Energy Price Forecasting and Sustainability on Energy Transition

Dear Colleagues,

In the current complex and rapidly changing international geopolitical landscape, the global energy market has been significantly impacted. In 2022, energy prices experienced the largest surge since the oil crisis of 1973; prices of major food commodities and fertilizers reached their highest levels since 2008. Influenced by geopolitical conflicts, world trade is shifting toward higher-cost modes, and the surge in energy prices may disrupt global plans for transitioning toward clean energy. On one hand, some countries have announced expansions in fossil fuel production; on the other hand, the relationship between energy prices and sustainable development is multi-faceted and complex. Fluctuating energy prices can have significant implications for various aspects of sustainable development, including environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The energy market is under immense pressure, with the nominal prices of certain energy resources reaching historic highs, likely resulting in enduring ripple effects. The sharp increase in energy prices may have a significant influence on the sustainable development of energy, the environment, and the economy, particularly in developing economies. Hence, employing cutting-edge technologies and novel approaches for the precise forecasting of energy and commodity prices across different time scales is of paramount significance in the current context.

This Special Issue will focus on the precise forecasting of bulk commodity prices, particularly energy prices, across various time scales within the context of a sustainable energy transition. It will also examine the economic costs and implications arising from fluctuations in energy prices for the transition toward cleaner energy sources. Furthermore, there will be a specific emphasis on the impacts of energy price fluctuations on sustainable development. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Energy price forecasts, such as natural gas, oil, and coal price forecasts;
• The economic costs and implications of energy price fluctuations on low-carbon transition and sustainable development;
• Energy consumption forecasting at multiple time scales, such as natural gas, oil, and coal consumption;
• Energy consumption, energy transition, and sustainable development;
• Carbon emissions forecasting;
• Machine learning and artificial neural networks;

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Jian Chai
Dr. Quanying Lu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• energy price forecasts
• energy consumption forecasts
• sustainable energy transition
• sustainable development
• carbon emissions