Insights On and Challenges in Energy Transition During Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery: Energy Cost, Security, Wellbeing, and Other Second-Round Effects

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the critical role of energy sources in economic and environmental management, post-COVID-19 economic recovery preferences, geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, and energy market fluctuations play a major role in economic and political instability. This leads to energy shortages, price volatility, unstable economic recovery, and other second-round effects. In addition, the disruption of energy sources due to conflicts is a major setback in the energy transition process. While clean and sustainable energy transitions are required to meet the 2030 SDGs and COP27 commitments, the reality is that costs are high due to inflation and the loss of household purchasing power and company competitiveness. In addition, investments in green, clean, renewable, and carbon-free energy technology are causing a crowding-out effect on the investments required to revive the traditional industry after the COVID-19 crisis. This may cause countries to expend more economic resources to diversify their energy mix options and avoid unwanted second-round effects, such as energy cuts, high prices, poor wellbeing, etc. Another second-round effect is increased debt, since public programs are being carried out through debt issuance and fiscal expansion, which negatively affect businesses and families. Therefore, an increased understanding of the post-COVID-19 energy problem is required to achieve better management. Further research is essential for a sustainable energy transition with the minimum conditions of energy security, increased wellbeing, reduced costs, and fewer unwanted effects.

Possible themes for the guidelines include, but are not limited to, the following:

• A way forward for a secure and resilient energy transition in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery process;
• The perils of conflicts and natural disasters in energy transition;
• Second-round effects of energy transition (i.e., inflation);
• Challenges and opportunities to develop alternative energy sources as part of economic recovery plans;
• New geoeconomical scenarios in energy transition, such as de-coupling, nearshoring, friendshoring, etc.;
• Energy security measures for transitioning to a low-carbon economic recovery process;
• Energy diversification and an economic recovery goal that balances parameters and provides a way forward;
• The role of FinTech in energy security and the sustainable energy transition in the post-COVID-19 recovery process;
• Energy efficiency policies and strategies for energy security in post-COVID-19 recovery plans;
• The roles of financial institutions and green investment in the sustainable energy transition;
• The role of energy-exploring economies in transitioning to a more sustainable energy mix during the post-COVID-19 economic recovery process;
• Energy security, transition challenges, and potential risks in economic growth, sustainable environments, and climate change mitigation targets;
• Energy interconnections between sustainable investments and technologies that contribute to promoting energy security cooperation, a sustainable energy transition, economic recovery, and sustainable environmental management;
• The impact of Green Deal policies on the European Union and OECD members.

Dr. Antonio Sánchez-Bayón
Dr. Mohamed Elheddad
Guest Editors

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