Energy, Sustainability and Society最新文献

{"title":"How to assess trade-offs in sustainability certification of low-ILUC-risk biomass – current status and proposals for best practices","authors":"Beike Sumfleth,&nbsp;Stefan Majer,&nbsp;Daniela Thrän","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00610-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00610-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Indirect land use change (ILUC) is a major challenge for sustainable biomass and bioenergy production. Although the use of low-ILUC-risk practices in sustainability certification could effectively manage ILUC risks, several potential trade-offs can arise from the use of such practices (e.g. biodiversity loss). However, it is not yet clear whether the certification criteria and indicators (C&amp;I) proposed in certification schemes and in the literature to assess these trade-offs are appropriate to certify sustainable low-ILUC-risk biomass. To bridge this gap, this paper presents a structured system for assessing the quality of such C&amp;I to support the improvement of existing C&amp;I and the development of those that are currently lacking.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>Building on a recently published review of trade-offs that can arise in low-ILUC-risk certification, relevant literature was reviewed (such as scientific articles, project reports, standard documents of biofuel certification schemes, documents of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance) to identify and inventory potential certification C&amp;I for a selection of these trade-offs (e.g. resource depletion, water pollution). In addition, defined requirements (e.g. validity of C&amp;I) were used to assess the quality of the C&amp;I. Finally, the C&amp;I were classified according to the fulfillment of the requirements, for which the relative and the absolute ranking of the C&amp;I were considered. Based in this, the quality level of the certification C&amp;I currently in use and potential best practice C&amp;I were identified.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Most of the currently used and the potential best practice certification C&amp;I meet the average quality level. This suggests that they are appropriate to certify the potential trade-offs almost sufficiently. On the other hand, the results indicate that there is still room for improvement and that more research on high-quality certification C&amp;I is needed. In particular, the C&amp;I used to assess increased economic expenses should be revised. In addition, challenges (e.g. audit interval, auditor qualification, data access, response time) and recommendations for improving the C&amp;I are presented.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The assessed C&amp;I can be considered suitable for the sustainability certification of the selected trade-offs. However, these C&amp;I still have room for improvements. The best practice C&amp;I can support voluntary certification schemes and policymakers in improving existing C&amp;I and developing those that are currently lacking. Concrete recommendations for action are presented to overcome the challenges currently facing the sustainability certification of low-ILUC-risk biomass (e.g. required data, lack of requirements for indicator response time).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00610-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"German farmers’ attitudes towards renewable energies, biodiversity, and a combination of both – a case study based on results from an online survey and in-depth interviews","authors":"Karen Baumann,&nbsp;Marie Scheffler,&nbsp;Christine Aka,&nbsp;Manfred Kayser","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00613-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00613-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Renewable energies (REs) are an important part in mitigating climate change but may compete with biodiversity efforts on agricultural land. Using an online survey and narrative interviews, German farmers’ opportunities, limitations and motivations to implement RE, flowering strips (FSs) - as an instrument to increase biodiversity -, and a combination of both on their land were assessed.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>RE implementation is driven by both financial incentives and intrinsic beliefs, even though bureaucratic, legal, and social barriers complicate the process. In the case of biodiversity, the order of motivation was mainly intrinsic. A potential dual-use system in which photovoltaic (PV) systems are installed on a FS, would and could not be implemented by most farmers under current regulations. Financial incentives could increase willingness, even if there is no conviction to promote biodiversity.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Successful adoption of dual-use RE (RE and FS) requires reducing bureaucratic obstacles, designing landscape-integrated solutions, and respecting fertile land, but also the consideration of emotions and observations of farmers. The study points to the importance of understanding the different motivations of farmers in order to develop future policies to support rural transformation processes in economic, environmental, social, and aesthetic terms.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00613-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A socio-technical approach to digitalization and decentralization in the transition of energy systems","authors":"Katja Müller,&nbsp;Sven Karol,&nbsp;Andreas Ortwein,&nbsp;Chima Michael Anyadike-Danes,&nbsp;Martin Möhring,&nbsp;Shamim Ahmed,&nbsp;Kolja Schumacher","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00607-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00607-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Digitalization and decentralization are key factors in energy systems’ transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. With established grid systems and the technical development of distributed energy resources, electricity systems become part of socio-technical transitions that increasingly comprise digitalization.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>This article offers an interdisciplinary perspective on the contemporary challenges that electrical systems face. It is largely focused on developments in Germany, where such changes are informed by shifts in the broader European energy market. Written by and for social, computer, and engineering scientists, it aims to address both the current state of research and open questions resulting from the interplay of these perspectives, allowing for a communication across disciplines which in turn fosters a more comprehensive understanding of what digitalizing electrical grids includes. We employ the potential and challenges of the transition of electricity systems by taking into account technological, technical, political, economic, and social factors.