In recent years, the concept of “energy justice” has attracted much attention and research effort. Although all policy issues related to energy justice are worthy of further study, the time constraints posed by the looming threat of climate change suggests the need for coordinated policy research efforts. At the current stage of development of European societies, we consider that four policy research strands might be most important in the light of specific evolving trends of European energy systems. Therefore, we propose these priorities as a shared research agenda for academic and policy researchers. In this article, we develop and discuss the following four research priority strands: (a) intergenerational justice and energy justice, (b) justice and energy vulnerability, (c) transformation of the social imaginary and energy infrastructure, and (d) damage, compensation, and energy infrastructure. For each topic, we highlight their critical issues and research opportunities. We conclude that these priorities are necessary not only to accelerate the energy transition but also to avoid negative impacts that climate change and the transition phase could produce on already established patterns of inequality.

The social acceptability of wind farms has been researched for several decades now, with the first research tracing back to the 1980s. This paper aims to deliver a literature review within the structural framework proposed by the paper of variables influencing the acceptability of wind farms. The large amount of research published on the social acceptability of wind farms requires an effort to identify and categorise variables to deliver a holistic understanding of opposition and support to wind energy. We classify the variables into three main categories: first, ‘psychological variables’, including perceived benefits and costs, emotions, and attitudes; second, ‘contextual variables’, including community energy schemes and media influence; and finally, third, ‘personal resources’, including income or wealth, place of residence, and relevant knowledge in relation to the wind farm. In agreement with other scholars, we argue that NIMBYism (not in my backyard) is an outdated and simplistic explanation for opposition to wind farms. Instead, we provide a theoretical framework to explain the acceptability of wind energy and show how these variables might influence both acceptance and opposition.

Sustainable energy projects can help societies reduce climate change’s negative impacts. In the present paper, published studies regarding European community energy schemes (CESs) were analysed to investigate CESs’ barriers and drivers towards including community members and, more specifically, vulnerable groups. This review followed the PRISMA guidelines to ensure transparency. Exclusion and inclusion criteria were defined to select the proper articles and books that were aligned with the scope of this review. A total of 143 publications from 2019 to February 2024 were considered and selected. Content analysis was used to outline the various definitions of energy poverty, vulnerable groups, and CESs as well as the different strategies and approaches followed by European countries to tackle energy poverty and increase public engagement in CESs. This research suggests that environmental citizenship is a concept that can bring individuals and society together to promote changes in energy-related behaviours. The outcome reveals factors that enhance community energy acceptance and social cohesion such as providing energy education or education for sustainability to community members, financial support, increased prosocial culture, and the participation of vulnerable groups in CESs. This can be achieved through various interventions to help community members, including vulnerable groups, understand sustainable energy behaviour and thus reduce energy poverty.