Abstract Buildings contribute significantly to global energy consumption, positioning them as pivotal to achieving global sustainability and climate goals. Although renewable energy technologies hold significant transformative potential, their integration into building systems is hindered by fragmented technological, economic, policy, and social dimensions. This systematic review addresses the existing lack of holistic synthesis by examining peer-reviewed studies published from 2019 to the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. Methodologically, the study adheres to the PRISMA 2020 framework to ensure transparency and replicability and employs bibliometric analysis to map thematic clusters across disciplines. Five major themes emerged from the synthesis: photovoltaic integration, retrofitting strategies, governance frameworks, smart grid applications, and stakeholder acceptance. Analysis highlights notable regional disparities, with Western Europe and East Asia demonstrating higher integration rates due to robust policy structures and established financial incentives. Conversely, regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America continue to experience significant barriers linked to financing constraints, regulatory fragmentation, and infrastructural limitations. Community-led microgrid initiatives in Kenya and Brazil emerge as exemplars of successful context-sensitive, low-cost renewable integration, emphasizing the value of inclusive governance and localized solutions. The review reconceptualizes buildings as active socio-technical nodes within decentralized energy networks rather than passive energy infrastructures. For renewable energy integration to progress effectively, coordinated systemic efforts spanning technical innovation, adaptive governance, and behavior-sensitive policy design are imperative. These insights carry substantial implications, offering actionable guidance for policymakers, engineers, and urban planners seeking equitable, contextually appropriate, and scalable renewable energy transitions within the built environment.
Climate governance is entering a period of turbulence, with policy reversals in some democracies and rapid expansions elsewhere. This paper compares how centralized, decentralized (federal), and polycentric/hybrid governance designs shape mitigation and adaptation outcomes. Using a qualitative comparative approach across China, the United States, Canada, Türkiye, Norway, and Saudi Arabia, assessing policy ambition, legal instruments, implementation capacity, subnational authority, stakeholder participation, finance mobilization, and equity considerations. A qualitative comparative approach is applied across six country cases - China, the United States, Canada, Türkiye, Norway, and Saudi Arabia - evaluating policy ambition, legal instruments, implementation capacity, subnational authority, stakeholder participation, finance mobilization, and equity considerations. Insights are then extended to the Central Asian context, where climate governance remains predominantly centralized, shaped by Soviet-era institutional legacies, uneven local capacity, and constrained civic participation. The analysis demonstrates that no model is universally superior; the most effective arrangements combine top-down coherence with bottom-up experimentation and social legitimacy. Norway’s polycentric governance model and Türkiye’s hybrid approach illustrate how localized climate planning can be integrated within broader national frameworks. For Central Asia, pragmatic hybrid pathways are recommended that align national targets and financing with empowered regional pilots, transparent monitoring, and inclusive engagement. These context-sensitive combinations offer the best prospects for durable emissions reductions, climate resilience, and just transition outcomes in the region.
This deliverable examines political economy barriers to climate policy through sectoral entry points that can make transitions more just, feasible, and developmentcompatible. It focuses on three areas where governance and politics strongly shape outcomes: coal transition strategies, carbon pricing, and international finance. Across these domains, the report draws on seven peer-reviewed studies and working papers to highlight five strategic entry points: i) decentralized just transition planning, ii) clean industrial development, iii) revenue recycling with social protection, iv) strategic framing and coalition building for carbon taxes, and v) equity-focused international finance reforms. Coal transitions are shown to depend on domestic contexts. Comparative analysis of 12 coal-relevant countries reveals six distinct clusters of political economy dynamics, ranging from civil society-driven transition in South Africa to contested transition pathways in India and Indonesia. Case studies stress the need for regionally tailored approaches. Carbon pricing is politically viable when embedded in broader fiscal or political agendas. Evidence from 46 global policy attempts underlines the role of coalitions, leadership, and framing co-benefits. Microsimulations for 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries show regressive impacts, with many highly affected households lacking social protection. The international finance analysis assesses the G7 pledge and Clean Energy Transition Partnership, tracking shifts in public finance for energy across income groups. While fossil fuel support has declined, clean energy funding has not risen proportionally, remains loan-heavy, and is concentrated in wealthier nations. Low-income countries receive negligible concessional flows, while G7 members continue expanding domestic fossil infrastructure. The study recommends embedding distributive justice into finance governance, scaling grant-based clean energy support for the Global South and aligning domestic actions with international commitments.
