Energy security challenges and opportunities in the carbon neutrality context: A hierarchical model through systematic data-driven analysis

Abstract

This study contributes to fundamental knowledge about energy security strategy for carbon neutrality by identifying important tendencies in terms of future challenges and opportunities from the state-of-the-art literature and by evaluating regional position gaps and global energy strategy for carbon neutrality. Addressing carbon emissions plays an undeniable role in energy security improvement since most countries have advanced to responding to climate change. However, whether these responses achieve actual good outcomes remains questionable. Since there are plenty of related studies and indicators, this study conducts data-driven analysis to generate an energy security and carbon neutrality model and indicates the challenges and opportunities for future assessments. A hybrid method incorporating content analysis, the fuzzy Delphi method, interpretive structural modeling, the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory, and the entropy weight method is implemented to understand the complex system of energy security and carbon neutrality and its inner interrelationships as well as regional perspectives. There are 19 valid indicators clustered into 5 aspects that form a strategic hierarchical model. Overall, sustainable energy strategies, renewable energy conversion, and carbon mitigation approaches are found to be causal aspects. The top critical indicators are cobenefits, the energy transition, a low-carbon society, renewable energy policy, renewable energy sources, energy resilience, and low-carbon technology. Regional assessment is taken as an approach; despite the imbalance in the information provided by regions, the outputs still leave much room for development.