Towards Sustainable Industry: A Comprehensive Review of Energy–Economy–Environment System Analysis and Future Trends

Abstract

Industry, encompassing various sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and services, is crucial for economic growth and societal progress. However, industrial growth often comes at the cost of environmental degradation and energy resource depletion, ignoring the need for sustainable development. This study analyzed 131 articles published from 2004 to 2023, using the energy–economy–environment (3E) method to explore industrial research trends. The primary focus of industrial 3E research is on environmental impact and sustainable development, particularly related to energy consumption. This field covers various topics like systems, efficiency, optimization, and others. LCA methods and system dynamics models are commonly used in research method innovation. This study summarizes the main viewpoints of industrial 3E research and highlights future research directions and priorities, including transitions to areas like agriculture, fisheries, and renewable energy and combining evaluation and prediction methods with 3E methods, conducting large-scale system research, and examining coupling relationships within and between industrial systems.

1. Introduction

Industry stands as a cornerstone for the economic advancement and social progress of nations and regions, driving economic value creation, growth, employment opportunities, and heightened living standards. Industrial development is intricately entwined with energy consumption, structural adjustments, and pollutant emissions. Amidst rapid economic growth, integrating environmental considerations into social, political, and economic spheres has emerged as a focal point of research [1]. With escalating concerns over environmental quality and the impacts of phenomena like the greenhouse effect and climate warming, environmental issues have garnered increasing attention, posing constraints on economic development [2]. The industry has persistently adhered to an unsustainable development model characterized by excessive energy consumption, high pollutant emissions, and unbalanced structures, resulting in an inefficient and unsustainable long-term development trajectory. In the face of global climate change and the surge in carbon emissions and non-renewable fossil fuel consumption, optimizing industrial structures, enhancing energy efficiency, and implementing rational pollutant emission strategies have become imperative for fostering a low-carbon economy and achieving sustainable regional development. Different industrial structures and adjustment pathways yield diverse impacts on economic growth, natural resource utilization, and ecological stability, emphasizing the importance of scientifically informed decisions regarding industrial structural optimization for sustainable development. The energy–economy–environment (3E) coupling system emerges as a pivotal tool for assessing industrial coordination levels and steering optimal industry development. This includes an examination of the computation techniques and models that govern the interaction among the three subsystems of energy, economy, and environment within the present social development system, alongside a comprehensive assessment of their balanced and synchronized progress [3]. Energy serves as the fundamental technical backbone for industrial growth within the economic subsystem while also constituting the underlying cause of carbon emissions emitted by the environmental subsystem. Conversely, the environment offers spatial accommodation for the economic subsystem and resources to sustain the energy subsystem [2]. The widely utilized 3E coupling evaluation system serves as a critical tool in industrial production and equipment assessment. It enables the precise evaluation of the environmental impact resulting from industrial operations or equipment usage while also providing a reliable basis for making informed decisions aimed at enhancing the environmental performance of both industries and equipment.

The examination of the intricate relationship between energy and the economy commenced during the inaugural oil crisis, as the profound economic ramifications of this event sparked researchers’ interest in the significant influence of energy consumption on macroeconomic performance [4]. Since its inception, numerous scholars have dedicated their efforts to elucidating the causal nexus between energy consumption and economic growth, employing diverse measurement techniques. Energy–environment research gained prominence in the 1970s amidst a surge in global energy demand, particularly in power demand, leading to widespread interest in the location of new energy production facilities [5]. Analogous to the examination of the energy–economic nexus, the investigation into the economy–environment link is extensive, yet its conclusions remain elusive. Some scholars attribute this complexity to the neglect of variables within dual-system research, thus emphasizing the need for a comprehensive analysis encompassing the three systems: energy, economy, and environment [6]. The three components of energy, economy, and environment together form a dynamic system known as the 3E system [7].