Benjamin Chemouni, 10th European Conference of African Studies (ECAS)
This paper examines how international green finance is both shaped by and reshapes local political economies, using the case of Rwanda to illustrate these dynamics. Focusing on the Green Climate Fund (GCF) subsidy for adaptation projects in Gicumbi district in the North of the country, the paper demonstrates how national and local elites have leveraged GCF funding not only to enhance resilience against climate impacts in rural areas but also to further their interests and consolidate political authority. At the national level, this has manifested in the realignment of key policies related to adaptation, villagization, and agriculture, while also altering the distribution of power and resources among some political elite. Specifically, GCF funding has driven institutional rearrangements within the state apparatus, stifling decentralization and strengthening certain ministries and agencies at the expense of others. At the sub-national level, local governments have reinterpreted green finance frameworks to navigate local constraints and maximise political survival. This has occasionally disrupted traditional power dynamics, disempowering some segments of the local elite in favour of other actors in the small capitalist class, national elites, and security actors. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Rwanda and policy analysis, the paper contributes to understanding how international climate finance gets localised and its capacity to alter governance structures and power relations in the Global South.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this concept paper is to address the role of governance in the process of regional transition, by analyzing the concept of transition and its implications for regional sustainability, and highlighting their socio-technical, institutional, and governance dimensions. METHOD: This study is based on the selected review of the literature providing insights into sustainability transitions, regional development, and decentralization. FINDINGS: Transition is a long-term, multidimensional shift shaped by innovation, societal pressures, and governance structures. Regional transitions integrate development and sustainability agendas but often face barriers such as technocratic bias, limited social participation, and misaligned public finance. Decentralization models ‒ political, fiscal, and administrative ‒ shape how regions navigate these transitions. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study synthesizes transition theory with regional development and decentralization frameworks, offering an integrated perspective on how governance arrangements influence sustainable regional transformation. KEYWORDS: governance, regional transition, decentralization. JEL: R11, R58.
Citizen participation and photovoltaics (PV) are increasingly important as energy systems transition towards decentralization and sustainability. However, tenants, low-income groups, and homeowners with unsuitable roofs are often excluded from investing in PV systems. Citizen-financed photovoltaic (CiFi PV) projects offer a more inclusive approach by collectively financing large-scale solar installations. This study explores and compiles the various motivational factors that underlie CiFi PV participation and compares the prevalence of these factors among participants and project developers. By combining the two perspectives for the first time, we provide a comprehensive understanding of the motivations behind CiFi PV participation. Based on 32 interviews across multiple Swiss CiFi PV projects, we identify 27 motivations categorized into seven overarching themes. The most prevalent factor for both groups is the opportunity for citizens to individually contribute to solar power deployment through tangible projects aligned with their values. While most motivational factors are relevant for both groups, a few are more prevalent among participants, such as the opportunity to use liquid assets, becoming a role model, and proving solar power viable and profitable. While CiFi PV projects are often studied from an energy community perspective, our results show that interviewees value collective action through individual contributions without explicitly referring to community-related aspects. We thus suggest that CiFi PV projects represent a manifestation of energy citizenship. To promote CiFi PV projects and their potential to engage various kinds of individuals, policymakers should expand regulatory frameworks focused solely on community projects to support individual participation in the energy transition. • We explore motivations for participating in citizen-financed (CiFi) PV projects. • There exists a wide range of motivational factors that match among participants and project developers. • Drivers of CiFi PV participation are based on collective rather than community action. • We suggest that CiFi PV projects are a manifestation of energy citizenship. • Policymakers must go beyond energy community regulations to promote CiFi PV.
Open access
Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy
Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development
Urban water services in secondary cities across Southeast Asia are frequently shaped less by engineering constraints than by institutional design: overlapping mandates, weak regulatory leverage, and misaligned incentives across levels of government. This study analyzes the governance of urban water services in Zamboanga City, Philippines, using a multi-level institutional approach that integrates Multi-Level Governance theory with the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. Drawing on documentary and policy analysis, administrative and performance data from 2018–2023, and a review of the rules-in-use governing planning, regulation, and financing, the study maps how national agencies, the local government unit, sector regulators, and the Zamboanga City Water District interact in practice. Findings indicate persistent gaps between formal authority and operational control. Service coverage remains limited (approximately 48% of households), non-revenue water is high (exceeding 39%), and tariff recovery is insufficient to sustain capital investment for network expansion and system rehabilitation. Governance outcomes are driven by (1) regulatory overlap and unclear accountability for enforcement, (2) policy mandates that compete with local political authority over priorities and resource allocation, and (3) weak coordination mechanisms that fail to align incentives for performance, investment, and demand management across institutions. The study contributes evidence on how decentralization can reproduce fragmentation without credible coordination and accountability instruments. It identifies reform directions centered on clarifying regulatory authority, strengthening performance-based accountability, and improving the financial architecture for investment—aimed at enabling service expansion, reducing losses, and enhancing the sustainability of urban water provision in decentralized settings.
