Sustainable Energy: Concept and Definition in the Context of the Energy Transition - A Critical Review
Open accessPublished version of a preprint
Abstract
The term sustainable energy is very familiar to all of us yet its exact definition or meaning has so far been vague. To date the widely adopted definition of sustainable energy has been inspired by the definition of sustainable development formulated more than 30 years ago in the Our Common Future - the UN’s Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. The current definition conceals the true spirit of the Report and this has some ramifications. It raises the question as to whether we have put too much emphasis on attaining the future dimension of sustainability in the middle of the situation where the energy survivability is in fact the real issue in many parts of the world. In this paper the role of energy in sustaining livelihoods of low income communities is discussed. Existing definition of sustainable energy that the whole world seems to have embraced is looked at critically and its downsides exposed. The identified pillars of sustainable energy and the associated issues is discussed and the need for an additional pillar, i.e. affordability is discussed and called for. This paper will argue that global definition of sustainable energy seems inappropriate and should be jettisoned and a more realistic definition should be formulated, adopted and embraced at local (i.e. national or regional) level taking into account local attributes and factors. The current push for a transition from the reliance on conventional energy sources to ‘cleaner’ energy sources (generally associated with renewable energy) has further exacerbated the issue of energy affordability that has made the conditions even more dire for so many groups of the world population. In the midst of this situation, those who push for a rushed energy transition seem to be those who also produce unsustainably high carbon footprint but who can easily offset their carbon foot-print through the ‘net-zero’ concept.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Second-generation biofuels face higher capital costs due to complex pre-treatment and conversion processes, though cost reductions are anticipated with technological maturation and integrated biorefinery concepts.
“Secondgeneration biofuels face even higher capital costs [390] due to complex pre-treatment and conversion processes, though cost reductions are anticipated with technological maturation and integrated biorefinery concepts valorizing co-products [252,391].”
From Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions (2025) · cites this paper as [390]
Section 6 discusses the cost of renewable-energy systems generally, but does not address second-generation biofuels or their capital costs. Searches for second-generation biofuels, pre-treatment, conversion processes, and biorefineries found no passage supporting the claim attributed to this source. (LLM, conf=0.77)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCurrent EU tank-to-wheel emissions accounting tends to favor electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by not fully accounting for upstream emissions from electricity generation or manufacturing of vehicles and batteries.
“The current EU TTW emissions accounting approach tends to favor electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by not fully accounting for upstream emissions from electricity generation or the manufacturing of vehicles and batteries [390].”
From Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions (2025) · cites this paper as [390]
The Abstract and Section 7 discuss the energy transition and emissions generally, but neither addresses EU tank-to-wheel accounting. Searches for TTW accounting and for vehicle, battery, and electricity-production emissions found no passage supporting the claimed accounting bias toward electric or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.
Schiavon, S., & Zecchin, R. (2007) · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · Cited by 16,994 · see citing works
Climate Change 2014 Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability
(IPCC), I. P. O. C. C. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781107415379 · Cited by 14,874 · see citing works
Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
(IPCC), I. P. O. C. C. (2023) · doi:10.1017/9781009325844 · Cited by 8,473 · see citing works
Energy justice: A conceptual review
Jenkins, K. E. H., McCauley, D., Heffron, R. J., Stephan, H. R., & Rehner, R. (2015) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2015.10.004 · Cited by 2,261 · see citing works
Adaptive thermal comfort and sustainable thermal standards for buildings
Nicol, F., & Humphreys, M. (2002) · Energy and Buildings · doi:10.1016/s0378-7788(02)00006-3 · Cited by 1,864 · see citing works
Economic Theory and Exhaustible Resources
Dasgupta, P., & Heal, G. (1980) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511628375 · Cited by 1,485 · see citing works
A Global Assessment: Can Renewable Energy Replace Fossil Fuels by 2050?
