, Indonesia prioritizes the development of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) facilities. Recognizing the necessity of reducing emissions, Indonesia is aggressively implementing novel carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. This paper gives a detailed assessment of Indonesia's CCS potential, covering CO2 emission profiles, storage capabilities, active projects, economic feasibility, and policy frameworks. Indonesia plans to cut carbon emissions by 29% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. With 15 CCUS projects set to begin by 2026, the government is making tremendous progress toward its targets. The concept includes pilot projects, feasibility studies, and phased adoption of CCUS using existing oil and gas infrastructure. Initiatives such as Tangguh CO2-EGR and Gundih CCS show how smaller-scale projects may pave the way for larger ones. Economic cost assessments show that natural gas processing plants producing high-purity CO2 are the most cost-effective for CCUS. Regulatory developments, such as MEMR February 2023 and Presidential Order No.14/2024, highlight the importance of supporting policies in promoting local and international collaboration. Despite advances, there are still gaps in long-term performance data, risk assessments, and economic consequences for industries such as iron, steel, cement, and chemicals. Future studies should fill these gaps by concentrating on environmental implications, economic viability across several industries, legal and financial obligations, integration with renewable energy sources, and socioeconomic repercussions. Collaborative efforts among government, business, and academia will be critical for the effective development and deployment of CCUS technology following Indonesia's climate goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term power system expansion planning aligned with current sustainable development policies plays a pivotal role in achieving global targets for energy transition, particularly in developing countries. This paper presents a comprehensive long‐term expansion planning model for Brazil, taking into account decarbonisation pathways using OSeMOSYS integrated with Flextool. Four scenarios explore the potential benefits of increasing the share of variable renewable energy (VRE), specifically photovoltaic (PV) and offshore wind, to 40% of the total energy produced, both with and without a storage system. Results indicate that policies better aligned with net‐zero strategies do not impose a significant cost burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the current composition of the energy matrix in Colombia, encompassing its legal framework, configuration, impacts, and future projections. This research, based on a systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis, and text mining, reveals that hydroelectric power is the primary source of clean energy. Fossil fuels, although essential for energy availability in the territory, generate the largest carbon footprint, representing a significant environmental challenge. Despite legal efforts and projections towards clean energy, limitations persist in infrastructure, technology, and social acceptance towards energy production projects. The transition to a sustainable energy system requires overcoming these technical, regulatory, and social barriers while integrating legal, environmental, social, and technological aspects into planning to meet the goals of the current matrix's energy transition, which presents a complex landscape that demands comprehensive strategies for a sustainable energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to assess the sustainability of bioenergy potential from agriculture in the European Union in the period 2012–2021, with a particular focus on material flow and emissions management, bioenergy and recycling impacts, while assessing the potential of bioenergy from agriculture and analyzing the degree of self-sufficiency and import dependency in the biomass economy. While biomass has significant potential in the EU energy transition, its use is accompanied by challenges related to sustainability, carbon neutrality, efficiency and economic viability. Using a quantitative approach based on official statistical data, this research tracked the evolution of biomass imports, exports, domestic extraction and consumption, providing a comprehensive picture of the stability and adaptability of the biomass economy in the European Union. The results indicate a steady increase in domestic extraction and a stability in consumption, reflecting a high capacity of the European Union to manage biomass resources; thus, the degree of self-sufficiency has been high throughout the period, with a moderate dependence on imports, showing an adaptable economy. The conclusions suggest that in order to maintain this stability, the European Union must continue to develop balanced economic and environmental policies that support the sustainable use of biomass and contribute to the energy transition and environmental objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about climate change are a hot topic in the current debate about a sustainable future, and despite more than 30 years of international conferences, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), the annual usage amount of fossil fuel-based energy sources has remained largely unchanged, and the green transition to a carbon-free energy system is progressing at a much slower pace than anticipated. This paper presents an original approach that consists in addressing the green transition's dilemmas by analyzing the complex interplay of strongly interwoven forces hindering the rapid adoption of so-called green energy sources scrutinized