Numerous scholars have conducted extensive research and made significant contributions to the examination of internal connections, interactions, and logical relationships as well as the quantification and assessment of the coordination level within the 3E system [8]. Previous empirical studies on the nexus between energy, growth, and the environment can be categorized into three distinct perspectives [9]. Firstly, a significant focus has been on exploring the relationship between energy variables and economic growth [10]. Secondly, there has been a concentration on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, which posits the existence of an inverted U-shaped linkage between economic growth and environmental quality [11]. Lastly, attention has also been paid to the complex ternary coupling relationship among energy, consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions [12]. The main application areas can be divided into three parts: The first part is the research on urban areas. In the application of urban areas, empirical research is conducted to explore the relationship between energy, economy, and environment through panel Granger causality analysis [13], panel quantile regression [14], the autoregressive distributed lag model [15], and other methods. Regional characteristic indicators such as globalization [16], urbanization, industrialization [17], and financial development level [18] are often included in multivariable models. Some studies evaluate the coordination and coupling of the three systems of energy, economy, and environment in the study area by establishing a sustainable transformation evaluation index system [19]. Based on the analysis of the current urban situation, some studies combine multi-objective linear programming models based on input–output analysis [20,21,22], system dynamics models [23], Bayesian network analysis [24], and other methods to simulate and predict economic and social development under multiple constraints, providing quantitative suggestions for planning and policy making.

The second part is the research on the industrial field. In terms of the industrial field, the research is slightly different from that of the urban field, mostly aiming at screening out corresponding indicators for the corresponding industrial field. The indicators under the energy system can be divided into three aspects: energy production, energy consumption, and the combination of energy consumption and economic development. Indicators under the economic system can be divided into three aspects: economic level, economic structure, and development quality. The indicators under the environmental system can be divided into three aspects: environmental pollution, environmental management, and environmental quality.

Table 1. Industrial energy–environment–economy (3E) nexus system-related indicators.

Reference	Attribute	Index
Energy	Energy production	Total energy production [26], Production of primary energy [27], Total electricity production [28], Total output of raw coal [29], Growth rate of energy production [30], Proportion of crude oil production [31], Proportion of electricity production [32], Proportion of natural gas production [33], Per capita energy production [34], Per capita electricity production [35]
	Energy consumption	Total energy consumption [36], Total electricity consumption [37], Growth rate of electricity consumption [38], Energy consumption per unit of gross product [39], Electricity consumption per unit of GDP [40], Energy consumption per unit of industrial value added [41], Proportion of coal consumption [42], Share of crude oil consumption [43], Natural gas consumption [44]
	Integration energy	Elasticity coefficient of energy consumption [45], Elasticity coefficient of electricity consumption [46]
Economic	Economic level	GDP [47], GDP growth rate [48], GDP per capita [49], Gross value of industrial output [50], Total retail sales of consumer goods [51]
	Economic structure	Percentage of primary sector of the economy [52], Percentage of secondary sector of the economy [53], Percentage of tertiary sector of the economy [54], R&D activities as a percentage of expenditure [55]
	Develop quality	Labor productivity [56], Per capita disposable income [57], Registration of the unemployment rate [58]
Environmental	Environmental pollution	Discharge of industrial waste water [59], Industrial smoke and dust emissions [60], CO2 emissions [61], Per capita CO2 emissions [62]
	Environmental protection	Industrial wastewater discharge rate [63]
	Environmental quality	Forest coverage [64], Per capita water resources [65], Per capita area of arable land [66], Excellent rate of air quality [67]

presents the selected indicators from the relevant literature to facilitate readers’ understanding, with the aim of providing theoretical support for other researchers in selecting indicators (Table 1). Then, the indicators are normalized or the TOPSIS method and introduced into the system coupling model, and the weighted distance is used to replace the standardized data, making the results more distinguishable [25]. This can also be combined with the market allocation resource model, the general equilibrium model, the indicator evaluation method, the input–output model, etc., to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of related industries and provide corresponding guidance for industrial development.