Holechek, J. L., Geli, H. M. E., Sawalhah, M. N., & Valdéz, R. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14084792 · Cited by 1,441 · see citing works
Kuhlman, T., & Farrington, J. H. (2010) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su2113436 · Cited by 1,363 · see citing works
Peer Review: A Flawed Process at the Heart of Science and Journals
Smith, R. (2006) · Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine · doi:10.1177/014107680609900414 · Cited by 880 · see citing works
Global fishery prospects under contrasting management regimes
Costello, C., Ovando, D., Clavelle, T., Strauss, C. K., Hilborn, R. W., Melnychuk, M. C., Branch, T. A., Gaines, S. D., Szuwalski, C., Cabral, R. B., et al. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1520420113 · Cited by 699 · see citing works
Energy indicators for sustainable development
Vera, I., & Langlois, L. (2006) · Energy · doi:10.1016/j.energy.2006.08.006 · Cited by 483 · see citing works
How Will Energy Demand Develop in the Developing World?
Wolfram, C., Shelef, O., & Gertler, P. (2012) · The Journal of Economic Perspectives · doi:10.1257/jep.26.1.119 · Cited by 400 · see citing works
Thermal comfort for naturally ventilated houses in Indonesia
Feriadi, H., & Ng, E. (2004) · Energy and Buildings · doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2004.01.011 · Cited by 370 · see citing works
Energy, EROI and quality of life
Lambert, J. G., Hall, C. A. S., Balogh, S., Gupta, A. K., & Arnold, M. (2013) · Energy Policy · doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.001 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
The adaptive approach to thermal comfort: A critical overview
Halawa, E., & van Hoof, J. (2012) · Energy and Buildings · doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.04.011 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
Self-citationEcologically Unequal Exchange, Ecological Debt, and Climate Justice
Roberts, J. T., & Parks, B. C. (2009) · International Journal of Comparative Sociology · doi:10.1177/0020715209105147 · Cited by 217 · see citing works
Policy advice: Use experts wisely
Sutherland, W. J., & Burgman, M. A. (2015) · Nature · doi:10.1038/526317a · Cited by 206 · see citing works
The psychology of climate anxiety
Dodds, J. (2021) · BJPsych Bulletin · doi:10.1192/bjb.2021.18 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Energy policies for sustainable livelihoods and sustainable development of poor areas in China
Fan, J., Liang, Y., Tao, A.-J., et al. (2010) · Energy Policy · doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.11.048 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Halawa, E., Chang, K., & Yoshinaga, M. (2015) · Renewable Energy · doi:10.1016/j.renene.2015.04.023 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Self-citationThe role of fossil fuels in a sustainable energy system
Foster, S., & Elzinga, D. (2013) · United Nations chronicle/UN chronicle · doi:10.18356/1007f69a-en · Cited by 36 · see citing works
The Prospect for an Australian–Asian Power Grid: A Critical Appraisal
Halawa, E., James, G. C., Shi, X., et al. (2018) · Energies · doi:10.3390/en11010200 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Self-citationPillan, M., Costa, F., & Caiola, V. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su151914600 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Younis, A., Benders, R. M. J., Ramírez, J., de Wolf, M., & Faaij, A. P. C. (2022) · Energies · doi:10.3390/en15207604 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
LCOE is an undiscounted metric that distorts comparative analyses of energy costs
Loewen, J. (2019) · The Electricity Journal · doi:10.1016/j.tej.2019.05.019 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Wolde, Z., Wu, W., Ketema, H., et al. (2022) · Atmosphere · doi:10.3390/atmos13040638 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
LCOE: A Useful and Valid Indicator—Replica to James Loewen and Adam Szymanski
Kuckshinrichs, W. (2021) · Energies · doi:10.3390/en14020406 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Asia's Energy Adequacy, Environmental Sustainability, and Affordability: An OverviewPreprint
Lee, M., Park, D., & Saunders, H. D. (2014) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2479724 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
The Psychology of Climate Anxiety — ERRATUM
Dodds, J. (2021) · BJPsych Bulletin · doi:10.1192/bjb.2021.58 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Halawa, E., & Bruno, F. (2023) · Energies · doi:10.3390/en16166032 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citationCan further energy reductions be achieved through behaviour changes in low income households?
