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Relying on traditional biomass for cooking has become less common in many regions worldwide, however, most of the Sub-Sahara African population lacks access to clean cooking and still uses charcoal and firewood for cooking. Thus, seeking sustainable development in Sub-Sahara Africa regions would be hindered due to the consequences connected with replying on traditional cooking which leads to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation, and resulting in high death rates each year. This study explores the potential and challenges of energy transition and household cooking sustainability enhancement in Sub-Sahara African regions. The results show that innovative solutions related to the improved cookstoves and renewable energy sources are emerging to address these challenges and pave the way for a more sustainable future. However, there are various factors hindering the implementation of these innovations, including cultural factors, financial aspects, awareness, technical and logistical barriers and policy frameworks. This study also identifies a link between households cooking sustainability and the potential of achieving numerous Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, the study highlights some examples of sustainability interventions to enhance the widespread adoption of sustainable cooking practices in Sub-Sahara Africa, including financial, technical innovations, policy support and research and development. Therefore, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to promote households cooking sustainability and facilitate sustainable development progress in the region. • There is potential of household cooking sustainability in Sub Sahara Africa. • A framework of co-benefit of cooking sustainability on SDGs was introduced. • A challenge is limited access to clean fuels and Improved cookstove. • Enhancement of energy transition could be a way for household cooking sustainability. • Collaboration and investments are key solutions to energy transition in Sub Sahara Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring that electricity systems maintain reliable power supplies is critical to sustaining political support for the low-carbon energy transition. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the recent electricity disruptions in China and evaluate the government's response. Since 2020, China has faced three unprecedented power outage affecting multiple provinces for weeks. This study investigates the interplay of various factors contributing to China's power crisis and examines the government's policies aimed at addressing immediate issues while advancing broader reforms. Key policy measures involve adjusting the electricity market to allow greater price fluctuations for coal-fired electricity and opening the wholesale market to industrial and commercial users. While this reform is expected to boost market competitiveness, the present market structure falls short of what is likely needed to ensure that power sector dispatch, pricing, and investment can work together to ensure reliable electricity supply in the context of China's transition towards carbon neutrality. To create an advanced, resilient, and flexible renewable energy grid, more intricate reforms across the electricity system, market, regulatory framework, and institutions will be essential. [Display omitted] • Power reliability is critical to keeping political support for energy transition. • A combination of factors led to power curtailments in China in recent times. • Policy responses to address China's power crisis are examined. • Implications of these policy changes are assessed. • An integrated solution framework is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid dangerous climate change and to satisfy the global energy needs energy systems have to change. Hopes are especially high in countries of the Global South for the low-carbon transition to propel sustainable development. Yet, while the energy transition provides opportunities, it also raises questions on how to avoid new global inequalities. This study presents the first quantitative approach to measure the extent to which the energy transitions in the Global South incorporate elements of energy justice. In doing so, this study builds on a rich literature on energy justice that differentiates between distributional, recognition, and procedural justice, thus taking into account social and development objectives such as affordability and accessibility of energy, the inclusion of marginalised parts of society, as well as broader community involvement and participation. Though much important conceptual and qualitative work has been done, what has been lacking so far is a quantitative measure of the degree to which the energy transition lives up to the imperative of energy justice, going beyond the much-studied Global North. The proposed energy justice index is designed and applied to select countries from Southeast Asia (Malaysia), sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya), the MENA region (Jordan), and Latin America (Chile). The index stands the test of the empirical application and demonstrates significant variation between countries along the different dimensions of energy justice. The study also emphasizes the importance of further testing and of improving data quality for informed policy making of energy justice issues in the Global South. [Display omitted] • The low carbon energy transition raises questions on how to avoid new global inequalities. • This study presents a quantitative index that measures energy justice in the Global South. • Four country case studies are empirically assessed: Kenya, Jordan, Chile, and Malaysia. • Results demonstrate significant variation along the different dimensions of energy justice. • The analysis also highlights the importance to improve data availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decarbonization of energy systems requires the deployment of intermittent renewables (wind and solar) with increasingly low costs. The growth of these renewables impacts power prices, which may influence hydropower investments and the adoption of fossil-fuel options for baseload electricity. It thus remains unclear whether deploying more intermittent renewables would reduce the net carbon emissions across energy systems in the absence of well-designed policy. This study first developed a techno-economic optimization model to explore the impacts of future projections of intermittent renewables on long-run electricity prices and the subsequent hydropower investments, using Hubei Province of China as a case study. The carbon emissions associated with the change in hydropower investment were then quantified. Results indicate that the new policy-driven renewables deployment reduces the electricity prices by 36 % on average over 2021–2100, compared to the case with the policy specified in the prior (13th) National Five-Year Plan. Without intervention, the lower electricity price could result in a 42 % reduction in hydropower investments by 2050. With increased intermittent renewables and decreased investments in hydropower, the energy system is expected to deploy more backup fossil-fuel options, which could increase carbon emissions by 45 %. Therefore, deploying more renewable energy would depress the investments in hydropower plants and further hinder decarbonization unexpectedly, suggesting a possible paradox in the energy transition. This possible paradox calls for a new, and robust policy to ensure the benefits of decarbonization are realized regardless of potential changes electricity prices. [Display omitted] • A dynamic techno-economic optimization model is developed to derive hydropower investments. • Long-term electricity prices are shaped by policy-driven projections of renewable energy. • Ambitious intermittent renewable projections depress hydropower investment by reducing electricity prices. • Carbon emissions relating to energy system evolution are quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing gas and oil prices, electricity generation based on these fossil fuels is becoming increasingly expensive. Furthermore, the vision of natural gas as a transition fuel is subject to many constraints and uncertainties of economic, environmental, and geopolitical nature. Consequently, renewable energies such as solar and wind power are expected to reach new records of installed capacity over the upcoming years. Considering the above, North Africa is one of the regions with the largest renewable resource potential globally. While extensively studied in the literature, these resources remain underutilized. Thus, to contribute to their future successful deployment and integration with the power system, this study presents a spatial and temporal analysis of the nature of solar and wind resources over North Africa from the perspective of energy droughts. Both the frequency and maximal duration of energy droughts are addressed. Both aspects of renewables' variable nature have been evaluated in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) context. The analysis considers the period between 1960 and 2020 based on hourly reanalysis data (i.e., near-surface shortwave irradiation, wind speed, and air temperature) and the Hurrel NAO index. The findings show an in-phase relationship between solar power and winter NAO index, particularly over the coastal regions in western North Africa and opposite patterns in its eastern part. For wind energy, the connection with NAO has a more zonal pattern, with negative correlations in the north and positive correlations in the south. Solar energy droughts dominate northern Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, while wind energy droughts mainly occur in the Atlas Mountains range. On average, solar energy droughts tend not to exceed 2–3 consecutive days, with the longest extending for five days. Wind energy droughts can be as prolonged as 80 days (Atlas Mountains). Hybridizing solar and wind energy reduces the potential for energy droughts significantly. At the same time, the correlation between their occurrence and the NAO index remains low. These findings show the potential for substantial resilience to inter-annual climate variability, which could benefit the future stability of renewables-dominated power systems. [Display omitted] • A negative correlation between NAO and wind power in northern coastal regions. • Energy droughts dominate coastal regions. • Solar-wind hybridization reduces energy droughts in North Africa. • Seasonal NAO index does not correlate significantly with energy droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community renewable energy is increasing globally, but many northern and remote Indigenous communities remain energy insecure. Community appropriate sustainable energy solutions requires more than building renewable energy projects – it requires local socio-technical capacity to design, implement, and maintain renewable energy projects. Yet, notwithstanding advances in renewable energy technology there is limited understanding of the socio-technical capacity of northern and remote Indigenous communities to engage in energy transitions. Based on a review of energy transitions scholarship and northern contexts and informed by a workshop engaging northern and Indigenous community members from Canada and Alaska, this paper presents foundational pillars for assessing the socio-technical capacity needs of communities to pursue and sustain local energy transitions. These pillars are inter-dependent and emphasize the importance of local energy champions and inter-local energy networks to enable innovation and capacity building; community values that articulate immediate and longer-term goals for energy transition, including the social and economic opportunities to be realized by a more sustainable energy system; community knowledge of local energy resources, technologies, and opportunities, and embedded skills to support transitions; and the skills innovation to pursue and manage new energy systems, coupled with youth engagement as future community energy leaders. The proposed framework is intended to support the early stages of community energy transition planning. • Energy transition in remote communities involves more than building new projects. • Socio-technical capacity is critical to renewable energy security in remote off-grid areas. • Seven pillars are proposed to guide local capacity assessment for community energy. • Renewable energy in remote communities means self-sufficiency and self-determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrivoltaics comprises solar energy generation and agricultural activities co-located to create multi-purpose agricultural solar energy systems. In 2021, the global agrivoltaics sector was valued at USD $3.6 billion and is projected to grow to USD $9.3 billion by 2031. Agrivoltaics projects have successfully attracted increasing investment and research demonstrating the technical, economic, and scientific rationale to advance agrivoltaics as a crucial technology to achieve net zero emissions goals. The legal framework enabling agrivoltaics development is at varying stages of maturity across different jurisdictions. This study provides the first socio-legal study of agrivoltaics development applying an energy justice framework. It comparatively analyses the mature agrivoltaics sectors, laws, and policies in Massachusetts (United States of America) and Japan in a functional comparative analysis with New South Wales (Australia) applying the three principal pillars of energy justice; recognition, procedural, and distributive justice. This study demonstrates how energy justice can generate a framework for regulatory reform. Such reform can facilitate the expansion of agrivoltaics and unlock the full potential of co-locating of solar energy and agriculture. [Display omitted] • Agrivoltaics refers to co-location of solar energy on agricultural land. • Agrivoltaics will benefit from the application of energy justice. • Three key functions applicable to agrivoltaics are analysed. • Justice-driven framework can activate the full potential of agrivoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global challenge. Innovative agrivoltaic systems that combine agriculture and solar energy production is one set of the solutions to reduce these emissions. While circularity is a pressing issue in agriculture and landscape experience in solar energy production, these issues have received little attention in relationship to agrivoltaics. This study examines aspects of circularity and landscape experience in built agrivoltaic projects reported in scientific literature and recently constructed agrivoltaic projects in the Netherlands. Understanding circularity and landscape experience in agrivoltaics contributes to enabling agriculture transitions and increasing public acceptance. Peer-reviewed literature was used to examine which aspects of circularity and landscape experience were addressed in 16 international agrivoltaics cases. Critical performance indicators were used for circularity and spatial properties for landscape experience. Furthermore, a systematic analysis of ten Dutch agrivoltaic cases was conducted by examining their visibility, accessibility, patch configuration and agricultural land-use beneath the agrivoltaic system. The results show that contribution to regional economy and vitality of the rural area is the most frequently mentioned circularity indicator, which is found in 82% of the international cases and 60% of the Dutch cases. Low visibility and low accessibility of agrivoltaic systems were found in the majority of Dutch agrivoltaic cases. Limited attention to landscape experience was found in the studied literature. This study provides valuable recommendations for research, farmers and policy makers for advancing transitions towards circular agrivoltaic power plants that pay more attention to landscape experience. • Considerations of circularity and landscape experience are studied for agrivoltaics. • The most found circularity aspect is contribution to regional economy and vitality. • Dutch agrivoltaic cases showed relatively low visibility and are mostly inaccessible. • There is limited attention to landscape experience in literature on agrivoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of government support and resource endowment (geographical location, climatic conditions, natural resource reserves) on regional energy transitions in China. Thirty regions in China were taken as the study areas, and data samples were selected from 2007 to 2020. The system Generalized method of moments model was employed to outline the path for regional energy transition. The conclusions are as follows. (1) Resource endowment at the national level inhibits energy transition, and the resource endowment in the eastern, central and western regions of China inhibits energy transition. The central region has the strongest inhibitory effect, and the eastern region has the weakest. (2) Policy support can significantly promote energy transition, with the best effects in the central region and the weakest effects in the east. (3) Technological innovation has significantly promoted energy transformation; however, the impact on the western region is not significant. The urbanization level in the eastern region can promote the energy transformation, yet the urbanization level in the central and western regions and the whole country inhibits the energy transformation. Moreover, the tertiary industry will stimulate the energy transformation, and the stimulating effect gradually weakens from east to west. Finally, foreign direct investmentcan promote the energy transition, and the promotion effect of the central region is better than that of the east and west. The research in thiswork provides an important theoretical reference for realizing China's energy transition. Results of government support and resource endowment on energy transition. [Display omitted] • Resource endowment affect energy transition difference in different regions. • Policy support can reduce traditional fossil energy consumption in all regions. • GMM model is used to explore the relationships between variables. • Policy support for regional energy transformation are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, rural electric cooperatives have been an integral part of the energy system for almost a century, starting as an effort to electrify rural areas before World War II. Because they are democratically organized, energy cooperatives give communities ownership of their energy, as well as empower and educate individuals to be more responsible with energy consumption. In the United States, rural electric cooperatives have been part of the energy system for almost a century. This analysis uses the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Form EIA-861 database to contextualize the changes in the cooperative sector in the past three decades and help to understand the evolving scenario. Overall, cooperatives represented 28% of the total utilities from 1990 to 1995, progressively reaching 38% from 2016 to 2019. As a whole group, cooperatives share some similarities and, at the same time, a large degree of heterogeneity across cooperatives. • Data from the past three decades on electric cooperatives show a gradual growth of consumers and revenue. • Electric cooperatives have been playing a role in transforming the electricity sector in the United States. • First study of its kind focused on temporal and geographical evolution of electric cooperatives using data by the EIA. • Cooperatives are considered both social and economic enterprises. • Energy is one of the most regulated industries in the U.S., but electric cooperatives are usually exempt from regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal Districts have been presented globally as an efficient alternative to supply the demand for cooling and heating in urban areas. The development of thermal districts has been slow due to the uncertainty of demand and the lack of methods for estimating potential demands. However, the information needed for estimating district cooling potential is scarce in many cities, and the existing methodologies need to be adapted to specific conditions. This paper develops a methodology to estimate the potential for developing district cooling based on cities' climate and economic activities. The proposed methodology is applied in 13 Colombian metropolitan areas to identify potential clusters for district cooling according to the geographical distribution of buildings. The results show that the total potential demand for cooling in the 13 cities in Colombia is almost 650 MW. This paper concludes that demand for cooling that could be supplied with the implementation of tailor-made district cooling designed using the local economic characteristics of the cities through the 37 emerging clusters. • Introduction of methodology to estimate the potential demand for cooling. • Potential demand for cooling estimated based on climate and economic activities. • The methodology evaluates the potential demand for cooling in seven economic sectors. • The 13 Colombian cities have potential demand for cooling of 650 MW. • Colombian cities have the potential to install 37 cooling districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asia, a developing region housing almost a quarter of the world population, faces stringent energy and environmental problems including acute vulnerability to climate change. To improve their socioeconomics and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is imperative for South Asian countries to address their energy and environmental challenges. A thorough review of the national and regional achievements and challenges concerning SDGs is important for finding fast and sustainable solutions. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the energy and environmental outlook for the region taking into account the faced challenges and their potential solutions. It also aims to examine the prospects of the relevant SDGs taking into account the accomplishments and the faced challenges. It maps the progress South Asian countries have made towards the concerned seven SDGs - SDG6, SDG7, SDG11, SDG12, SDG13, SDG14, and SDG15-also identifying the challenges ahead. The article undertakes a thorough review of the literature including national and regional reports on energy and environmental scenarios and the SDGs. It finds that although South Asian countries have made considerable progress in power generation capacity and rural electrification, they face serious challenges with regard to SDG6, SDG7, and SDG11. South Asian countries need to benefit from their vast renewable energy potential and align their energy sectors with the trends of the unfolding sustainable energy transition. To achieve the targeted SDGs, concentrated efforts are required especially in terms of governmental support, budget allocation, and robust policy formulation and implementation. • The paper provides a comprehensive account of energy and environmental outlook for South Asia. • It examines South Asian countries' progress towards seven Sustainability Development Goals: SDG6, SDG7, SDG11, SDG12, SDG13, SDG14 and SDG15. • One billion people in South Asia lack access to clean cooking fuels while 350 million people are not connected to electric grid. • Regional energy trade is critical for these countries to duly benefit from their rich renewable energy resources. • South Asia needs to align itself with the trends of the unfolding sustainable energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore pathways of the energy transition of household heating, an agent-based simulation model was developed for the case of the Serbian household sector. The model is focused on individual entities (households) with the objective to explore the effects of policy instruments on energy transition in households with individual heating systems. Empirically collected survey data were used as input for households' attitudes towards sustainable heating. Simulations showed that the proposed instruments would lead to higher heating efficiency and less air pollution, and impact climate change. However, despite the introduced instruments, a proportion of households (around 11%) will not switch current obsolete firewood-based heating to more efficient heating in the observed period. The main reasons for this phenomenon are a low economic standard, accompanied by ignorance on the part of the population regarding the environmental and climate effects of outdated technologies. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of different heating system prices, energy prices, and efficiencies, on the transition towards sustainable heating. It was shown that the introduction of a carbon electricity tax would cause a slight increase in the use of firewood and fossil fuels, while local pollution taxation would be an impulse for the use of electricity for heating. The increased energy efficiency of buildings is stimulative for more efficient heating systems. Mass utilization of heat pump technology and renewable energy sources could be expected with obtained maturity in technologies and consequently, the reduction of their prices. • Formulation of the ABM model as a support for the energy transition in households. • Exploring the effects of policy instruments in different scenarios. • Lack of funds and up-front costs of modern technologies are main barriers. • Subsidies result in a bigger share of advanced systems in the structure. • With the projected price reduction, greater penetration of heat pumps is expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy system modeling is a commonly used method to provide policy recommendations and insight to transformation pathways of energy systems. However, the low open-source availability of the frameworks in practice often leads to low interpretability and transparency of energy modeling system configurations. The configuration of an energy model entails how its system components, such as power plants, storage systems and grids operate, and which parameters are used to define them. In order to understand the impact of different model configurations and working principles on the model output, a thorough comparison between various modeling frameworks is necessary. This work thereby consists of a comparison of five open-source energy system modeling frameworks (OS-ESMFs) oemof , GENeSYS-MOD , Balmorel , urbs and GENESYS-2 on the mathematical level and spotlights selected methodological differences in renewable energy system modeling. The comparison shows diversity in the complexity of selected system components and helps to define the best use-cases and scales of application for each framework. Impacts of modeled features on the results were demonstrated by implementing two harmonized scenarios depicting the German electricity system using each framework. While similar model results were obtained for both scenarios, some differences were present, especially in the long-term expansion planning model. Some of those differences could be traced back to the identified modeling differences. • Selected mathematical features of five open energy modeling frameworks are compared. • A common terminology to facilitate direct mathematical comparison is developed. • Key feature differences are presented to increase transparency of modeling activities. • Influences of the modeling differences on the model results is demonstrated. • The frameworks show various differences, but remain flexible in specific application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policymakers currently face the challenge of supporting a suitable technology mix to decarbonize electricity systems. Due to multiple and interdependent technologies and sectors, as well as opposing objectives such as minimizing cost and reducing emissions, energy system models are used to develop optimal transition pathways towards decarbonized electricity systems. Research in this domain has increased in recent years and multiple studies have used energy system modeling (ESM) to shed light on possible transition pathways for national electricity systems. However, in many cases, the large number of model-based studies makes it difficult for policymakers to navigate study results and condense diverging pathways into a coherent picture. We conduct an in-depth review of ESM publications covering Switzerland, Germany, France, and Italy, and analyze the main trends regarding electricity generation mixes, key supply and storage technology trends, and the