The third part is the research on other fields, including a large number of empirical studies on whether the environmental Kuznets curve [68] exists through analysis of the spatial distribution deviation of the focus of energy, economy, and environmental subsystem development [69]. Based on this, it also introduces the ecosystem [70], technology system [71], public health system [72], social system [73], and other systems for multi-system evaluation and analysis.

The majority of studies concentrate primarily on distinct aspects and practices, with a minority focusing on the methodological facet of industry 3E. This study aims to delve into the literature spanning from 2004 to 2023, utilizing the 3E coupling evaluation method for industrial analysis and evaluation. Using the application of the 3E coupling evaluation system in industrial environmental impact assessments as a launching pad, a literature measurement analysis approach was employed to offer a comprehensive overview of the research landscape surrounding relevant industries’ 3E coupling evaluation. This analysis also aims to dissect the existing 3E research and cast a vision for future research directions within this domain. Furthermore, descriptive statistics are presented regarding popular journals, disciplinary fields, and a listing of countries contributing to the industry 3E literature, providing readers with a multifaceted understanding of the literature.

The precise structure is outlined as follows: In Section 2, the research methods are introduced. Section 3 presents a bibliometric analysis, focusing on identifying journals and countries with significant contributions. Section 4 delves into the research trend of industrial 3E, primarily from the lenses of research object, research purpose, and research method. Section 5 discusses the research direction and offers suggestions for future exploration. Finally, Section 6 provides a comprehensive summary of the entire paper.

2. Materials and Methods

A literature review typically involves the examination, summation, and integration of secondary sources, derived from a comprehensive collection of the scattered primary literature on a particular subject, spanning an extended timeframe [74]. Its aim is not to merely enumerate articles that exist but to analyze and appraise these materials based on their own content, following the identification of pertinent information [75].

2.1. Research Procedure

Drawing from the principles of integrating qualitative and quantitative methods, this study employed a rigorous approach to gather data from reliable sources through a systematic process. This involved four distinct steps: identifying relevant data, screening the initial dataset, determining eligibility criteria, and ultimately sorting and analyzing the data (Figure 1).

2.2. Data Analysis

Data were sourced from the core collection of the Web of Science database, encompassing articles published between 2004 and 2023. The study employed two keywords: “Energy–Economy–Environment” and “3E”. Initially, the search was confined to the titles and keywords of the articles, yielding 144 results. These preliminary findings encompassed conference papers, books and book chapters, along with other loosely related articles. Following a screening process, any articles that were not formal papers were excluded, resulting in a final selection of 131 papers for data analysis.

3. Industry 3E System Bibliometric Analysis

The first article on the research of industry 3E was published in 2004, and subsequently, the number of articles published exhibited a consistent upward trend, peaking at 29 articles in 2022. Notably, the fastest growth rate of publications occurred between 2021 and 2022, highlighting the rapid development and expanding interest in this field. Parallel to the increasing emphasis on environmental sustainability, economy, and social responsibility from governments and enterprises, there has been a concurrent surge in interest and focus on the theme of industry 3E. The Journal of Cleaner Production emerged as the leading publisher with the highest number of papers (14), closely followed by e, which secured the second position with 11 published papers. Given the interdisciplinary nature of industry 3E, encompassing environmental science, engineering technology, and management science, comprehensive journals like Energy Policy and Sustainability also contributed relevant research papers to the field (Figure 2). As Figure 3 illustrates, China has emerged as the leading publisher of literature related to industry 3E, with Iran following closely, representing 50.1% and 8.2% of the total papers, respectively. India and England rank next, contributing 7.6% and 4.4% to the overall count. Egypt, meanwhile, holds the 15th spot, accounting for 1.9% of the total papers. Asia, America, and Europe hold a prominent position in the literature related to industry 3E. Notably, China’s total paper count exceeds half of the global total, possibly attributed to the nation’s heightened awareness of sustainable environmental practices, particularly with the implementation of policies such as “carbon neutrality” and “carbon peaking”. The VOS viewer software (version 1.6.20) was employed to analyze the keyword co-occurrence within the 131 pieces of literature. The keywords exhibiting the highest frequency were “energy”, “life cycle assessment”, and “optimization”, among others, as depicted in Figure 4. Evidently, the prevalent research topics within industry 3E primarily center on environmental impact and sustainable development. Additionally, the research focuses primarily on energy consumption, evolving towards systems, efficiency, optimization, and other areas related to energy.

