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Advances in Energy Systems for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Development Goals towards Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 2256

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Department of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology, 190 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5608, USA
Interests: sustainable development; energy access; renewable energy; energy policy; decentralized energy systems; energy system planning; energy data analytics

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Guest Editor
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
Interests: energy for climate-aware development; integrated energy development; energy systems planning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations constitute a strategic blueprint for the realization of a more equitable and sustainable global future. Within this framework of seventeen interconnected objectives, SDG 7 is specifically directed at ensuring universal access to sustainable, affordable, and dependable modern energy sources. The nexus between energy consumption and human development is a well-established paradigm. Consequently, achieving SDG 7 is not an isolated objective but rather a prerequisite and powerful driver for achieving the attainment of other SDGs. This includes, but is not limited to, the facilitation of economic growth, enhancement of healthcare delivery, the improvement of living conditions, mitigation of inequality, and the abatement of environmental impact.

Energy-poverty-related and anthropogenically induced climate change are intrinsically linked through technological systems such as fossil-fuel-driven electricity networks, which provide billions of individuals with affordable, high-value energy. Thus, there is an emerging consensus that it is crucial to tackle energy poverty in a manner that is both environmentally and economically sustainable. This necessitates the deployment of innovative technological solutions, institutional frameworks, policy solutions, and market mechanisms. Bringing together knowledge and insights from diverse scientific disciplines, coupled with the fusion of empirical knowledge derived from research and practice, will generate the requisite evidence needed to confront the multifaceted challenges in the nexus of energy poverty, environmental sustainability, and sustainable socio-economic development.

As such, the primary objective of this Special Issue is to explore and advance our understanding of the intricate interplay among technology, policy, and market progress within energy systems and their manifold dimensions in facilitating the achievement of sustainable development goals.

In this Special Issue, authors are warmly invited to submit original research articles and reviews that explore the systems-level interaction of innovative energy technologies, policy, environmental sustainability, and progress toward the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Research areas may include (but are not limited to):

  • Transdisciplinary energy research.
  • Cross-sectoral synergies and tradeoffs, highlighting the interdependencies of energy with other SDGs.
  • Examination of community engagement and empowerment, encompassing the social and cultural dimensions of energy access and sustainability.
  • Exploration of decentralized energy solutions.
  • Inquiry into the climate resilience of energy systems.
  • Application of data analytics to advance energy systems for sustainability and development.
  • Innovations in policy frameworks, regulatory frameworks, and market mechanisms aimed at promoting sustainable development and addressing energy poverty.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Nathan Williams
Dr. June Lukuyu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable development goals
  • energy systems
  • climate resilience
  • transdisciplinary
  • energy access
  • energy policy
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 821 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Renewable Energy Product Consumption of Young Customers Through Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
by Thi Hoang Ha Tran and Tuan Duong Vu
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 3784; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17093784 - 23 Apr 2025
Abstract
This study aims to assess the influence of various factors on young customers’ intention to purchase renewable energy products by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model. Based on data collected from 690 respondents, the results of the SEM model analysis revealed [...] Read more.
This study aims to assess the influence of various factors on young customers’ intention to purchase renewable energy products by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model. Based on data collected from 690 respondents, the results of the SEM model analysis revealed that the intention to purchase renewable energy products is influenced by all three primary TPB constructs: attitude toward renewable energy products, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm. Furthermore, knowledge of sustainable development goals significantly affects perceived behavioral control, attitude toward renewable energy products, and intention to purchase renewable energy products. Additionally, perceived government policies uncertainty emerged as a significant barrier to the intention to purchase renewable energy products. Conversely, trust in retailers has no impact on the purchasing intention. Notably, this study identifies the indirect effect of sustainable development goals (SDGs) knowledge on the intention to purchase renewable energy products through the mediating roles of attitude toward renewable energy products and perceived behavioral control. Based on these findings, this study makes both theoretical and practical contributions, proposing several implications for businesses and policymakers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Systems for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))
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19 pages, 3522 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Potential of Marine Renewable Energy in Mexico: Socioeconomic Needs, Energy Potential, Environmental Concerns, and Social Perception
by M. Luisa Martínez, Valeria Chávez, Rodolfo Silva, Gisela Heckel, Erika Paola Garduño-Ruiz, Astrid Wojtarowski, Gabriela Vázquez, Octavio Pérez-Maqueo, Carmelo Maximiliano-Cordova, Karla Salgado, Rosario Landgrave, Efraín Mateos and Erik Tapia
Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 7059; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167059 - 17 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1808
Abstract
Although the literature on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is vast worldwide, studies in Mexico focusing on Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) and SDGs are only beginning to emerge. Despite this academic gap, Mexico has signed up for the United Nations SDGs, which include producing [...] Read more.
Although the literature on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is vast worldwide, studies in Mexico focusing on Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) and SDGs are only beginning to emerge. Despite this academic gap, Mexico has signed up for the United Nations SDGs, which include producing clean and affordable energy and reducing CO2 emissions to slow global warming. The country is, therefore, committed to implementing measures to help achieve these goals. This study is the first multidisciplinary analysis performed at a national level in Mexico, aimed at identifying sites for efficient Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) production while considering socioeconomic needs, environmental risks, and societal acceptance of the new technologies. We first calculated the energy potential from nearshore winds, waves, marine currents, and offshore thermal gradients. The results show that electricity needs are greater in the 11 states where levels of marginalization are highest. The production of MRE is feasible in three of these regions. However, because Mexico is home to significant natural coastal ecosystems and protected species, care is necessary to produce electricity while protecting Mexico’s megadiversity. Social perception of the use of MRE is variable: the inhabitants of some locations are willing to accept the new technologies, whereas those in others are not. MRE production in Mexico is feasible but will face environmental and social issues that must be addressed before deploying new devices in the oceans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Energy Systems for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))
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