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Towards Sustainability: Advances in Renewable Energy Policy and Environmental Economics
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Towards Sustainability: Advances in Renewable Energy Policy and Environmental Economics

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 June 2026 | Viewed by 9887

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chih-Chun Kung

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, Shandong University, Weihai, China
Interests: climate change mitigation; bioenergy development; energy policy analysis; waste management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tsung-Ju Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Finance, Feng Chia University, Taichung 407802, Taiwan
Interests: mathematical programming; renewable energy development; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability is a critical concern in almost all fields, but the analysis of sustainable development should be investigated on an interdisciplinary basis. For example, a forecast of bioenergy production (i.e., a form of renewable energy) should not be simply estimated by the multiplication of biomass output and its energy content; instead, it is necessary to understand how agricultural activities react if such a production possibility exists. In addition, climate change can also induce substantial changes in temperature and precipitation that alter the foundation of agriculture and subsequently change the cropping decisions made by farmers. Thus, the analysis of bioenergy production becomes an interdisciplinary study that aggregates the concepts of the environment (i.e., climate change), farming activities (i.e., supply chain), and technology progress (i.e., innovations of production strategies and possibilities). Similar situations exist for pollution control studies, climate change mitigation, green development, resource allocation, and welfare analysis.

Based on this concern, this Special Issue aims to invite aggregate studies that provide comprehensive guidance to decision makers who formulate public policies that improve social welfare and practitioners who design new techniques to achieve sustainable environmental management. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The effects of climate change on public-related issues. Theoretical and empirical studies are both welcomed.
  • The consequences of a policy aimed to improve sustainable development. The papers can focus on either economic evaluation or environmental assessment.
  • Lifecycle assessment and techno-economic analysis examine the supply chain or production possibilities of a specific sustainable technology, such as renewable energy, green finance market, ocean management, pollution control, etc.
  • Engineering- or experiment-based studies focus on designing, producing, and utilizing green equipment or facilities.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Chih-Chun Kung
Dr. Tsung-Ju Lee
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-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

  • climate change
  • environmental assessment
  • lifecycle assessment
  • renewable energy
  • green finance market
  • ocean management
  • pollution control

