Environmental Sustainability Implications and Economic Prosperity of Integrated Renewable Solutions in Urban Development

Abstract

The increasing urbanization and growth of cities worldwide have led to a significant increase in energy demand. As a transition to a low carbon environment occurs the role of renewable and sustainable energy systems in urban areas is benefiting industry and the environment alike. From this perspective the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have a lot to offer to the energy industry particularly the integration of renewable and sustainable energy systems for environmental protection in cities. This study presents a comprehensive view that integrates technological economic political and social challenges confronted with the effective implementation of renewable and sustainable energy in urban cities and proposes a solution agenda to overcome these hurdles with the aid of the SDGs. The weights for the challenges of adopting renewable and sustainable energy systems were determined using the Fuzzy Best-Worst Method. The SDGs were then ranked using the fuzzy TOPSIS technique to overcome predetermined challenges. The originality of this study lies in finding solutions to the determined challenges by adopting SDGs emphasizing the need for integrated solutions that address energy-related concerns and highlighting the role and importance of SDGs in environmental protection. The study highlights the importance of SDGs in promoting renewable energy integration in urban areas with SDG 11 being the most crucial to mitigate harmful environmental occurrences related to energy-related issues in urban areas followed by SDG 7 and SDG 13. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.