from a three-fold perspective: socio-psychological; political–strategic and territorial; and technological. Moreover, these forces are ranked according to the magnitude of their impact on the anticipated transition to green, and it is estimated by logistic fit extrapolation that the total share of the contribution of low-carbon sources might reach a maximum of about 25% among all energy sources in 2050. A final original picture is presented, summarizing how all the involved forces are acting upon the expected transition as well as their consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for renewable energy to encourage sustainable development raises high hopes for the future among countries in the Global South. However, there has been less research on how energy transitions are perceived outside of the Global North and democratic contexts. This paper explores attitudes towards the energy transition in Jordan, where expert interviews reveal that a strong renewable energy industry has emerged from top-down government efforts to reduce energy dependency and costs. We perform an in-person household survey with 320 respondents in areas with different transition risks and benefits, and then test a series of hypotheses using regression analysis. In the four communities surveyed, income stress and climate concern influence attitudes, as well as perceptions of community benefits. National-level concerns also matter, including energy dependency and energy costs for all Jordanians. Our results highlight the importance of context: findings from the North are not universal and understanding transitions in the Global South requires studying them in their own right. Policy insights Jordanian policymakers should reverse their policy of blocking renewables to avoid public backlash. Jordanian policymakers and funders should promote projects in communities with high economic dependence on the fossil fuel industry to ensure local support in areas facing transition risks. Policymakers should highlight collective, not just individual benefits of transitions, as perceptions of community and country benefits increase support. Policymakers in highly energy-dependent countries like Jordan should frame renewables as an answer to local and national challenges such as high energy prices. Actors wishing to promote clean energy support in different contexts should investigate local dynamics to build communication strategies that frame transitions appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental innovation is pivotal in tackling climate change by offering diverse and practical solutions to reduce carbon footprints, promote resource conservation, and enhance ecological sustainability. As anthropogenic activities continue to accelerate global environmental degradation, innovative solutions are imperative for mitigating the impacts of climate change and fostering sustainability. However, the effectiveness of these innovations is threatened by global uncertainties and rising income inequalities. Uncertainties in geopolitical landscape and economic disparities may impede the development and widespread adoption of eco-friendly technologies and practices. Given the above background, this study empirically investigates the influences of environmental innovation, world uncertainty and income inequality on renewable energy generation for a balanced panel of 58 countries between 1990 and 2020. The estimated models also control for the effects of globalisation and economic growth. After diagnosing for necessary panel diagnostic tests including cross-sectional dependence, heterogeneity, and panel unit-root, the Westerlund cointegration test confirms a significant long-run relationship between the variables of the study. Using panel Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimation, the results reveal that while environmental innovation continues to promote the renewable energy generation, global uncertainty and income inequality hamper it. More importantly, the moderating effects of world uncertainty and income inequality reduce the favourable impact of environmental innovation on renewable energy generation. Besides, economic growth and globalisation continue to play critical roles in speeding up the quest for renewable energy. The PCSE estimation technique confirms the significance of these baseline findings. Potential policy implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern heavy duty industrial gas turbines in combined cycle configuration, with rated efficiencies (at ISO base load) above 60% net LHV, are expected to play a significant role in reducing the carbon footprint of utility scale electricity generation. Even without postcombustion capture (PCC), simply switching from coal-fired generation to natural gas-fired generation reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 60% (on a kg per MWh of generation basis). In simple cycle mode, with efficiencies above 40% net LHV and startup times around 20 min, 300-400+ MW gas turbines can easily serve as peakers to support variable renewable resources, i.e., wind and solar. In this paper, a close quantitative look is taken at the capabilities of gas turbines firing natural gas, hydrogen, or a blend thereof, both in simple and combined cycle configurations. Furthermore, using published data, first-principles calculations, and software simulations, it will be shown that the gas turbine constitutes an efficient and cost-effective technology, with and without carbon capture, as a key player in decarbonization of the electric power sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces an optimized hybrid deep learning approach that leverages meteorological data to improve short-term wind energy forecasting in desert regions. Over a