Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is one of the most widely used renewable energy sources, generating electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past few decades, PV technology has seen widespread adoption due to technological advancements and continuously reducing costs. Traditionally, PV panels are mounted on terrestrial installations, including rooftops, agricultural fields and utility-scale solar farms. Although terrestrial PV systems perform well and are relatively scalable, they are still facing problems with land use and environmental pollution. As a result of these constraints, floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) systems have come to the fore as a viable alternative. Aquatic systems, such as lakes, reservoirs and coastal areas, can effectively utilise their surface area for the deployment of solar energy panels. This will also help to reduce land cost and water evaporation and improve overall energy efficiency, among other advantages. FPVs also have the potential to diversify and fulfil energy requirements since they liberate property in populated regions for additional crop usage. Thus, the potential scalability of FPVs is also extremely relevant towards climate and energy security objectives. FPV is still a new concept requiring thorough feasibility and performance-degradation studies to improve its uptake.

Buildings are major global energy consumers, accounting for 20%–40% of total energy use in developed nations, exceeding industrial and transport sectors. This rising consumption, caused by population growth, higher living standards, and pervasive energy-intensive technologies, underscores the urgent need for enhanced energy efficiency in the built environment. These measures are vital for environmental sustainability, societal well-being, and balanced development.Reducing building energy demand is both an environmental and societal challenge, requiring a holistic approach. This includes energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, and occupant behavioural changes, balancing technical and societal challenges to achieve net-zero aspirations. Achieving net-zero aspirations demands collaboration among stakeholders, including governments, developers, and building occupants. We invite contributions on the role of buildings in urban energy reduction, focusing on services technologies, new design initiatives, and AI in building management. The importance of existing building archetypes and their potential for energy demand management through efficient envelopes and technological advances is also a key consideration. We welcome various formats, including literature reviews, research papers, and case studies, that use both quantitative and qualitative data to analyse pilot projects, stock modelling, or city-scale proposals.

Modern supply chains are vital to global commerce, but they are also major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As climate change intensifies, achieving carbon neutrality – particularly through supply chain decarbonisation – has become a global imperative. While organisations have made strides in reducing direct emissions, addressing indirect supply chain emissions presents greater complexity and urgency. We invite academic contributions that examine the challenges, enablers, potential risks, strategic approaches and innovative practices related to decarbonisation across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, service industries and humanitarian logistics. Emphasis is placed on holistic, multi-stakeholder approaches aligned with the GHG Protocol. The issue welcomes interdisciplinary research employing varied methodologies – ranging from empirical studies to conceptual frameworks – to inform practice, policy and sustainability transitions. By showcasing sector-specific insights and cross-cutting solutions, this issue aims to advance knowledge and action in building low-carbon, resilient supply chains.

Photovoltaic (PV) has proved to be one of the most compact, durable and economic power generating systems developed by mankind. The potential of solar energy is being used for sustainable development and to meet the increasing power demand. Floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) is a comparatively newer concept of installing the PV system on the surface of water bodies. Despite its several advantages, it is found that FSPV systems in the sea need to be restricted, and multiple islanded structures should be preferred to reduce the side effects in aquatic ecosystems. The most preferred site for installing FSPV is in the reservoir of hydro plant as integration with the grid and hydro system becomes easy. The USA, the European Union and Southern and Eastern Asia mainly Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, China and India have very long coastline which can be effectively used for FSPV installation and meeting the load demand through clean and renewable sources without exhausting the land. In India, over 5000 dams are already functional with a total reservoir area of 14855.57 square kilometers. Only 2% covering the reservoirs can add a total of 89.1 TWh of energy to the grid annually during 8 h of sunlight at conversion efficiency of 25% with an underestimate of only 5 months of proper sunlight. It can be achieved with minimum installation costs and maintenance costs. Sustainable development ensures that energy production must also have minimal or nil harmful impact on nature and humankind. This paper lays emphasis on all the technical aspects of the FSPV system and reliable ways to prevent and overcome it efficiently. Moreover, the integration of FSPV with other different non-conventional sources to boost energy production is also analyzed.

The global energy transition carries significant geopolitical implications. This study examines how Chinese exports of critical electrical goods and geopolitical risk influence national energy transitions, focusing on lithium and rare earth production, pricing and oil markets. Using a Global Vector Autoregressive model across 12 major economies (2012–2019), with emphasis on Australia, China and the United States, the analysis shows that Chinese geopolitical risk affects the consumption of electrical goods, renewable energy deployment and critical mineral production. Empirical findings reveal that reliance on Chinese electrical goods creates strategic dependencies, making other countries vulnerable to shifts in China’s energy strategy. While oil prices are less relevant for most economies’ transitions, they remain central to the United States. The results highlight both the geopolitical risks and cooperative potential embedded in the global shift to clean energy.