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Looking at the relationship between grids and society, technical developments in electricity production, the principles of programming grid management, and social questions related to labor and technology, we have set out a research agenda for studying the digitalization of electrical grids in an interdisciplinary setting.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00607-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149034877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping a monitoring landscape – review of monitoring systems related to the German bioeconomy","authors":"Christina Zinke,&nbsp;Nora Mittelstädt,&nbsp;Daniela Thrän,&nbsp;Alberto Bezama","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00606-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00606-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Moving away from fossil towards renewable resources to create a sustainable future is possible through the transition to a bioeconomy. Like any system, bioeconomy entails risks such as overexploitation of biotic resources, land and water, loss of biodiversity or social trade-offs. To understand and tackle challenges, systemic monitoring is demanded in the German bioeconomy strategy. Although several studies already analyse, review, develop or propose new indicators, they disregard the considerable number of existing monitoring initiatives that regularly report over longer periods, documenting actual developments. This study reviews such established monitoring systems related to the bioeconomy in Germany, which provide information and data about biomass-producing and processing sectors, energy, ecosystems, natural resources, biodiversity, climate change, and social developments.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>From a variety of 100 identified monitoring initiatives related to bioeconomy in Germany on national, European and global levels, 71 were identified that regularly provide up-to-date, publicly available information. These were classified by their covered sectors, sustainability pillars, and goals of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. The current monitoring landscape comprehensively encompasses biomass production, climate change, and environmental aspects such as ecosystem conservation. However, when considering the specific target areas named in the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, there are weaknesses in the representation of resource utilisation pathways, circularity, innovation and resource efficiency. When building a bioeconomy monitoring system more emphasis should be placed on blue bioeconomy and the protection of marine life, as well as social issues such as food security and clean water. Especially, social aspects are essential for a fair and inclusive transition to a bioeconomy.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The collected bioeconomy-related monitoring initiatives do not cover the bioeconomy as a whole, but they provide insights into specific aspects and could potentially facilitate the selection of indicators in the preparation of a bioeconomy monitoring system. Establishing links between existing initiatives could provide more comprehensive, holistic monitoring adapted to stakeholder needs while reducing monitoring efforts. This review can provide a foundation for identifying synergies and guiding future bioeconomy monitoring efforts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00606-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Causal heuristics for predicting co-benefits from decarbonization and sufficiency: presenting a multi-staged methodology based on Theories-of-Change and causal diagrams","authors":"Jens Teubler,&nbsp;Malte Neumann","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00604-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00604-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Sufficiency is a critical but often overlooked decarbonization strategy. A significant challenge in promoting sufficiency is the difficulty in assessing its social co-benefits, such as improved health outcomes. This study presents a multistaged, iterative methodology designed to facilitate empirical investigations into the direct and indirect causal effects of sufficiency interventions. The primary purpose is to bridge the gap between an ex-ante impact hypothesis, potential impact models and evidence for plausible causal pathways. It helps to identify relevant variables and guides their statistical control.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The methodology employs a four-step heuristic approach combining Inferences-to-the-Best-Explanation logic, Theory-of-Change models, Bayesian epistemology, and causal diagrams. Using the improvement of public transport systems as a case study, the methodology identifies two main pathways to health co-benefits: the reduction of pollutants leading to cleaner air and the increase in physical activity from walking or cycling to transit points. Bayesian credence assessments reveal that while the health benefits from reduced pollution and increased activity are highly credible, the initial “modal shift” from cars to public transport is not a trivial outcome. The results highlight that this shift is heavily moderated by the specific preferences and capabilities of car users. Causal diagrams further enable the distinction between direct and indirect effects, allowing researchers to identify which parameters must be controlled for in empirical studies to accurately predict health outcomes.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The proposed methodology provides a robust blueprint for establishing plausible impact relations in social impact assessments. It successfully closes the gap between qualitative case-oriented research and quantitative population-oriented evaluations. It follows a probabilistic epistemology and is thus open to different types of impact assessment methods, including both impact modelling and conventional statistics. By re-evaluation of pathways in light of evidence, the approach helps researchers avoid causal fallacies and biased expectations. Beyond transport, this iterative framework is adaptable to various sectors, including sustainable finance and scenario analysis, offering a versatile tool for designing more effective decarbonization policies and impact models.