year, various machine learning and deep learning models have been tested across different wind speed categories, with multiple performance metrics used for evaluation. Hyperparameter optimization for the LSTM and Conv-Dual Attention Long Short-Term Memory (Conv-DA-LSTM) architectures was performed. A comparison of the techniques indicates that the deep learning methods consistently outperform the classical techniques, with Conv-DA-LSTM yielding the best overall performance with a clear margin. This method obtained the lowest error rates (RMSE: 71.866) and the highest level of accuracy (R2: 0.93). The optimization clearly works for higher wind speeds, achieving a remarkable improvement of 22.9%. When we look at the monthly performance, all the months presented at least some level of consistent enhancement (RRMSE reductions from 1.6 to 10.2%). These findings highlight the potential of advanced deep learning techniques in enhancing wind energy forecasting accuracy, particularly in challenging desert environments. The hybrid method developed in this study presents a promising direction for improving renewable energy management. This allows for more efficient resource allocation and improves wind resource predictability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of achieving the UN's sustainable development goals related to providing both developed and developing countries with cheap and accessible energy, as well as in the context of taking climate action, cannot be solved, on the one hand, without a transition to Energy 5.0, within the framework of the upcoming Fifth Industrial Revolution. On the other hand, it cannot be carried out without ensuring a "seamless" Fourth Energy Transition, which poses new challenges for the technological modernization of power production from non-renewables. Along with this, the expected transition to a human-centric Industry 5.0 challenges researchers to identify obstacles to the diffusion of technologies within hydrocarbon production industries and ways to overcome them in regard to the upcoming Mining 5.0 and Oil and Gas 5.0 environment. In this regard, the purpose of this review is to analyze the structure of scientific publications in this field of research on the human-centric development of technologies in terms of these platforms in order to outline the basis for further research. To achieve this goal, this review provides a multifaceted overview of the main technologies of Industry 5.0, embodied within Energy 5.0, Mining 5.0, and Oil and Gas 5.0, such as collaborative artificial intelligence and co-bots, digital tees, the industrial Internet of Everything, smart cities, and industry; their human-centric nature is revealed as the basis for achieving significant sustainable development goals. This review concludes that there is a need for further analysis of certain areas of the transition to Energy 5.0, such as the human-centric development of digital technologies of Industry 5.0 in the fuel and energy sector, and the revision of its role in terms of achieving the sustainable development goals in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting climate concerns are making energy transition inevitable. Providing a reliable, cost-effective energy supply that meets the needs of all, as set up by Sustainable Development Goal 7, and promotes climate neutrality, as set up by the European Green Deal, is a complex task that requires complex and combined interventions in various sectors and policy areas. This paper aims to conduct a systematic analysis of the scholarly work focusing on energy transition towards renewables and to contribute to the existing knowledge by offering a holistic perspective on the dynamic landscape of energy transformation and the transition to renewables. To this end, advanced bibliometric techniques, combined with a systematic in-depth review of the existing literature and desk research, are used to uncover the intellectual landscape and identify influential works and emerging themes within this critical intersection of the economic, governance, political, social, and climate dimensions of energy transition. This analysis not only highlights prevailing trends and influential works but also sets the stage for future research and discussions critical to shaping the transition to renewable energy and policy actions in a rapidly evolving world. The results are useful guidance in the formulation of policy actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transitions break geographic monopolies on fossil fuel resources and are expected to redistribute economic benefits to new actors, from local communities to developing countries. At the same time, basing energy systems around renewables increases the importance of intangible assets such as data and artificial intelligence (AI). As different IPE approaches have shown, such intangibles can be monopolized by lead firms and especially Big Tech, which increasingly provide crucial digital infrastructures. This paper therefore asks what role Big Tech firms may play in energy systems, and whether their access to intangibles enables them to expand to the energy sector. The case study of Amazon illustrates that data-driven intellectual monopolies are well-positioned to expand into energy, benefitting from their position as providers of data infrastructures, and capacities in data harvesting and analysis. Amazon is both developing and marketing its own innovations, and investing in energy systems businesses. As intangibles gain importance in energy systems, possible implications for the IPE of energy include power and economic value flowing towards Big Tech, rather than countries or communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investors are increasingly resorting to investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses in investment treaties between states, claiming compensation for the financial impact of state regulatory action to address pressing natural resources, energy and other environmental problems. This trend is controversial, triggering calls for reform of the ISDS system. But reform will not happen overnight. In the meantime, ISDS claims need to be managed. This article analyses how best to resolve investor–state disputes in natural resources, energy and other environmental cases. This article builds on an article published in a previous issue of this journal, ‘Investor–state dispute settlement in natural resources, energy and environmental cases’, which examined the nature, history and types of investor–state disputes in environmental cases; the controversies ISDS claims have attracted; and the calls for reform of the ISDS system. This issue examines the available dispute resolution processes and how they can be organised and conducted to best resolve these disputes. It does so by characterising the fuss of ISDS claims, building on the earlier article, and then analysing the possible forums and forms of resolving the fuss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anticipated surge in hydrogen energy adoption underscores the pivotal role of social acceptance in determining the viability of hydrogen technologies (HTs). This review provides a comprehensive overview of acceptance research on HT, evaluating measurement tools and utilized models, identifying influencing factors, and analyzing academic discourse on HT diffusion. Drawing from 39 studies, it highlights key acceptance factors: trust, environmental attitudes, subjective knowledge, and perceived risks. Discourse analysis uncovers perceived barriers like trust deficits, infrastructural challenges, and financial constraints, while strategic considerations such as timing and transparency are identified as drivers. The findings emphasize an individual-centred perspective, heterogeneous operationalizations, and a lack of longitudinal studies. The authors propose increased downstream research, focusing on societal reactions to implemented technologies and considering both psychological and contextual factors. Adoption of multi-level and institutional perspectives is essential. • Environmental attitude is the most studied factor influencing H2 technology acceptance. • Education campaigns and support schemes are frequently cited to drive H2 adoption. • Focus on upstream research neglects acceptance dynamics. • 70% of studies reference established models; many detach theory from studied factors. • Adoption of multi-level perspectives and an increase in longitudinal studies needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological carbon storage and utilization is widely regarded as the most realistic method of reducing carbon emissions throughout the energy transition era. In recent times, the implementation of carbon dioxide (CO2) injection has emerged as a potential method for increasing the recovery of hydrocarbon and facilitating the interaction of CO2 in shale reservoirs. This methodology enables the mitigation of total carbon emissions released into the earth's atmosphere. The concept of using CO2 geological sequestration in unconventional shale formations seems to be a prudent approach in responding to both the growing energy demand and mandating environmental requirements simultaneously. Shale reservoirs have received significant interest in the global context because to their substantial reserves and widespread distribution. This research offers a comprehensive analysis of the essential components involved in the sequestration of CO2 in shales, therefore improving the trapping and long‐term storage of CO2. In addition, it explores the extraction of hydrocarbons in this context. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental factors that contribute to the storativity and trappability of CO2 is crucial for improving the displacement of methane gas (CH4) during shale gas recovery. This is particularly relevant in depleted the reservoirs of shale gas, where the aim is to enhance the effectiveness of in situ CO2 sequestration while reducing the leakage risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This visual essay discusses a three-year-long research project that resulted in Pilbara Interregnum: Seven Political Allegories—a multimedia installation by Grandeza Studio (Amaia Sánchez Velasco, Jorge Valiente-Oriol, and Gonzalo Valiente-Oriol) for the 18th Biennale Architettura—The Laboratory of the Future—curated by Lesley Lokko. This transdisciplinary work follows the material, discursive and symbolic traces of violence on and over bodies and territories in the Pilbara—a northern region of Western Australia affected by processes of colonial and neocolonial dispossession. Seven political allegories emerge from seven unresolved territorial disputes and restage the region from a contested resource-extraction site into an epistemological war of political imagination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role of architects, designers, and educators in catalyzing a radical shift towards more just and socioecological energy values and practices by scrutinizing three exercises that were introduced to students as part of a theoretical course on territorial design taught at ETH Zürich in the autumn of 2022.1 Initially, the text presents the course and then outlines its affiliated lecture series focusing on questions surrounding energy entanglements. Following this, it elaborates on the formulation of the exercises, including their conditions, representation techniques, and templates, giving a selection of student work. The paper aims to