Energy Transition for Sustainability: Building a Renewable, Low-Carbon Future
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 2 September 2026 | Viewed by 988
Special Issue Editors
2. Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering, Center of Technology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte–UFRN, Natal 59078-900, Brazil
Interests: energy planning; energy transition; energy poverty; renewable energy sources; climate change
Interests: energy planning; energy transition; sustainable architecture; sustainable cities
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Special Issue, entitled "Energy Transition for Sustainability: Building a Renewable, Low-Carbon Future", unites academic and technical-scientific contributions that concentrate on the critical evaluation of socioeconomic pathways, technological innovations, and regulatory frameworks deemed essential to facilitate the worldwide restructuring of energy systems. The objective is to promote a decarbonised, environmentally sustainable, and socially just energy matrix, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).
The energy transition is conceptually anchored in three strategic pillars: decarbonization, digitalization, and decentralization. The concept of decarbonisation involves a multifaceted approach encompassing the expansion of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and biomass, the advancement of electric mobility, the introduction of green hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, and the implementation of hybrid power plants. Digitalization is defined as the conversion of physical variables into digital data, thereby facilitating the implementation of data intelligence, smart grids, advanced metering infrastructure (smart metering), and smart energy storage solutions. Decentralization can be defined as the strengthening of distributed generation, the expansion of small-scale energy storage, and the implementation of demand response mechanisms, fostering more active consumer participation.
This issue invites interdisciplinary research that addresses the social, economic, technological, and environmental dimensions of the energy transition. Key topics include end-use electrification, energy justice, equity and energy poverty, and the role of governance and digital technologies in enabling more resilient energy systems. The present Special Issue is devoted to fostering dialogue among the disciplines of science, technology, and public policy. It is hoped that this will contribute to the knowledge base needed to shape a sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon energy future that is aligned with global climate goals.
Prof. Dr. Neílton Fidélis Da Silva
Prof. Dr. Sylvia Meimaridou Rola
Dr. Leandro Andrei Beser de Deus
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
- electric mobility
- energy policy
- energy poverty
- energy transition
- just energy transition
- low-carbon development
- renewable energy
- smart grids
- smart metering
- sustainable development goals (SDGs)
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