4. Industry 3E Research Trends

4.1. Main Research Object of Industry 3E

Through the literature analysis, 101 studies focused on energy, 28 on the economy, and 82 on the environment in the 131 selected relevant articles, as detailed in the following analysis. Energy serves as a crucial material foundation for societal progress and advancement [76]. The advancement of society is inherently intertwined with the consumption and provision of energy. As economic growth accelerates, humanity’s reliance on energy has steadily risen, leading to a consistent increase in energy demand [77]. Energy stands at the center of research in the realm of industry 3E. Based on the results of Figure 4, the significance of energy as the focal point for related research in industry 3E can be seen, radiating outwards from this core. Additionally, the advancement of the economy and society is inextricably linked to the provision of energy resources [78]. The environment serves as the medium for energy; yet, amidst the rapid economic growth, it faces challenges including the degradation of the ecological system, energy depletion, and resource scarcity [79]. In the development process of the industry, the relationship between energy and efficiency is close and complex. To achieve the substantial reduction in energy demand required for stable climate, new methods that far exceed traditional methods to improve energy efficiency and conserve energy are needed [80]. These methods include innovation in industrial equipment and usage methods, mainly focused on energy-saving transformation, efficiency improvement, and emission reduction [81]. The power industry serves as a crucial foundation for the advancement of a nation’s economy and society [82]. Its growth is intricately tied to the consumption of power energy. Enhancing the energy efficiency of coal-fired power plants is a pivotal strategy for achieving a low-carbon future for the industry [83]. The survival and progress of human society and economy rely on the material foundation of resources, environment, and economy. However, the exploitation of resources, while contributing to rapid prosperity, has also resulted in the degradation of local economic, social, and ecological environments [84].

Emerging energy sources such as nuclear power, hydropower, wind power, and photovoltaic power generation are being increasingly used in the industrial sector. Green policies [85] such as carbon taxes [86], emission reduction responsibility sharing [87], export tax rebates [88], resource tax reform [89], and carbon trading [90] have also been introduced successively for enterprises. Technology can promote growth, improve energy efficiency, and reduce unit output intensity [91] by substituting production factors. For example, optimizing the thermal insulation thickness of materials can make a significant contribution to building energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction in the construction industry [92]. Although technological advancements provide convenience, they also pose certain challenges. For instance, most of the cumulative and newly installed capacity is now plagued by grid connection and power abandonment issues [93]. When developing and using energy, it is necessary to pay attention to protecting the environment, and emission reduction costs are a key factor in slowing climate change and technological change [94]. In the related research of industrial 3E, the thermodynamic device has been evaluated mainly through parameter research to investigate the change of system performance, and the variation of energy and exergy efficiency with operating conditions is judged [95]. The comprehensive evaluation method of energy–economy–environment was used to analyze the industrial power integration [96], which is closer to the actual operation cases [97]. The impact of sectoral efficiency on reducing carbon dioxide emissions can also be compared [98], which is better for the overall analysis of the industry. In addition to being closely related to efficiency, the improvement of energy efficiency in manufacturing, transportation, and other sectors affects the energy consumption structure, trend, and energy efficiency indicators of economic activity sectors [99]. In addition to analyzing the energy, economic, and environmental subsystems, the selection of materials [100] is also a major part of industrial 3E research. There is also a close relationship between research on industrial 3E and national policies. The dichotomy of attention between the environment can provide a judgment of the sustainability of governance [101]. The research object of industrial 3E is diverse, mainly analyzing industries from three perspectives, namely energy, economy, and environment, seeking the optimal development of industries and judging the efficiency of industrial or device [102] operations. Initially, previously, 3E only referred to three aspects: energy-economy-environment. Subsequently, there have been innovations in research objects such as energy-exergy-environment [103,104] and energy–economy–environment–society [105].

