Sustainable Finance and Energy Transition

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue delves into the critical intersection of sustainable finance and the global energy transition, positioning sustainability as a strategic enabler of both operational and financial efficiency. As economies accelerate toward net-zero targets, aligning capital flows with decarbonization pathways has become essential. The issue explores how innovative financial mechanisms—such as green bonds, ESG-integrated lending, climate risk pricing, and impact investing—can enhance the deployment of renewable energy, modernize energy grids, and support frameworks for a just transition.

Additionally, financial institutions and energy operators can streamline ESG compliance, reduce resource inefficiencies, accelerate project delivery, and improve the scalability of clean infrastructure. This Special Issue invites interdisciplinary research that connects financial innovation with energy policy and operational excellence, providing practical insights for investors, corporate leaders, and policymakers.

Suggested topics are included but not limited to:

• The integration of circular economy principles in energy assets;
• Lean-driven green financing models;
• Cradle-to-grave LCA metrics and ESG scoring models;
• Digital tools for carbon accounting, and performance metrics that effectively capture both financial and environmental returns on investment from efficiency-driven sustainability initiatives.

Ultimately, this collection aims to illustrate how disciplined management practices, strategic capital allocation, and technological innovation can converge to build resilient, low-carbon, and economically viable energy systems for the future.

Dr. Domicián Máté
Dr. István Hágen
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Risk and Financial Management is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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.