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 764 KB  
Article
Oil Prices, Financial Development, and Urbanization in the Renewable Energy Transition: Empirical Evidence from E-10 Countries
by Erhan Oruç, Ali Rıza Solmaz, Muhammet Rıdvan İnce and Yavuz Kılınç
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10242; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210242 - 16 Nov 2025
Viewed by 534
Abstract
The factors influencing the use of renewable energy in ten significant emerging economies (E-10: Argentina, Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey) are examined in this study for the years 1990–2021. In order to capture both contemporaneous and intertemporal [...] Read more.
The factors influencing the use of renewable energy in ten significant emerging economies (E-10: Argentina, Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey) are examined in this study for the years 1990–2021. In order to capture both contemporaneous and intertemporal drivers of renewable energy demand, the analysis uses dynamic panel techniques (GMM) in conjunction with static panel estimations (fixed and random effects), drawing on a balanced panel dataset. The empirical findings highlight the path-dependent character of the energy transition by pointing to a clear persistence effect, in which previous renewable energy consumption significantly and favorably influences current levels. While oil prices and carbon emissions exert adverse pressures, economic growth and financial development are consistently recognized as key facilitators of the adoption of renewable energy. In several specifications, population growth appears as a constraining factor. Both static and dynamic models show that urbanization has a negative impact on the use of renewable energy. Therefore, incorporating renewable energy considerations into urban development policies may help reverse this trend and promote increased use of renewable energy. When combined, the results show how strategically important it is to promote economic growth, strengthen financial systems, and incorporate sustainability into urbanization processes. The urgent need to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, reroute financial resources toward green investment, and fortify carbon mitigation frameworks are among the policy implications. In the end, the evidence favors a multifaceted policy framework for the E-10 nations to hasten the switch to renewable energy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainability: Advances in Renewable Energy Policy and Environmental Economics)
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29 pages, 1873 KB  
Article
Manure Application and Energy Potential in Southeastern China
by Yufeng Wang, Hua Deng and Chih-Chun Kung
Sustainability 2025, 17(21), 9875; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219875 - 5 Nov 2025
Viewed by 379
Abstract
China has promoted renewable energy development to adjust its energy structure and improve energy security. The decision-makers consider manure-to-energy a feasible possibility because manure contains a substantial amount of organic materials that are potentially useful for generating power, and its use would also [...] Read more.
China has promoted renewable energy development to adjust its energy structure and improve energy security. The decision-makers consider manure-to-energy a feasible possibility because manure contains a substantial amount of organic materials that are potentially useful for generating power, and its use would also alleviate environmental pressures. Southern China, including Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, and Zhejiang provinces, has launched policies to support manure facilities and energy sales. This study employs a lifecycle analysis and techno-economic assessment to evaluate whether manure application could be an economically feasible alternative. The results indicate that the thermophilic system has greater energy potential, and the mesophilic mode can yield greater agronomic benefits with digestate application. Hog manure can generate biopower ranging from 5599 to 5683 GWh, and it is 653 to 1887 GWh for cattle, 2481 to 2963 GWh for poultry manure, and 1109 to 1536 GWh for sheep manure. The aggregate emission offset could also be substantial. If all manures are properly utilized, the net emission offset could be up to 12.07 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, with an aggregate energy revenue of approximately USD 1086 million annually. In addition to the aggregate result, this study also indicates that manure application would yield a profit ranging from USD 8.36 to USD 34.3, and the benefit from biofertilizer would be roughly between USD 27.72 and USD 43.49. Nevertheless, regional characteristics, such as temperature, precipitation, and soil quality, generally influence agricultural systems, and the benefits associated with agrarian feedback would involve a higher uncertainty. On the contrary, energy sales could be considered a more reliable and stable source of income, even without government subsidies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainability: Advances in Renewable Energy Policy and Environmental Economics)
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22 pages, 990 KB  
Article
High-Quality Development of China’s Marine Economy: Green Finance Perspectives (2010–2021)
by Chuanjian Yi, Yu Zhang, Shilong Xi and Kejun Lin
Sustainability 2025, 17(16), 7271; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167271 - 12 Aug 2025
Viewed by 955
Abstract
The explosive growth in marine economy has the capacity to not only revolutionize the marine economic development model but also produce a transition from a marine powerhouse to a marine superpower. China’s 11 coastal provinces and municipalities, capitalizing on their geographic advantages and [...] Read more.
The explosive growth in marine economy has the capacity to not only revolutionize the marine economic development model but also produce a transition from a marine powerhouse to a marine superpower. China’s 11 coastal provinces and municipalities, capitalizing on their geographic advantages and distinct resource endowments, have emerged as principal locations propelling maritime economic growth. In this report, we employ a green finance (GF) framework and analyze panel data from 11 coastal provinces and municipalities in China as obtained over the period from 2010 to 2021. Such an analysis has the capacity to elucidate the driving mechanisms and extent of GF’s influence on the high-quality growth of the marine sector (EQUS). Our results reveal that GF substantially promotes the EQUS, a finding that is consist with that from several robust tests involved with evaluating this relationship. When analyzing the mediating impact of GF, it appears that GF may indirectly enhance the quality and efficiency of the maritime economy by stimulating technical innovations. Results from threshold effects research indicate that the promotional impact of GF is limited by the extent of maritime technical innovation, with levels above a certain threshold markedly increasing the influence of GF. When evaluating the role of heterogeneity, the impact of green money on promotion demonstrates regional and temporal diversity, exhibiting nonlinear traits across various locations and phases of development. In areas with robust economic foundations and developed maritime sectors, the marginal impacts of green financing are significantly enhanced. Based upon these findings, it is recommended that any courses which advance the EQUS should be promoted. Specifically, the augmentation of marine-related innovation skills, cultivation of green technology innovation (TEC), and the optimization of innovative resource distribution represents critical measures to achieve this goal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainability: Advances in Renewable Energy Policy and Environmental Economics)
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23 pages, 702 KB  
Article
Air Quality Benefits of Renewable Energy: Evidence from China’s Renewable Energy Heating Policy
by Aidi Tang, Yunxuan Zhu, Wenjia Gu and Ce Wang
Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9268; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219268 - 25 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5112
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of renewable energy heating on air quality in China, using the Qinling Mountains–Huaihe River line as a quasi-natural experiment to distinguish between regions with central heating and those without. Employing a difference-in-differences approach and analyzing panel data from [...] Read more.
This paper examines the impact of renewable energy heating on air quality in China, using the Qinling Mountains–Huaihe River line as a quasi-natural experiment to distinguish between regions with central heating and those without. Employing a difference-in-differences approach and analyzing panel data from 298 cities between 2014 and 2022, our findings indicate that the renewable energy heating policy has significantly improved air quality. Specifically, the policy led to substantial improvements in air quality, reducing concentrations of key pollutants: SO2 by 28.31%, CO by 7.57%, NO2 by 5.72%, and PM2.5 by 7.15%. The policy’s effects are most pronounced in regions with lower temperatures and in the eastern parts of the country. Further analysis emphasizes the critical role of energy transition, environmental regulations, and government investment in technology as key drivers of these air quality improvements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainability: Advances in Renewable Energy Policy and Environmental Economics)
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18 pages, 4615 KB  
Article
Testing the Effectiveness of Government Investments in Environmental Governance: Evidence from China
by Yiguo Chen, Peng Luo and Tsangyao Chang
Sustainability 2024, 16(14), 5828; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145828 - 9 Jul 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1897
Abstract
The Chinese government has taken many measures to improve the environment, such as directly investing in pollution control infrastructure, but the effectiveness remains to be tested. This paper employs the Toda–Yamamoto test and the Fourier Toda–Yamamoto test to examine the link between environmental [...] Read more.
The Chinese government has taken many measures to improve the environment, such as directly investing in pollution control infrastructure, but the effectiveness remains to be tested. This paper employs the Toda–Yamamoto test and the Fourier Toda–Yamamoto test to examine the link between environmental governance investment and environmental quality in China from 2003 to 2020. PM2.5, which measures air quality, is used here as an indicator of the environment. The results reveal that environmental governance investment has notably lessened the average concentration of PM2.5 in certain regions, indicating a positive effect on environmental quality, albeit with regional variations. Taking structural breaks into consideration, the relationship between environmental governance investment and environmental amelioration is significant in a smaller number of regions. Additionally, the cross-sectional correlation is further scrutinized to assess the essential robustness of the causality between the two variables. The findings lend support to the aforementioned conclusion. These conclusions provide valuable guidance for China’s policymakers in optimizing environmental governance investments to curb pollution and achieve sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainability: Advances in Renewable Energy Policy and Environmental Economics)
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