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00604-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Protest, pandemic, and war: the political discourse reshaping Germany’s Energiewende","authors":"Sandra Venghaus,&nbsp;Ali Torkayesh,&nbsp;Katharina Böhm,&nbsp;Katrin Arning,&nbsp;Christopher Wood","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00600-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00600-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The ongoing threat of climate change necessitates a comprehensive restructuring of national energy systems, shifting them from a fossil-fuel basis toward low-carbon pathways to achieve substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, this work examines the effects of national and global events on climate change mitigation policy, taking the German energy transition, also known as “<i>Energiewende</i>” as a case study. By tracing shifts in political discourse, this study examines changing prioritizations among energy policy targets and explores the circumstances that shaped discourse developments during periods of crisis and transformation, as well as the role of key triggers or pre-existing “windows of opportunity” presented by political and social events. The analysis places particular emphasis on specific systemic factors, including the <i>Fridays For Future</i> demonstrations, the 2021 government change, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Using a mixed qualitative/semi-quantitative discourse analysis of Bundestag plenary sessions from 2017 to 2022, the study evaluates the ongoing relevance of the energy triangle approach’s qualitative targets. The energy triangle retained its focus on the three primary energy policy objectives despite the occurrence of various significant systemic events. However, the relative prominence of these targets changed over time and temporally coincided with major systemic developments. Within the energy triangle approach, security of supply in particular assumed a distinctive role within the evolving discourse framework.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Examining Germany’s political discourse provides insight into the dynamics of energy policy debates during periods of crisis and transformation. Furthermore, the study demonstrates how analyzing parliamentary debates can inform comparative assessments of energy policy developments in various European countries and beyond.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00600-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How does community energy impact life from an SDG perspective?","authors":"Philipp Baslik,&nbsp;Nikolas Schöne,&nbsp;Tim Ronan Britton,&nbsp;Lukas Otte,&nbsp;Emma Fevret,&nbsp;Boris Heinz","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00598-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00598-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Islands present favorable conditions for testing new energy interventions due to their small-scale energy systems and distinct socio-spatial characteristics. These conditions position community-centered energy initiatives as potential catalysts for social innovation that can advance the local energy transition and generate spillover effects across other fields of sustainable development. This study examines perceived sustainability outcomes beyond energy access across four community-based interventions on Mayotte, exploring potential cross-dimensional spillover effects. It also evaluates the suitability of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for assessing the broader impacts of community-driven small-scale energy interventions.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Using qualitative key informant interviews across four community-based energy interventions, the assessment reveals multiple perceived positive spillover effects beyond energy access, while only few negative impacts were reported. Respondents particularly highlighted synergies with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Furthermore, the SDG framework proved useful for structuring diverse impacts, while also revealing challenges in contextualizing indicators at the community scale.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The findings suggest that community-based energy interventions can generate multidimensional sustainability outcomes when locally embedded. The SDGs offer a valuable framework for capturing such impacts, but their effective application requires time-intensive methods to provide meaningful results. The study contributes to discussions on the potential of islands as contexts for socially innovative energy transitions. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations, including small sample sizes, project-specific contexts, and the absence of end-user perspectives.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00598-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ukraine’s wartime power system: damage, resilience, and pathways for renewable recovery","authors":"Iryna Vaskina,&nbsp;Patrick O. Waeber,&nbsp;Jacek Dach,&nbsp;Yuriy Danko,&nbsp;Farooq Sher,&nbsp;Olena Melnyk","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00597-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00597-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The war in Ukraine has caused severe damage to the national power grid, significantly impacting social welfare through the loss of electricity for civilian households, healthcare, and water supply infrastructure. This study examines the urgent need for a sustainable recovery that integrates energy security with European Union decarbonization objectives and environmental resilience. The novelty lies in linking real-time wartime outage dynamics with empirically grounded decentralized recovery pathways, offering a framework to “build back better” under active conflict. The purpose is to evaluate the conditions under which a centralized energy system can be reconstructed to reduce military vulnerability while remaining compatible with long-term climate goals.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>The study applied an integrated analytical approach by adapting internationally recognized Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment and Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment frameworks to an active-war context. Data were synthesized from over 100 verified sources supplemented by Geographic Information System based mapping to visualize damage intensity across 24 administrative regions. The analysis relies on cross-referencing state reports with international assessments.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Findings show that Ukraine’s effective electricity generation capacity fell by approximately 61% by late 2023 (from 36.0 GW to 13.9 GW). The existing centralized model proved highly vulnerable, as reliance on large generation hubs and long-distance transmission created “single points of failure” exploited by targeted attacks. By 2023, targeted strikes disabled 80% of thermal plants, 90% of wind facilities, 44% of nuclear capacity, and 15% of biogas facilities. Regional analysis reveals prolonged outages exceeding seven months in frontline areas. Human capital is identified as a critical binding constraint, as mobilization and mass displacement have depleted the technical workforce required for system operation.