4.2. Main Research Purpose of Industrial 3E

Through the literature analysis, 21 studies aimed at coordinated development, 15 at industrial structure optimization, 5 at improving utilization efficiency, and 40 at pollution prevention and control within the 131 selected relevant articles, as detailed in the following analysis. Fully utilizing resources and reasonably promoting the transformation of energy structure are the focuses of policymaking and industrial planning [106]. The main research goal of industry 3E is to achieve coordinated development of energy, environment, and economy, promoting green and sustainable development [107]. The specific process has involved setting key indicators around benchmarks, trading, and enhanced scenarios and investigating the effects of combining industry energy policies [108]. Some authors also promoted energy conservation and emission reduction in the largest consuming sectors [109]. In terms of marine applications, exergy analysis and design optimization of integrated molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) systems have been conducted, considering the use of waste heat recovery for additional power generation [110]. Energy, environmental, and economic analyses have been conducted to provide sustainability indicators for the final product resource extraction of MCFC systems [111]. One study stablished a model of the contribution rate of consumption factors to GDP growth to study the relationship between effective energy utilization and ecological growth protection [112]. In the tertiary industry, a simple method was proposed to estimate electricity fuel by applying a series of predetermined coefficients and monthly data from utility bills, reducing the burden on users to build dynamic simulations [113]. One study used simulation software to study apartment buildings [114] to provide users with living environment analysis. This was also used for existing large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) to help study some key issues, especially the conversion of waste-derived fuels [115]. The gray correlation method was used to explore the relationship between economic development and environmental protection industrial consumption, and the contribution rate was calculated based on indicators [116]. One article studied the relationship between energy, environment, and economic growth among industries and seeking high-speed economic growth with minimal environmental costs [117]. The research of industry 3E mainly focuses on optimizing energy structure, improving energy utilization efficiency, and innovating energy technology. In terms of the economic aspect, it encompasses the adjustment of industrial structure, regional coordinated development [118], and innovation-driven development, among others. In terms of the environmental aspect, it has encompassed the prevention and control of air pollution [119], the preservation of water resources, as well as ecological protection and restoration.

4.3. Main Research Methods of Industrial 3E

Through the literature analysis, 17 articles adopted LCA as the research method, 10 adopted system dynamics, and 40 adopted other models in the 131 selected relevant articles, as detailed in the following analysis. Establishing evaluation methods for related industries and using this method to comprehensively evaluate the coordinated development of energy, economic, and environmental subsystems [120] of the industry and analyzing the main factors affecting the development of coordination [121] have comprised the main approaches in the research of industry 3E. Recently, research on industry 3E has gradually increased, and research methods have also shown various differences. For instance, based on the principles of life cycle analysis [122] (LCA) and system optimization 3E, strategic planning for the industry was analyzed and proposed [123]. As resource efficiency is considered a key factor for sustainable development, life cycle thinking and evaluation [124] play a major role in addressing sustainability issues in resource use. Taking the construction industry as an example, a calculation model for office building emissions was established, considering emissions generated during production, transportation, materials, equipment, and processes [125]. From the perspective of the life cycle [126], construction consumption and environmental emissions should be considered when comparing different types of materials in the manufacturing, production, transportation, use, and recycling stages [127]. This can furnish a more comprehensive analysis of the construction industry, along with pertinent recommendations.