serve as an exemplar of how we can, in architectural and design education, offer alternative approaches to teaching and un/learning. By sharing this pedagogical framework, the paper ultimately seeks to disseminate these articulations and thought processes, as a way to initiate a discussion around energy entanglements and imagine novel ways of designing our collective and equitable energy futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interdisciplinary design studio engages the tensions between climate mitigation and climate adaptation efforts along the United States Gulf Coast, a region widely recognized as the domestic backbone of the oil and gas industry. Rooted in entangled narratives and tensions between economic prosperity, ecological stewardship, the systemic disenfranchisement of Indigenous and racialized communities, and industrial-scale energy production, this studio asked students to explore nuanced, nonconventional scenarios for adapting to ecosystem change, with projective considerations for new power relationships and collective ways of living on vanishing land. The pedagogical approach emphasized multiscalar systems analysis and collective world-building grounded in environmental justice organizing, to encourage students to think beyond technocratic design solutions for a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new p‐type molecules, namely TAT‐TY3 and TAT‐TY4, featuring triazatruxene endcaps and carbazole π‐bridges, were synthesized. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of synthesized materials were comparatively investigated based on their 2,7‐ and 3,6‐carbazole conjugation pathways. Optical characterizations revealed the impact of non‐bonding electron delocalization of triazatruxene through carbazole moieties, resulting in a significant increase in absorption intensity corresponding to n‐π* energy transitions and a red shift of triazatruxene moieties. Consequently, the optical band gaps of TAT‐TY3 and TAT‐TY4 were measured at 3.0 and 3.2 eV, respectively. Moreover, the molecules′ first oxidation potentials exhibited a drastic difference due to the electrochemical behavior of 2,7‐ and 3,6‐carbazole moieties. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level for TAT‐TY3 was measured to be −5.02 eV, while for TAT‐TY4, it was measured as −4.67 eV. Hole‐extraction properties were explored using steady‐state and time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, revealing enhanced charge transfer between the TAT‐TY3/Perovskite interface due to the better alignment of HOMO energy levels. The photovoltaic performances of the hole‐transporting materials (HTMs) were successfully characterized in triple‐cation perovskite solar cells and efficiencies of up to 17.9 %, 16.2 %, and 9.8 % were achieved for Spiro‐OMeTAD, TAT‐TY3, and TAT‐TY4, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive deployment of clean energy technologies plays a vital role in the strategy to attain carbon neutrality by 2050 and allow subsequent negative CO2 emissions in order to achieve our climate goals. An emerging challenge, known as 'From Emissions to Resources,' highlights the significant increase in demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) in clean energy technologies. Despite the presence of ample geological reserves, ensuring sustainable access to these materials is crucial for the successful transition to clean energy, taking into account the environmental and social impacts. The commentary centers on four renewable energy technologies namely solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, Li-ion batteries, and water electrolysers. Four pathways for mitigation are quantitatively examined to assess their potential in reducing the vulnerability of the CRM supply chain for these four clean energy technologies: (i) Enhancing material efficiency, (ii) employing substitutivity strategies, (iii) exploring recycling prospects, and (iv) promoting relocalisation initiatives. It is important to note that no single mitigation lever can completely eliminate the risk of CRM supply, rather the accelerated adoption of all four levers is necessary to minimize the CRM supply risk to its absolute minimum. Hence, the study underscores the significance of increased research, innovation, and regulatory initiatives, along with raising social awareness, in effectively addressing the challenges faced by the CRM supply chain and contributing to a sustainable energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter of the New York City Panel on Climate Change 4 (NPCC4) report provides an overview of energy trends in New York City and the State of New York, as well as accompanying challenges and barriers to the energy transition—with implications for human health and wellbeing. The link between energy trends and their impact on health and wellbeing is brought to the fore by the concept of "energy insecurity," an important addition to the NPCC4 assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy issue in both developed and developing countries remains vital. However, in developing countries, energy pressure is much greater. Despite this, few studies have examined credit, entrepreneurship, and energy transition in developing countries. We addressed this research gap by using the data collected from six regions in Burkina Faso. Employing the multivariate probit and the endogenous switching probit model, three scenarios are explored. We find that entrepreneurship promotes energy transition while access to credit is not useful to the energy transition. However, the joint effect of access to credit and entrepreneurship is 4 times higher for solar PV use and 3 times for biogas adoption. Access to credit promotes the energy transition when credit is