A comprehensive review of progress in sustainable development goals from energy and environment perspectives

Abstract

Given the increasing negative impact of environmental issues, mainly caused by high energy use, it is becoming increasingly important to focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In light of these critical issues, this study comprehensively reviews the contemporary environment and energy-related literature from the point of view of SDGs so that the progress of the SDGs can be viewed from both environment and energy perspectives. Accordingly, the study undertakes a global scale by conducting a systematic review approach, identifying 2826 and 1917 articles in environment- SDGs and energy- SDGs areas in SCOPUS database. Through examination of these studies, the outcomes show that: (i) the number of SDGs-related studies has been increasing since 2015 and the number of environment-SDGs studies has exceeded the number of energy-SDGs studies; (ii) in the environment-SDGs studies, sustainable goals, renewable energy, and climate change are the basic themes, but it has changed from 2015 through 2022; (iii) in the energy-SDGs studies, renewable energy, sustainable development, and economic development terms have become motor themes after 2020; (iv) although climate action topic is in the niche theme before 2018, it is categorized as an “emerging or declining” theme after 2020; (v) most of the studies have been published by journals from Springer, MDPI, and Elsevier; (vi) the most prolific authors are from Tsinghua and Cyprus International Universities in environment-SDGs and energy-SDGs studies, in that order. This review assesses the emerging trends in the SDG-related environment and energy literature. Accordingly, policy implications and future research to support the achievement of the SDGs are discussed.