In the face of escalating environmental concerns and the urgent need for sustainable development, this research article embarks on a meticulous examination of the intricate landscape of sustainable energy economics. Our comprehensive review navigates through recent advancements, challenges, and potential pathways, shedding light on the economic implications of transitioning towards sustainable energy sources.The introduction sets the stage by emphasizing the critical role of sustainable energy in mitigating climate change while simultaneously fostering economic growth. Against this backdrop, the literature review meticulously dissects existing research, providing a foundation for the exploration of recent developments.The analysis begins by scrutinizing global sustainable energy policies, dissecting their economic implications. Policies targeting renewable energy sources are evaluated for their effectiveness, laying the groundwork for a nuanced understanding of the economic ramifications of sustainable energy initiatives.Delving into the financial dimensions, the article explores innovative investment and financing models propelling sustainable energy projects. This includes an examination of public-private partnerships, green bonds, and other mechanisms that mobilize funds for the critical transition towards eco-friendly energy sources.A pivotal aspect of this comprehensive review is the scrutiny of technological innovations. Advancements in solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources are evaluated, along with an exploration of energy storage, smart grids, and decentralized systems. This section underscores the transformative potential of emerging technologies and their consequential economic impacts.Beyond the monetary considerations, our research investigates the broader socio-economic co-benefits associated with sustainable energy adoption. Job creation, poverty alleviation, and improved public health are discussed as positive externalities, contributing to a holistic understanding of the multifaceted impacts of sustainable energy initiatives.However, the research doesn't shy away from addressing challenges and potential trade-offs. Intermittency issues, infrastructure costs, and potential disruptions to existing industries are examined, providing a balanced perspective on the hurdles that must be navigated in the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions.The article further reinforces theoretical concepts through insightful case studies, showcasing regions that have successfully implemented sustainable energy strategies. These real-world examples offer practical insights into effective policy design and implementation, enhancing the applicability of the research findings.As the review concludes, it synthesizes key findings, emphasizing the necessity of a comprehensive understanding of sustainable energy economics for shaping a resilient and environmentally conscious future. The future outlook section provides foresight into potential advancements and challenges, offering practical recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders navigating the complex landscape of sustainable energy.In summary, this comprehensive review encapsulates the dynamic interplay between economics and sustainability in the realm of energy. It serves as a valuable resource for policymakers and stakeholders alike, providing a roadmap towards a future where economic prosperity aligns seamlessly with environmental stewardship through advancements in sustainable energy economics.
Millions of people in Uganda are in need of urgent climate adaptation. The current central government-led top-down projects are inefficient and ineffective. These projects financed by multi-lateral global climate funds have limited impact at community level. The Local Climate Living Adaptation facility (LoCAL) through its Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants to local governments is much more efficient and effective. True last mile delivery of climate adaptation can be accomplished through the bottom-up District Development Planning process by assessing climate issues and capturing adaptation needs in village proposal sheets and turn them into Village Climate Adaptation Plans. To be able to rapidly provide locally led adaptation, systematically and continuously to the millions of people in need, integration of the three delivery mechanisms is proposed, where the millions of climate finance raised by the central government are channelled to district level as Performance-Based Climate Resilient Grants based on the adaptation needs captured in Village Climate Adaptation Plans.
