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Public investments in research, development, demonstration, and deployment in energy systems are crucial for accelerating the adoption of new energy technologies that can support a low-carbon just energy transition and promote the fair and equitable distribution of benefits and costs, improving social equity. However, the impact of energy innovation funding on social equity through progressing the just energy transition has not been explored in prior research for advanced economies. Thus, this research quantitively examines how energy innovation funding affects social equity in 23 developed economies for the period of 1995–2020. Employing a fixed effect, augmented mean group, and a system-generalized method of moments technique along with a mediating model, this study finds that increasing energy innovation funding significantly improves social equity directly as well as indirectly via accelerating energy justice in advanced economies. Therefore, proper allocation and utilization of public energy innovation budgets are necessary to promote clean energy technologies, advance the just energy transition, and improve social equity, inclusion, and community engagement. This study emphasizes the importance of policy interventions that promote a just energy transition and energy innovation funding to build resilient and inclusive energy systems that improve social equity while achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7, affordable and clean energy. • Energy innovation funding is crucial for sustainable, equitable energy systems. • Just energy transition and social equity are positively linked. • Energy innovation funding impacts social equity via just energy transition. • Combining just energy transition and energy innovation funding can promote social equity. • Policy interventions promoting just energy transition are crucial for social equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]