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The study proposes a sequenced recovery pathway to ensure resilience. Short-term priorities must focus on stabilizing central grid functions and critical social loads. Medium-term efforts should shift toward modular, renewable-based solutions to increase regional autonomy. Long-term transformation requires deep regulatory reform, alignment with European energy markets through Guarantees of Origin, and sustained investment in technical workforce training to avoid infrastructure lock-in. This strategy provides a empirically grounded roadmap for a resilient, climate-aligned energy system capable of operating under continued security constraints.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00597-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Renewable energy acceptance and responsible actors: unravelling the influence of trust in governments and corporations","authors":"Patrick Stuhm,&nbsp;Manuel Johann Baumann,&nbsp;Marcel Weil","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00599-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00599-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The global transition towards renewable energy (RE) is essential for mitigating climate change and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. However, this transformation faces significant challenges related to public acceptance, which is shaped by social, environmental, and economic concerns. Among the many factors influencing acceptance, trust in institutions plays a particularly critical role as energy transition policies involve high levels of uncertainty, long-term impacts, and an asymmetry of information, which requires citizens to rely on institutional actors when evaluating risks and benefits. Existing research often fails to differentiate trust in actors, particularly between government and corporations. This study addresses this gap by examining how different forms of institutional trust shape perceptions of RE technologies in Germany, including perceived benefits, perceived disadvantages, and affective responses.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Based on a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative structural equation modelling using a representative telephone survey (<i>N</i> = 1155), the findings reveal a differentiated trust landscape. Trust in government is associated with stronger perceived benefits and lower perceived disadvantages of RE, but simultaneously with higher levels of negative emotional responses, potentially reflecting frustration with bureaucratic processes and unmet expectations. In contrast, trust in corporations is linked to more positive affective responses, while at the same time reducing perceived benefits and increasing perceived disadvantages, indicating skepticism toward corporate motives despite optimism about technological innovation.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results demonstrate that institutional trust does not function as a uniformly positive driver of RE acceptance, but rather as a complex and actor-specific mechanism involving both cognitive and affective evaluations. By differentiating between governmental and corporate trust, the study extends existing acceptance models and highlights important implications for policy and communication strategies. Strengthening trust in government requires transparency and participatory governance, whereas fostering trust in corporations depends on accountability, fairness, and the clear communication of public benefits.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00599-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Are we ready to handle PV waste? A review of PV recycling regulations in Europe, the United States, China, and India","authors":"Umer Shahzad,&nbsp;Cristina Irene Mihai,&nbsp;Ian Marius Peters","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00595-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00595-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) installations worldwide will significantly increase PV waste, posing environmental and economic challenges. The prime objective of this study is to analyze PV recycling regulations, identify challenges, and report conclusions regarding the current preparedness level to handle PV waste. The study examines the regulatory frameworks for PV recycling in Europe, the United States, China, and India, highlighting the economic, social, and environmental challenges, assessing the readiness of large-scale PV waste management systems, and developing a long-term vision for PV recycling. The article further covers recycling regulations, solutions for sustainable PV waste management implementation strategies, technological gaps, and the effectiveness of current policies.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>This study highlights the need for synchronized regulatory frameworks, recycling processes, and sustainable ways to enhance the ecological benefits of PV. Europe’s comprehensive Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, the varied federal and state regulations in the US, China’s government-led initiatives, and India’s emerging guidelines are compared to identify best practices and areas for improvement. The results indicate that the primary bottleneck is the creation of interconnected material loops, analogous to natural cycles of decomposition and nourishment. Implementing recycling measures and proactive policies will help maintain a sustainable supply of materials for new products. Importantly, the central task is to ensure advanced preparedness and to promote societal and sustainable strategies for managing large volumes of end-of-life modules and material recovery.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The comprehensive review suggests that further regulatory frameworks and the development of recycling infrastructure are urgently needed to manage the anticipated surge in PV waste effectively. The results conclude that existing recycling capacities are insufficient to effectively manage the upcoming end-of-life PV waste, while logistical and technical barriers continue to limit the material recovery. Expanding recycling capability and implementing synchronized uniform policy &amp; technological innovations will be critical for improving circularity and achieving sustainable development goals (SDG-7 and 13).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00595-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}