Trombley, J. B., & Halawa, E. (2017) · Energy Procedia · doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2017.08.022 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citationLevelized cost of energy definition – An economic paradox
Szymański, A. (2020) · The Electricity Journal · doi:10.1016/j.tej.2020.106816 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Energy and the Economics of Sustainability. The Entropy Paradox
Mircea, S. (2014) · Management of Sustainable Development · doi:10.2478/msd-2014-0002 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Lcoe: An Useless Indicator - Replica to Wilhelm KuckshinrichsPreprint
Szymański, A. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4033669 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Solar power can cut living costs, but it’s not an option for many people – they need better support
Linnenluecke, M. K., Marrone, M., & Best, R. (2023) · doi:10.64628/aa.ynyj7phd5 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
How to maximise savings from your home solar system and slash your power bills
Saman, W. Y. (2023) · doi:10.64628/aa.3q6t3rh4t · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 10
- McCubbing, G., Fowler, E. Energy affordability exposes brutal divide between rich and poor -an article in Financial Review published on 2 February 2023 -https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/energy- affordability-exposes-brutal-divide-between-rich-and-poor-20230202-p5chex (Accessed on 6 December 2023).
- Brundtland Report, 1987 -The World Commission on Environment and Development -Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Fanger, P.O. Thermal Comfort: Analysis and Applications in Environmental Engineering; McGraw Hill Book Company: New York, NY, USA, 1970.
- Tester, J.W.; Drake, E.M.; Driscoll, M.J.; Golay, M.W.; Peters, W.A. Sustainable Energy -Choosing Among Options -Second edition -The MIT Press. 2012, p. 10.
- Fuller, R.B. Critical Path; St. Martins Press: New York, NY, USA, 1981.
- Halawa, E. Penalty-reward-pinch (PRP) design for improving sustainability of existing commercial buildings -Chapter 3.1 in: Sustainable retrofitting of commercial buildings -Warm Climates -edited by R. Hyde, N. Groenhout, F. Barram and K. Yeang. Earthscan -Routledge -Taylor and Francis Group, 2013.
- Greenpeace International website. Davos revealed, as global leaders head into World Economic Forum - https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/57867/hundreds-of-ultra-short-private-jet-flights- to-davos-world-economic-forum/ -Accessed 7 December 2023.
- Dove, S. Assumptions of science: 5 reasons you should be skeptical. - https://www.shawndove.com/assumptions-of-science/ -Accessed 7 December 2023. Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 27 December 2023 doi:10.20944/preprints202312.1831.v1 · DOI
- Fleissner, P.; Hofkirchner, W. Entropy and Its Implications for Sustainability -In: Dragan, J.C., Demetrescu, M.C., Seifert, E.K. (Eds.), Implications and Applications of Bioeconomics, Proceedings of the Second International Conference of the E.A.B.S., Palma de Mallorca, 1994, Edizioni Nagard, Milano 1997, 147-155.
- Sutherland, W.J.; Burgman, M. Use experts wisely. Nature. 2015, Vol. 526, pp. 317 -318.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
Yılbaşı, Z. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17136145 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
- Authors
- Halawa, E.
- Affiliations
- Charles Darwin University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Halawa, Edward
- Venue
- Sustainability
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2024-01-31
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1523-1523
- ISSN
- 2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4391748637
- Cited by
- 19
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5
- FWCI
- 1.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Sustainability (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Preprints.org (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Global Energy and Sustainability Research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Renewable energy and sustainable power systems
- Keywords
- sustainable energy, energy transition, sustainable development, energy affordability, low-income communities, livelihoods, renewable energy, net-zero emissions, carbon footprint, local sustainability
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