Certain authors have conducted analyses of the industry in terms of energy, economy, and environment and combined it with system dynamics models to build a 3E system simulation model under the CT mechanism based on system dynamics (SD) theory [2]. They decomposed large-scale cities into three parts for modeling and simulation [128] and predicted and analyzed the footprint of industrial operation and development in urban agglomerations. In addition to combining with system dynamics models, the industry’s 3E analysis has also been combined with models such as SDM models [129], VAR models [130], analytic hierarchy process (AHP) [131], entropy method [132], ESDA tools [133], and PLS path models [134] for dynamic analysis of the industry. The specific characteristics of different industries vary slightly, and technological innovation is an important factor influencing industrial development [135]. New technologies [136] have a significant impact and contribution to industrial development [137]. In addition to combining with existing methods, changing and innovating original research methods in certain aspects is also a major research hotspot, for example, applying the dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model—CASIPM-GE—to explore different income recycling schemes for China’s economy [138]. One study established the MCDA model to distinguish the basic methods of structural price substitution effects and clarify the interdependencies between economic sectors [139], while another used a systematic approach to accurately identify the true source losses in various components, considering multiple constraints and optimizing their efficiency overall [140]. Based on comprehensive analysis of energy, environmental, and economic criteria, a new function was defined that simultaneously considers the energy, environmental, and economic costs of producing thermal insulation materials [141]. Drawing on and adopting the TIER model, one study employed economic, environmental, and energy strategies to analyze the expected efficiency of Taiwan’s actual GDP, trade conditions, import and export economy, related industry output, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, and the overall development of the fuel cell scooter industry [142]. Based on the triple coupling of the energy–economy–environment (3E-CGE) model, the climate-friendly technology has been endogenously integrated into the analytical framework of the model through logical curves, refining and revising the energy use and carbon emission modules of the CGE model [143] and other innovations.

5. Future Research Prospects of Industry 3E

5.1. The Areas in Future Industrial 3E Research

With the continuous development of the global economy, the relationship between industrial development and the environment is increasingly drawing people’s attention. This study has embarked on a preliminary exploration of the content pertaining to industrial 3E research, but numerous aspects remain unexamined in depth, such as the relationship between industrial 3E and regional development, industrial policies, and international cooperation as well as the specific applications of industrial 3E in different industries and fields. In terms of energy efficiency, the research of industry 3E needs to pay more attention to energy consumption issues. Future research has the potential to delve deeper into strategies that can effectively promote efficiency enhancement, refine industrial structure, and strengthen social cohesion via industrial development, for instance, studies pertaining to the transition and advancement of resource-intensive sectors, modification of industrial configurations, enhancement and upgrading of equipment, and numerous other factors. In terms of economic benefits, industry 3E emphasizes the unity of economic benefits, ecological environmental protection, and social benefits. It focuses on how to improve the economic efficiency of the industry through technological innovation and management innovation, such as intelligent production, circular economy, network economy, and other related areas. Research on collaborative development among different industries, the formulation and implementation of industrial policies, and international industrial cooperation will also provide new ideas for improving economic efficiency. In terms of ecological environment protection, with increasingly serious environmental problems, how to balance the relationship between economic development and environmental protection has become the focus of research. Future research can further explore the innovation and application of green technology, such as the development of renewable energy, the utilization of waste resources, and low-carbon production models. Furthermore, specific application areas of renewable energy should be considered, such as was carried out in the comparative analysis of energy governance for renewable energy in Ecuador conducted by Arroyo M and others [144], utilizing scenario analysis and examples of international renewable energy policies to achieve sustainable energy development in Ecuador. The development of green energy not only promotes the greening and decarbonization of industries but also provides a new impetus for the sustainable development of industries, such as driving the green transformation of industries, providing new economic growth points for industries, and enhancing industrial competitiveness. There is also broad research space for the relationship between industrial layout and ecological protection as well as the construction of industrial ecosystems. The primary focus of applied research on industrial 3E lies within industrial enterprises and affiliated sectors. However, its utilization in agricultural production systems including fisheries, breeding, and other industries remains unexplored. Future research efforts should broaden their scope to these sectors, aiming to enhance the theoretical underpinnings of industrial 3E’s practical applications and address the current void in its evaluation and implementation within agricultural production systems.