devolved to the entrepreneur supporting the trinity rather than the trilemma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What determines whether technological innovations are adopted or abandoned? We leverage comparative data from three competing alternative fuel technologies to explore the conditions under which social movement organizations and industries support or challenge the adoption of emerging technologies. Empirically, we examine the diffusion of three technologies – electric, ethanol, and compressed natural gas – in the United States between 1994 and 2015. The comparison of results from quantitative analyzes of each case shows that environmental organizations can have different effects on the adoption of technologies that challenge fossil fuel dominance and that the effects change over time. The results also indicate that an incumbent industry that has an opportunity for diversification can positively influence the adoption of the technology, and that partial abandonment results when a technology is not supported by either environmental organizations or an incumbent industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the greatest challenges of sustainable energy management is to meet the growing demand for energy while minimizing environmental impacts and promoting economic and social development. The central element in this progress is to balance the energy trilemma - energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability - and to support the ongoing energy transition. Achieving these objectives, however, presents numerous challenges for societies and policymakers, in which sustainable innovation plays a pivotal role. This study aims to examine the complex dynamics of sustainable energy management. The research explores the interconnections between the energy trilemma and the energy transition, the metrics of progress, and the role of innovations in sustainable energy management. The mapped relationships and dimensions provide a novel context for the topic, underscoring its importance for our future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction to this special issue, Contesting Transitions: New Directions in the Anthropology of Energy, Climate Justice, and Resource Imaginaries, takes stock of the current state of debate within anthropology and allied fields over the contradictions, slippages, and inequalities at the centre of the global energy transition. Across a wide range of critical case studies, the contributions underscore the importance of attending to what is being elided by dominant discourses and forms of production, such as alternatives to socio-material understandings of energy and resistance to the inevitability of extractivism as the basis for new ways of living. Even more, the collection takes up and problematizes the concept of 'transition' itself on historical, ethnographic, and epistemological grounds. After describing the themes that emerge from the special issue, and explaining how these themes point toward new configurations of research, theory-building, and critical intervention, the introduction concludes with a broader argument about the indispensable place of a critical anthropology in debates over energy and Anthropocenic harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afterword to "Contesting Transitions" special issue, eds. Mark Goodale and Zeynep Oguz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within days of taking office in January 2021, President Biden signed an executive order establishing the Justice40 initiative, which directed federal agencies to ensure that at least 40% of the benefits of federal investments flow to historically marginalized communities. This article traces how Justice40, as interpreted and enacted by government bureaucrats, academics, industry researchers, and activists, intervenes in the governance of the energy transition it seeks to put into motion. Drawing from ongoing critical participation in energy research and development arenas and taking inspiration from Kim Fortun's notion of the "informating of environmentalism," this article argues that Justice40 can be understood as an attempt to informate justice, rendering it into problems that can be understood, manipulated, and audited through information systems. Scrambling to manage their accountabilities to the executive branch, Congress, and the American taxpayers footing the bill for massive infrastructure investments, Department of Energy programs are rolling out intricate systems of quantification, whose objectives of commensurability obscure local conceptions and prioritizations of justice. While Justice40 articulates lofty goals of energy transition enhancing the wellbeing of people who have otherwise been harmed by or excluded from the country's existing energy infrastructure, its everyday practice has the ironic effect of undermining both epistemic and procedural justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the practices associated with technical solutions to energy transitions. In particular, it considers the role of 'problem solving' as a partial view on the world with extraordinary influence. As the core epistemological practice of engineers, problem solving starts with selective framings of problems in which social or political conditions are taken as given. Engineering, as a form of applied science, therefore offers ethical choices that may be eclipsed by technical framings. This article highlights the reflexive practices of engineers engaged in modelling practices for energy transitions, who are addressing socio-technical problems in formally constrained ways that both enable and limit the thinkability of different future horizons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses the ethnography of the prelives of lithium industrialization in Bolivia to contribute to wider debates – in anthropology and beyond – about the essentially contested nature of the green energy transition. Based on research conducted between 2019 and 2023, the article examines the topographies of production and sociopolitical mobilization that are entangled with Bolivia's state-controlled lithium project but which resist the various pressures to reorient social and productive worlds around arguably the most important 'critical' mineral for climate policy-making. The article develops a theoretical framework for understanding these localized counter-futurities, one in which the image of scale-making takes on both vertical and horizontal dimensions. An anthropology of energy, climate justice, and resource imaginaries that is critically attuned to these inter-scalar frictions is one that must also be able to project itself through the kaleidoscope of competing energy narratives as a form of both demystification and ethnographic truth-telling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global energy transition is an uneven process, fundamentally related to the level of economic development of countries and their access to energy resources (renewable and non-renewable) to a large extent. The global climate is interconnected, and all nations impact it through their products and services. The six countries discussed—China, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Russia, and India—account for 44.8% of global primary energy consumption and 49% of global CO2 emissions. Each of them has its own strategy for achieving carbon neutrality, based on different decarbonization scenarios, which, according to the authors, depend on geopolitical factors, national economy characteristics, and the established pragmatic goals and objectives. However, the "green agenda" itself may not always be among the top priorities when formulating energy strategies. The study objective is to analyze the feasibility of the stated goals in these countries using a combined logistic curve-based forecasting tool for predicting solar and wind production as well as investment volumes. It aims to justify the relation between solar and wind energy production and investment policies using a calculated technological coefficient. Results show similar, but time-shifted fluctuating investment dynamics in solar and wind energy trends in Japan, Germany and China, with Germany and Japan outperforming investment forecasts when considering the technology efficiency coefficient. Furthermore, the findings highlight the overwhelming appreciation of the unevenness of the green transition process, which will consequently make it impossible to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement until 2050. Taking these factors into consideration, exploratory decarbonization scenarios for these six major world economies alongside two dimensions, namely, the pace of green transition versus green technology and versus resources, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity is fundamental to modern societies and will become even more so as its use expands through different technologies and population growth. Power generation is currently the largest source of carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions globally, but it is also the sector that is leading the transition to net zero emissions through the rapid rise of renewables. The impacts of COVID-19 on the electricity sector led to a reduction in the demand for electricity, while at the same time, the current global energy crisis has placed the security and affordability of electricity at the top of the political agenda in many countries. In this way, the decrease in the demand for electricity, as well as its gradual recovery, makes it necessary to carry out energy planning that considers the adverse effects caused by global events with a high socioeconomic impact. In this article, the Low Emission Analysis Platform (LEAP) 2020 software has been used to determine the distribution of energy sources to 2050 for Mexico. The variables that lead to the possible profiles for 2050 are social, economic, and technological. The results correspond to a possible future based on official data from the National Electric System (SEN) of Mexico. The forecast for 2050 indicates that the electricity sector will have almost double the current installed capacity; however, emissions do not correspond to twice as much: they are practically 50% higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to investigate how Germany's energy transition has affected environmental quality by considering natural resources, economic growth, financial development, and financial globalization for the period from 1980 to 2021. It is also aimed to discover that the interactions alter with different levels of load capacity factor and explanatory variables using novel quantile-based approaches. Thanks to the unique approaches utilized, the environmental efficacy of the energy transition process can be determined for different quantiles and time periods. The results reveal that although financial globalization and financial development enhance environmental quality, economic growth and increasing natural resource rents harms environment. In addition, the increase in energy transition in all quantiles also has a positive effect on the load capacity. This impact is weak in quantiles with high and low environmental quality, but it becomes more pronounced in middle quantiles of load capacity. Our study offers various policy recommendations to increase the short- and long-term low-level environmental effectiveness of the energy transition process in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]