sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Evaluation and Utilization of Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 19 January 2026 | Viewed by 827

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical Engineering Department, Insituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
Interests: sustainability; environment; energy; LCA; optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy production and consumption are deeply coupled to major environmental problems such as climate and pollution problems, responsible for many health problems and a decrease in life quality. The social dimension of energy does not end with the abovementioned associated problems, it goes beyond them since energy assures food provision, heating and cooling, mobility, etc., and all of these issues are fundamental to a high standard of living. From an economic point view, energy is also a crucial factor affecting countries’ economies in a very strong way. Energy clearly impacts the pillars of Sustainable Development (economic, environmental, and social), a keystone to achieve it. The recognition of its importance is also evident in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the inclusion of the Sustainable Development Goal number 7 (affordable and clean energy). The use of renewable energy, hydropower, photovoltaics, wind, geothermal, etc., emerge as an important solution to implement Sustainable Development, since it can reduce environmental impacts, provide countries with more resilience as their external energy dependency decreases, and also enhance the social performance of the energy sector. Renewable energy in Sustainable Development implementation should be studied and assessed to verify its benefits and disadvantages and to provide feedback to the different stakeholders.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews related to evaluation and utilization of renewable energy for sustainable development.

Dr. Florinda Martins
Guest Editor

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

  • renewable energy
  • sustainable development
  • photovoltaics
  • wind
  • biofuels

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 1062 KiB  
Article
Socioeconomic Impacts of Renewable Energy Plants Through the Lens of the Triple Bottom Line
by Gustavo de Andrade Melo, Paula Medina Maçaira, Fernando Luiz Cyrino Oliveira and Guilherme Armando de Almeida Pereira
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 4864; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114864 - 26 May 2025
Viewed by 244
Abstract
Investing in renewable energy is a key driver for achieving the objectives outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. In this context, Brazil has stood out, and this study investigates the socioeconomic impacts of different types of renewable energy projects across Brazilian municipalities. The [...] Read more.
Investing in renewable energy is a key driver for achieving the objectives outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. In this context, Brazil has stood out, and this study investigates the socioeconomic impacts of different types of renewable energy projects across Brazilian municipalities. The analysis focuses on projects installed after 2010, from which investments in non-conventional sources have grown substantially in the country. The applied methodology combines Propensity Score Matching and Difference-in-Differences techniques to analyze the average impacts and source-specific effects of hydro, wind, and photovoltaic solar projects on GDP per capita and formal employment. The results indicate an average positive effect of 16.8% on GDP per capita, with wind power having the greatest impact, and 6.7% on formal employment, where hydropower stands out. Therefore, this work provides valuable insights for policymakers and companies, who can use the findings to make decisions and direct investments based on the various dimensions of the Triple Bottom Line. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop