Pathways for sustainable energy transition

Energy transitions are ongoing processes all over the world. While sustainable solutions are envisioned for the future, many societies are still under high-carbon and high-pollution energy regime borne by fossil fuels. How to design pathways towards sustainable energy transition has attracted worldwide concerns. Understanding the possible transition pathways of the energy system requires the integration of new energy technologies, environmental sciences, economics and management. This Special Issue of Journal of Cleaner Production targets to collect the latest research results on sustainable energy systems, discover innovative avenues and inspiring models and share knowledge on energy system modelling and management. In this paper, we identify 4 themes on sustainable energy transition pathways including: (1) Sustainable energy economics and management; (2) Renewable energy generation and consumption; (3) Environmental impacts of energy systems; and (4) Electric vehicle and energy storage. Theories, technologies, innovative models, and successful experiences are discussed accordingly. It is suggested that creative, robust and audacious strategies in governance, management and education are needed to boost sustainable energy transition across various scales and sectors.