The political choices made by the European institutions in the last twenty years show how the conviction is increasingly rooted that the management of environmental problems and, more specifically, the fight against climate change can find a valid solution in technology and eco-innovations. This is evident starting from the last two growth strategies adopted (Europe 2020 and the European Green Deal), from the long series of measures implemented to put them into practice and from the main R&I funding programs, such as Horizon Europe. In this context, the problem of justice and inclusiveness of the various initiatives implemented is attracting growing attention. In fact, if the institutional documents assume that green and smart participated projects are also fair and inclusive, a growing body of literature based on empirical studies seems to refute this assumption. Within this framework, the present work analyses first the critical literature and then the three main preparatory documents for the Horizon Europe Mission Climate-neutral and Smart Cities, which selected 100 European cities to become climate-neutral by 2030. These have been studied through the lens of environmental justice, in order to assess the European Commission's understanding of the existing and arising equity issues in the path toward climate neutrality. The research shows that, while the first two documents seemed informed by the idea that participation automatically translates into equality, the last guidelines show a deeper acknowledgement of the multidimensional nature of environmental justice. One that, beyond participation, also considers issues of distribution, rights, responsibilities and recognition. The present work should nevertheless be understood as a preparatory, analytical tool that will require the further definition and implementation of Climate City Contracts by the selected cities, in order to assess how the issue of environmental justice is effectively being considered in each specific context.
Decentralized energy systems are increasingly recognized as a viable solution for extending electricity access to rural communities underserved by traditional grid infrastructure. However, their sustainability and scalability are often compromised by fragmented governance, limited community participation, and weak institutional coordination. This paper proposes a comprehensive multi-stakeholder governance model tailored to the complexities of decentralized energy delivery in rural contexts. Grounded in governance theory and stakeholder analysis, the model emphasizes five core principles: inclusivity, transparency, accountability, subsidiarity, and resilience. It clearly delineates the roles of government actors, private sector players, communities, and non-governmental organizations, and establishes mechanisms for collaborative decision-making, financial alignment, and adaptive oversight. The paper also explores policy and implementation considerations, including regulatory harmonization, blended financing strategies, and capacity building for local stakeholders. By addressing the institutional gaps that hinder rural electrification efforts, the proposed model contributes both theoretically to energy governance literature and practically to policy design and implementation. It offers a scalable, equitable framework that embeds trust, coordination, and long-term sustainability into decentralized energy transitions.
E. A. Van Der Heijden, B.C. van Mierlo, Stan Majoor, Pieter J. Beers
Abstract Conflict lies at the core of urban sustainability transitions and the indispensable structural changes that accompany them. In this chapter we examine the RESILIO project, a multi-actor collaboration in Amsterdam aiming to transition towards a 'climate proof' city through smart water retention systems on urban roofs. The focus is on the conflict that emerged during discussions about controlling the smart valves on the rooftops which are designed to prevent urban flooding. Using a discourse analytical framework, the study analyses participant interactions, conflicting positions, and discursive strategies employed by the partners involved in the initiative. Participants utilised several discursive strategies, including identity, stake, and accountability management, to manage their positions in the conflict and influence the discourse. The study highlights the challenges of addressing conflict that involves redefining accountability and responsibility between public and private actors in the collaborative setting of transition initiatives. By doing so the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how conflict can shape learning processes and foster sustainable urban transitions.
Abstract The last decade has witnessed several events that had a serious impact on people’s attitudes toward environmental sustainability regionally and globally. This chapter depicts how transboundary cooperative initiatives by states and nonstate actors tackle transboundary air pollution and climate change in East Asia. It also examines the opportunities and challenges we face in the very recent landscape shift toward carbon neutrality and the deepening concerns for climate emergencies. Multilateral cooperative institutions in East Asia have focused on the monitoring of air pollutants and information sharing of related policies and measures among member countries. It should also be noted that there are some transboundary coalitions of independent scholars and research-type NGOs in Northeast Asia who conduct joint research on the decarbonization of energy systems and disseminate up-to-date knowledge and information on decentralized nature-based renewable energy. For further development of transboundary cooperation in East Asia, opportunities exist as an increasing potential for multilateral policy dialogue beyond the borders and broadening partnerships for local and transboundary coalitions with global alliances on the one hand; and challenges in just and safe transition, decarbonization of overseas financing, and seeking energy resilience on the other.
Locally led adaptation recognizes that people closest to the effects of climate change, especially those facing structural marginalization, require the financing and decision-making power to ensure that adaptation investments reflect their priorities. Supporters of locally led adaptation can leverage monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) processes to balance power, promote mutual accountability, elevate local knowledge and priorities, and create value for local actors. This paper recommends a systemic shift toward MEL that is locally led, context-aware, and itself adaptive. It provides steps throughout the MEL cycle and specific approaches, methods and tools that promote local agency in the interest of more effective and equitable locally led adaptation interventions. It builds on the recommendations of the Global Commission on Adaptation to increase decentralization of adaptation finance to the local level, and aims to support implementation of the eight Principles for Locally Led Adaptation that were developed for the Commission.