role of demand developments. Our findings show that diverging solutions are proposed regarding technology mixes in 2030 and 2050, not all of which meet current climate targets. Additionally, our analysis suggests that natural gas, solar, and wind will continue to be key actors in the electricity system transition, whereas the role of storage remains opaque and calls for clearer policy support. We conclude that due to diverging targets and the current energy landscape in each country considered, different options appear as prominent transition pathways, meaning that individual sets of policies are necessary for each case. Nonetheless, international collaborations will be essential to ensure a swift electricity system transition by 2050. • Model-based electricity system scenarios of four European countries are collected. • Electricity generation mixes and key technologies in 2030 and 2050 are analyzed. • Scenarios highlight a range of possible futures for each country's electricity system. • Wind and solar are dominant technologies in scenarios that meet environmental targets. • Current policy regulation is often not considered in the scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has enormous potential for on-site renewable energy generation in urban environments. However, BIPV systems are still in a relatively nascent stage with few commercial installations. Therefore, applied evaluation of small or medium-scale outdoor testbeds is critical to better understand the performance, reliability and operational issues associated with BIPV systems. This in turn helps early BIPV adopters in obtaining benchmark values and making more informed decisions during the system planning phase itself. On this viewpoint, this article provides a comprehensive overview on the global BIPV market, products, technologies, and applications. Also, given the importance of real-world testing and data analytics, this work conducts an in-depth analysis of 35 different BIPV outdoor test systems and its test results reported in literature. The assessment is carried out in two steps: (i) description of the testbed systems using various electrical, environmental, and physical factors that are monitored and reported; and (ii) evaluation of the testbed results with a focus on the quantitative electrical performance and economic parameters. A set of critical performance parameters has been defined, compiled, and quantitatively analyzed in this manuscript for the comparative study on various BIPV testbeds: 1) test duration, 2) specific energy yield, 3) energy efficiency, 4) system type, 5) module interconnection, 6) inverter efficiency, 7) performance ratio, 8) payback period and 9) unit energy cost. While no specific methods are available to quantify the performance of BIPV systems, an assessment based on annual specific yield is proposed in this review to identify underperforming test beds. With the proposed benchmark, the investigations reveal that almost 60% of the test beds reviewed are underperforming. Furthermore, based on the implications attained, some suggestions to improve the performance of existing test beds and the scope of utilizing such systems for predictive maintenance are provided. With the growing importance of outdoor test bedding, this document is envisaged to serve as a valuable reference for engineers, architects, buildings owners and scientists working on BIPV systems. • A review on various outdoor BIPV testbeds is presented. • Innovations in BIPV technologies, and its global market outlook are summarized. • Performance assessment of 36 real-world BIPV test systems has been conducted. • Majority of the systems are found underperforming based on specific yield benchmark. • Future improvements and research directions for enhanced testing has been provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) has emerged to facilitate the energy transition and contribute to climate neutrality through energy efficiency and net zero energy balance. There are several similar concepts with a common goal that a building, neighborhood, or district can meet its energy demands from low-cost, locally available, environmentally friendly renewable sources. However, there is a lack of comprehensiveness and consistency among these existing concepts that could lead to misinterpretations. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to develop a comprehensive view on the PED concept with a focus on urban residential areas in Europe, with insights also being useful for other areas. The analysis is based on a literature review of PEDs and similar concepts, as well as a review of PED practical examples. The literature review compares PEDs based on geographical scale, identifying defining elements and metrics that provide insights on how to define and operationalize PEDs. The study reveals that real-life PEDs tend to go beyond the frames set by the definitions because the concept fails to consider the contextual factors that are inherent in them. To develop a comprehensive concept of PEDs, a Complex Adaptive System approach is taken, also incorporating the Doughnut view, which represents the system holistically. This view is also important in designing a resilient system, as energy systems are often exposed to disruptions. Additionally, the study discusses the PED concept's limitations and key issues, such as electric mobility, that merit more attention. • A comprehensive view on Positive Energy Districts. • Review of PED-related concepts reveals substantial knowledge gaps and limitations. • The study stands out in incorporating the Doughnut view into the PED concept. • The Complex Adaptive System and Doughnut Economics frameworks enrich the PED concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]