A PRISMA based systematic literature review of green innovation and sustainability management in the energy sector

Abstract

This paper seeks to chart and summarize the new academic area of green innovation and sustainability management of the energy industry. It tries to outline the intellectual framework, trace the development of themes, define the crucial areas of research, and specify the significant gaps to enable future research and practice to have a unified background. The methodology of systematic review (PRISMA guidelines) is used, and the Scopus database is searched with a fine set of search strings, resulting in a refined set of 25 relevant publications. The review employs qualitative thematic synthesis to identify, analyze, and synthesize the key themes, theoretical foundations, and research gaps in this emerging field. It is observed that the field is rapidly growing interdisciplinary with three interdependent thematic subsets: policy, governance, and macro transitions; corporate strategy, innovation, and ESG performance; and resources, efficiency, and economic drivers. There is a high level of geographical concentration on China, and the most obvious and noticeable tendency is the emergence of the digital-green nexus, where artificial intelligence and digitalization become the key to green innovation. A critical gap identified through this analysis is the systematic neglect of the Social dimension of ESG, particularly just transition, workforce reskilling, community engagement, and social acceptance of energy projects, despite its growing policy relevance in global energy transitions. This article provides a comprehensive visual representation of the field and suggests a practical future research agenda that addresses geographical diversity, the integration of social sustainability, and cross-sectoral analysis, thereby offering value to scholars, policymakers, and strategists.