Mapping Lithuanian transition towards sustainable energy: sociological account on a waste-to-energy case

Abstract

Energy production technologies have become closer to people's everyday life. Therefore, its social acceptability and scale of spread play a significant role in moving towards a climate-neutral society. A growing body of academic literature shows that social aspects are becoming more central in the transition process. The study's novelty derives from the conceptual framework for analyzing the possible social challenges of the transition and from empirical data that contributes to a more thorough understanding of the direction of the transition and practical opportunities identified by the experts. This article explores expert opinions of Lithuanian readiness to transit towards sustainable energy by analyzing the applicability of Waste to Energy (WtE) and further development in Lithuania. The transition and social acceptability are discussed in three dimensions (socio-political, communal and market). The paper is based on qualitative research conducted at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. Among other discoveries, the study revealed that the majority of experts tend to support WtE input for the Lithuanian transition towards a sustainable energy sector but indicated that some better public awareness, as well as the justified and transparent mechanism of WtE implementation (to correspond with public interest), are needed.

Shaping Sustainable Futures: Public Policies and Renewable Energy Insights Based on Global Bibliometric Analysis

“…The transition to sustainable energy presents multidimensional aspects, incorporating socio-political, community, and market dimensions. Thus, a successful energy transition involves not just technological adoption but also addressing the socio-political acceptability, community preparedness, and market viability of new technologies [65,66]. This transition, with its effects on the economy and labor market, also influences managerial practices from top management to the lowest hierarchical levels in relation to the possibility of achieving sustainability objectives in each company [67].…”

Exploring the Synergy of Renewable Energy in the Circular Economy Framework: A Bibliometric Study

“…The deficiency of a defined regulatory framework and government policy support is also a barrier to applying renewable energy within the context of a circular economy, particularly in developing nations [7,55,134,141,165,166]. The implementation of the circular economy requires agreement, understanding, coordination, and joint cooperation between stakeholders such as producers, suppliers, consumers, and the government to achieve environmental sustainability [50,127,164,[175][176][177]. It is not easy for the actors in this network to cooperate; thus, regulations need to be put in place, and the government needs to support the creation of this ecosystem.…”

“…A considerable number of developing nations rely heavily on fossil fuels because most consumers' devices are incompatible with renewable energy sources [94,168]. Manufacturers can play an active role in shaping consumer behavior by designing business models that support circularity in their value chain, such as converting ownership of electronic products with renewable energy sources to a rental system in order to make the price more affordable for consumers and encourage them to convert to renewable energy [55,59,134,177,193]. There is a need for education, effective communication, and dialogue with the general public in order to increase their awareness and understanding of energy transition issues [57,175].…”

Energy Transformation in Municipal Areas—Key Datasets and Their Influence on Process Evaluation

“…The wider use of sludge as a renewable fuel requires the improvement of legal acts in Lithuania. Likely, different opinions will not be avoided until generally accepted strategic goals can mobilize various stakeholders and unify justification for the transition toward a sustainable energy sector [63].…”