5.2. Industry 3E Methodology Innovation

With the increasing complexity of environmental, economic, and social issues, the research of industry 3E requires interdisciplinary research methods in order to solve problems across a broader field and on a deeper level. Future research can try to combine methods from environmental science, engineering technology, economics, and other disciplines to build a more comprehensive research framework, providing more comprehensive and precise guidance for industrial development. With the rapid development of digital technology, the combination between industrial 3E research and digital twin [145] and other digital transformations will become an important direction for future research. For example, by utilizing big data [146], artificial intelligence [147], and other technological means, energy, environmental, and economic data can be monitored and analyzed in real time [148], for example, by using the new open-source-integrated assessment model pymedeas [149] to address energy transition issues by considering biophysical constraints, raw material availability, and climate change impacts, providing policymakers with a more precise decision-making basis. The combination of the LCA research system [150] and 3E research system has important theoretical and practical significance. The LCA research system, which includes a comprehensive environmental–economic–social evaluation [151], has basically the same purpose and research content as the 3E research system. In terms of the environment, the LCA research system mainly focuses on the environmental impact during the life cycle process [152], including resource consumption, pollution generation, and ecological benefits. The 3E research system, however, conducts a comprehensive evaluation from the three dimensions of environment, economy, and society, emphasizing sustainable development. In terms of the economy, the LCA research system rarely involves the evaluation of economic benefits [153]. In contrast, the 3E research system includes economic benefits in its evaluation scope, focusing on the economic rationality of the industry. In terms of society, the LCA research system is closely related to social evaluation, but current research is still not perfect [154]. The 3E research system emphasizes social equity, well-being, and human development, complementing the LCA research system. Through the deep integration of the 3E framework and the LCA framework, a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits of the industry can be conducted, providing strong support for industrial development. The deep integration of the 3E research framework and the LCA research framework can effectively evaluate the system coordination of the industry and also achieve a comprehensive evaluation of LCA based on 3E. This integration helps to evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the industry more comprehensively and deeply. In future research, the integration of these two research systems should be further deepened to further promote the green development of the industry.

5.3. Expansion of Industry 3E Research Scale

In the context of globalization, predictive regulation and control play an increasingly important role in industrial development. This is mainly reflected in resource integration, market forecasting, risk prevention, and other aspects. With frequent flows of resources among countries, the sustainability of industries mainly considers the economic and environmental impacts of industrial clusters, and there is usually a trade-off between increasing profits and reducing environmental impacts [155]. Predictive regulation and control can help industries better grasp the supply of resources, advance the allocation of resources, and ensure the smooth progress of production. As market information becomes increasingly transparent, it can correctly identify the nonlinear relationship between industrial economic growth, energy consumption, and pollutant emissions [156]; further analyze market development trends; help industries formulate reasonable production strategies; and improve market competitiveness. Development has brought more uncertainties and risks. Barnosell Irene pointed out that as the planetary boundaries framework suggests, it is necessary to shift to a greener industrial model, comparing its impacts with the ecological capacity of the earth to assess the absolute sustainability level of the chemical industry [157]. Predictive regulation and control can help industries identify and evaluate risks early [158], formulate response measures, and reduce risks. Future research can focus on the application of industrial 3E in the field of planetary boundaries, exploring how to promote the development of industrial 3E through predictive regulation and control. With the continuous popularization of the concept of sustainable development, the internationally proposed sustainable development goals indicate that the combination of industrial 3E research and sustainable development will become an important direction for future research. Researchers established a Meta-coupling framework and its relationship with sustainability, indicating that Meta-coupling and other factors affect the sustainability of each system and the globe; that is, the key themes of future research include the cascade effects of events in one place on other places nearby and far away (regional coupling) [159]. Future research should focus on exploring how to promote the development of green industries by establishing coupling frameworks.