The transformative turn of innovation policy has resulted in calls for a more entrepreneurial and directional role of the state. However, the multiple roles that the state might play remains underexplored. This paper studies the embedded role of the state in four distinct modes of governance of socio-technical systems. Using a three-pillar analytical model, the paper examines four illustrative cases: cryptocurrencies, smart cities, automated vehicles, and nuclear power. The paper identifies 13 different roles of the state: observer, warner, mitigator, opportunist, facilitator, lead-user, enabler of societal engagement, gatekeeper, promoter, moderator, initiator, guarantor and watchdog. The conceptualization of these roles serves to understand that the transformative agency of the state is leveraged/constrained by the modes of governance, and that it is also ultimately exercised through specific mixes of roles.
Malmö aims to become Sweden’s most climate-smart city and Hyllie, its newest city district, is to lead the way. This ambition is front and centre in the 2011 Climate Contract that envisioned Hyllie as a climate-neutral city district. Malmö signed the Climate Contract with Eon, a multinational energy company. But five years after signing the Climate Contract, Malmö and Eon gave up their goal of a making Hyllie climate-neutral by 2020. The Climate Contract resembles other smart city initiatives that many researchers have criticised for promoting technology-centric, corporation-controlled visions of cities. Assemblage urbanism and the sociology of expectations help to analyse the techno-political dynamics between organisations, visions and urban infrastructure. The realisation of a vision is a techno-political process that requires the coordination of multiple groups around multiple promises. At first, it was the Climate Contract that helped Eon and the city administration to coordinate their activities. Subsequently, Eon made a promise to build wind turbines, and that promise then took precedence in the coordination of their activities. But controversies arose with two publics that emerged in opposition to Eon’s promise: neighbours to the site of the proposed wind turbine and the city’s Property Department. Unable to resolve these controversies, Eon and Malmö acknowledged that they lacked the resources need to make Hyllie climate-neutral. They adapted their original promise to the current state of socio-material assemblages, and Hyllie was demoted from a role model for the climate-smart city to a source of lessons learned.
Open access
Smart Cities and Technologies
Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development
Global energy consumption is expected to increase over the course of this century. Continued generation with the current energy mix is expected to further threaten climate tipping points. In order to meet emissions reduction targets, there has been a global push by governments to increase their share of renewable energy sources (RESs). Adoption has grown across scales, in addition to demand for new market models which allow for more flexible energy distribution. Liberalization of energy markets has expanded the number of actors involved, further contributing to the complexity of the issue. Adapting management systems and market models to better incorporate distributed energy sources poses a unique challenge to current energy system actors. \nInformation and communication technologies (ICT) are increasingly explored as a means of increasing efficiency and enabling more dynamic markets. Among these is distributed ledger technology (DLT), a decentralised, immutable, and cryptographically secured record of transactions which proponents claim can enable peer-to-peer energy trading. As of November 2018, DLT-enabled energy trading remains in an experimental phase. The question of governance has repeatedly been raised without clear strategic visions set for integration into future energy systems. \nThis research is a single case study which employed participatory foresight methods to understand how governance arrangements, actor networks, and innovation policies can be shaped over the first half of the 21st century in order to facilitate a sustainable energy system transformation enhanced by distributed ledger technology. The foresight methods used are visioning, driver mapping, scenario design, and policy-stress testing. Participants came from various levels, roles, and competencies within the energy sector. Several DLT application areas were identified, along with drivers of change, which were used to frame scenario narratives applied later in policy stress-testing. \nResults show that while DLT is not deemed a necessary part of a sustainable energy system transformation, an interactive mode of governance would be most conducive to a future in which it would have a role. Further, results suggest that there are ample opportunities for DLT and/or innovation policies to be co-opted by vested interests and locked into a non-transformative pathway. The importance of data-sharing in enabling sociotechnical change and, moreover, the legitimacy debate surrounding data collection methods is another key insight. This research enriches the robustness of contemporary knowledge on the arrangement and planning for transformative governance structures which can promote opportunities for sustainable development provided by novel technologies such as DLT, in addition to the role of foresight exercises in anticipatory governance.