Towards energy technology transition and sustainability: Challenges and perspectives

Under the severe situation of global climate change and ecological degradation, energy technology transition has become a core issue for sustainable development. Although existing research has explored concepts, impacts, and influencing factors related to energy technology transition, there are still issues such as fragmented research and insufficient coordination of response strategies. This study reviews relevant literature to construct a closed-loop analysis system consisting of “concept deconstruction, effect assessment, challenge identification, strategy adaptation, and future outlook.” Our findings reveal that the energy technology transition has generated benefits such as pollution reduction, energy structure optimization and industrial upgrading, but there are also potential adverse effects, such as negative environmental impacts, barriers to technology research and development, and difficulties in policy coordination. To this end, after sorting out the influencing factors and existing challenges of energy technology transition in terms of technological innovation, policy governance, market environment, and international forms, we propose strategies such as increasing R&D investment, improving market mechanisms, strengthening social publicity and education, leveraging the green finance effect and enhancing policy synergy. This study accurately identifies research gaps and challenges, and further proposes future countermeasures. It provides new ideas for promoting the transition of energy technology to sustainability, which is crucial for the sustainable development of global ecology, economy, and society.