The research on industry 3E has different development laws and characteristics at different spatial scales, which need to be paid attention and discussed in a targeted manner. At the urban scale, the research on industry 3E should focus on the economic development of various industries within the city, exploring the relationship between different industries and their impact on the overall economy of the city [160]. It is also necessary to consider the allocation efficiency and liquidity of various production factors within the city as well as the status and role of the city in the regional and even global industry chain [161]. At the provincial scale, the research on industry 3E needs to examine the industrial layout, industrial structure, and competitive advantages of the province from a macro perspective. It studies the pillar industries, emerging industries, and potential industries in the province and explores how to promote the transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development of industries through policy guidance and market mechanisms. At the national scale, the research on industry 3E involves a broader scope and higher complexity. It needs to analyze the overall industrial system, international competitiveness, and industrial cooperation relationships with other countries and regions in the world from a macro perspective. When conducting research on industry 3E at different scales, such as cities, provinces, and countries, it is necessary to fully consider their respective characteristics and needs, adopt multi-level and multi-angle research methods, and comprehensively and deeply explore the laws and trends of industrial development. See Figure 5.

6. Conclusions

The development of the industry must not solely focus on economic benefits but rather demands a comprehensive approach that takes into account environmental performance, energy conservation, emission reduction, and economic costs. By doing so, the industry can effectively respond to climate change and foster sustainable development from a broader perspective. Based on the Web of Science Core Collection database, this study screened out 144 papers with the keywords of “energy, environment, economy, and 3E”. Through further manual screening and objective analysis of the relevant research based on the industrial system, 131 papers were selected for further research and analysis. The bibliometric analysis results show that the number of published articles in 2022 is the largest, with 29 articles. The Journal of Cleaner Production is the journal with the largest number of publications, and China is the country with the most 3E research. The keyword co-occurrence results show that the industrial 3E research mainly focuses on energy consumption, environmental impact, and sustainable development. The industrial 3E research mainly focuses on the interaction mechanism and system coupling as well as system coordination among the three subsystems of energy, economy, and environment, aiming to evaluate the degree of industrial sustainable development or system coordination and propose targeted improvement decision-making suggestions.

Currently, most scholars use energy–economy–environment methods to evaluate and analyze industries, mostly targeting specific industries such as coal, materials, and construction. The research approach mainly involves selecting relevant indicators and using calculations to assess the industry’s coordination and coupling coordination. A small portion of research combines methods such as system dynamics, scenario analysis, and sensitivity exploration. Research is often conducted at the scale of cities, single industries, and relatively small regions, without forming a unified comparison that could provide readers with a better understanding of the current status of the 3E in the industry.

Due to limitations in the database search, a total of 144 relevant articles were found. This study conducted a preliminary exploration of research on the 3E in industries, but there are still many areas that have not been thoroughly covered. Future research directions ought to place greater emphasis on the industry’s 3E, encompassing research fields, methodologies, and scales. The research fields should shift from the existing research directions towards agriculture, fisheries, renewable energy, and other areas to evaluate the energy–economy–environmental coupling coordination of specific applications in certain crops, livestock industries, and renewable energy industries in a particular region. The research methodologies should combine existing evaluation and prediction methods with 3E methods such as life cycle assessment, system dynamics, and predictive model construction. At the same time, they should also be integrated with digital technologies, utilizing big data, artificial intelligence, and other technical means to provide policymakers with precise decision-making bases. The research scales should focus more on conducting large-scale systematic research on urban, regional, and national industrial systems while also paying attention to the coupling relationships within and between industrial systems. This is expected to provide technical support and data support for the sustainable development of industrial systems at the planetary boundary level.