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Open research questions in Energy and Environment Impacts

186 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,354 Energy and Environment Impacts papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The study addresses the gap in understanding the impact of grid-based environmental governance on clean cooking fuel use among rural households. Prior studies have mainly examined emission standards, inspections, information disclosure, and market-based tools, but have not focused on the role of grassroots environmental governance.

    Grid-based environmental governance and the energy transition of rural households: evidence from the China labor-force dynamics survey · 2026 · DOI

  • Local evidence to drive policy is scarce in Malawi. There is a need to assess the trends and association of pollutant fuel usage for cooking and acute respiratory infection among under-five children in Malawi.

    Relationship between cooking fuels and health among under-5 children in Malawi: a nationwide time-trend survey from 2000 to 2016 · 2024 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the challenge of implementing sustainable energy solutions in SMEs due to a lack of technical expertise and financial resources. It notes the challenge of capturing the full range of energy consumption changes adequately, as shown by the residual plot. The study highlights the challenge of making accurate energy predictions crucial for cost and use control.

    IoT-Based Sustainable Energy Solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of information on the efficacy of IoT-based solutions for renewable energy in SMEs. The limited attention to the social background underlying the transformation of SMEs in the existing literature.

    IoT-Based Sustainable Energy Solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the opportunities and barriers to biogas technology adoption in Malawi. The need to identify the factors that influence the adoption and utilization of biogas technology in Malawi.

    Opportunities and Barriers to Biogas Adoption in Malawi · 2024 · DOI

  • The complex conceptual stems and evolving approaches to energy poverty definition and measurement pose a challenge. The lack of recognition of energy poverty convergence dynamics across the EU is a challenge. The study needs to consider various factors influencing energy poverty, such as income level, income distribution, energy prices, and efficiency of energy usage.

    The Convergence of Energy Poverty across Countries in the European Union · 2024 · DOI

  • Further research could investigate the relationship between energy poverty and other socio-economic factors, - The study of energy poverty convergence could be extended to other regions or countries

    The Convergence of Energy Poverty across Countries in the European Union · 2024 · DOI

  • Energy insecurity is a persistent yet insufficiently examined barrier to sustainable informal entrepreneurship in African cities.

    Energy security and informal entrepreneurship in low-income urban economies from a gender perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • However, evidence regarding their independent and combined effects on cognitive decline among older adults is scarce.

    Household fuel use, social engagement, and cognitive decline in older Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study based on CHARLS · 2026 · DOI

  • Importantly, gaps in the literature are identified, upon which future research opportunities are proposed.

    A review of hydrogen energy in renewable energy supply chain finance · 2025 · DOI

  • While previous studies have explored the roles of sustainable tourism practices, effective tourism policies, and technological innovations in enhancing environmental resilience, there is a notable gap in understanding how energy poverty influences these dynamics.

    Moderating effects of energy poverty for sustainable tourism, policy, innovation, and environmental resilience: evidence from SEM-ANN approaches · 2025 · DOI

  • In Bangladesh, the fossil fuel-dependent grid fails to reach coastal areas, so solar home systems (SHSs) provide viable off-grid electrification, though their usage and challenges remain understudied.

    Solar energy integration in off-grid communities: empowering remote areas in Bangladesh for sustainable development · 2025 · DOI

  • Nevertheless, the subtle relationship between critical mineral prices, geopolitical risks, and renewable energy poverty remains underexplored.

    The role of critical mineral prices and geopolitical risk in shaping renewable energy poverty · 2025 · DOI

  • However, there is a gap in research on the socio-economic antecedents of the long-term continuation of LPG refills under the scheme and its impact on women’s socio-economic and health outcomes.

    Socio-economic factors on choice of cooking fuel: understanding the antecedents and consequences of PMUY In India · 2025 · DOI

  • Surprisingly, the socioeconomic factors that determine the size of solar energy installations have not been adequately studied by the existing studies.

    Socioeconomic determinants of solar energy adoption and installed capacity in urban areas of Kano State, Nigeria · 2025 · DOI

  • However, green hydrogen production in Sub-Saharan Africa is not yet investigated in detail.

    Participatory mapping of local green hydrogen cost-potentials in Sub-Saharan Africa · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should explore emerging technologies in wind and solar energy that can enhance efficiency and sustainability while minimizing adverse effects on food security.

    Food Security–Renewable Energy Nexus: Innovations and Shocks in Saudi Arabia · 2025 · DOI

  • However, there are limited studies on the progress of the implementation of SDGs.

    Voluntary National Reviews on Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals: Key Lessons from East African Member States · 2024 · DOI

  • However, this cause-and-effect relationship between TB and IAP has not been studied much.

    Association between biomass cooking fuels and prevalence of tuberculosis among households: a cross-sectional study from 2019 - 2021 in India · 2024 · DOI

  • However, while examining the household energy cost burden of the elderly, their indirect energy consumption and associated cost burden remain poorly understood.

    Higher total energy costs strain the elderly, especially low-income, across 31 developed countries · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the climate and health benefits of electric school buses are not well known.

    Adopting electric school buses in the United States: Health and climate benefits · 2024 · DOI

  • Despite the numerous studies previously conducted that have sought to explain the clean energy transition, the role that health facilities play in promoting clean energy use at the household level remains to be explored.

    On clean energy use: the role of health care facilities in improving clean cooking energy adoption in Ghana · 2024 · DOI

  • Commonly cited barriers were the high installation and maintenance costs, inadequate feedstock, inappropriate dissemination approaches, lack of training after installation services and expertise, lack of reliable water sources, absence of ownership, lack of cooperation amongst institutions involved in biogas promotion, lack of a coordinating body for institutions involved in biogas dissemination, lack of standards, and socio-cultural factors.

    Opportunities and Barriers to Biogas Adoption in Malawi · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the effects of improved stove interventions on pregnancy outcomes remains uncertain.

    Effect of a chimney-fitted improved stove on pregnancy outcomes in Northwest Ethiopia: a randomized controlled trial · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the existing literature on energy poverty measurement, highlighting the need for dynamic, data-driven approaches. The analysis emphasizes the importance of considering regional and socioeconomic disparities in energy poverty measurement.

    Predicting energy poverty using household budget survey: a machine learning approach · 2026 · DOI

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186 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,354 Energy and Environment Impacts papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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