Smart electric meters play a pivotal role in making energy systems decarbonized and automating the energy system. Smart electric meters denote huge business opportunities for both public and private companies. Utility players can manage the electricity demand more efficiently whereas customers can monitor and control the electricity bill through the adoption of smart electric meters. The study examines the factors affecting the adoption intention of smart electric meters in Indian households. This study draws a roadmap that how utility providers and customers can improve the smart electric meters adoption. The study has five independent variables (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, environmentalism, and hedonic motivation) and one dependent variable (adoption intention). The sample size for the study is four hundred and sixty-two respondents from Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The data was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results of this study have confirmed that performance expectancy, environmentalism, and social influence have a significant impact on the intention of adopting smart electric meters. Therefore, utility providers can improve their strategies to attract more customers to adopt smart electric meters by focusing more on the performance of smart electric meters and by making them environmentally friendly. This research offers meaningful insights to both customers and utility providers to make energy systems decarbonized and control energy consumption.

This study evaluates the sustainability and ethical practices of Kerry Logistics Network Limited (KLN), a prominent logistics service provider headquartered in Hong Kong. Using normative ethical theories, stakeholder analysis, and the Circle of Sustainability framework, this research examines KLN’s alignment with global sustainability standards, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings reveal that KLN has achieved significant milestones in environmental management, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 11% from 2021 to 2022 through the deployment of electric trucks and incorporating renewable energy in warehouse operations. KLN has also enhanced social responsibility and governance practices by implementing fair labor policies and establishing a rigorous code of conduct, ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines across its supply chain. However, the study identifies areas for improvement, including biodiversity actions, battery recycling processes, and transparency in stakeholder engagement. Emphasizing the importance of third-party validation, this paper underscores KLN’s leadership in the logistics industry and provides insights for other companies aiming to improve sustainability performance through comprehensive, verifiable practices.

To achieve the energy transition and carbon neutrality targets, governments have implemented multiple policies to incentivize electricity suppliers to invest in renewable energy. Considering different government policies, we construct a renewable energy supply chain consisting of electricity suppliers and electricity retailers. We then explore the impact of four policies on electricity suppliers’ renewable energy investments, environmental impacts, and social welfare. We validated the results based on data from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The results show that government subsidy policies are more effective in promoting electricity suppliers to invest in renewable energy as consumer preferences increase, while no-government policies are the least effective. We also show that electricity suppliers are most profitable under the government subsidy policy and least profitable under the carbon cap-and-trade policy. Besides, our results indicate that social welfare is the worst under the carbon cap-and-trade policy. With the increase in carbon intensity and renewable energy quota, social welfare is the highest under the subsidy policy. However, the social welfare under the renewable energy portfolio standard is optimal when the renewable energy quota is low.

Water splitting, the process of converting water into hydrogen and oxygen gases, has garnered significant attention as a promising avenue for sustainable energy production. One area of focus has been the development of efficient and cost-effective catalysts for water splitting. Researchers have explored catalysts based on abundant and inexpensive materials such as nickel, iron, and cobalt, which have demonstrated improved performance and stability. These catalysts show promise for large-scale implementation and offer potential for reducing the reliance on expensive and scarce materials. Another avenue of research involves photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, which utilize solar energy to drive the water-splitting reaction. Scientists have been working on designing novel materials, including metal oxides and semiconductors, to enhance light absorption and charge separation properties. These advancements in PEC technology aim to maximize the conversion of sunlight into chemical energy. Inspired by natural photosynthesis, artificial photosynthesis approaches have also gained traction. By integrating light-absorbing materials, catalysts, and membranes, these systems aim to mimic the complex processes of natural photosynthesis and produce hydrogen fuel from water. The development of efficient and stable artificial photosynthesis systems holds promise for sustainable and clean energy production. Tandem cells, which combine multiple light-absorbing materials with different bandgaps, have emerged as a strategy to enhance the efficiency of water-splitting systems. By capturing a broader range of the solar spectrum, tandem cells optimize light absorption and improve overall system performance. Lastly, advancements in electrocatalysis have played a critical role in water splitting. Researchers have focused on developing advanced electrocatalysts with high activity, selectivity, and stability for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). These electrocatalysts contribute to overall water-splitting efficiency and pave the way for practical implementation.

From the perspective of the corporate life cycle, this study investigates the transmission mechanism of ‘technological innovation-financing constraints-carbon emission reduction’ in energy companies using panel data and mediating models, focusing on listed energy companies from 2014 to 2020. It explores the stage characteristics of this mechanism during different life cycle phases and conducts heterogeneity tests across industries and regions. The results reveal that technological innovation positively influences carbon emission reduction in energy enterprises, demonstrating significant life cycle stage characteristics, specifically more pronounced in mature companies than in growing or declining companies. Financing constraints play a mediating role between technological innovation and carbon reduction, but this is only effective during the growth and maturity stages. Further research shows that the impact of technological innovation on carbon emission reduction and the mediating role of financing constraints exhibit heterogeneity across different stages of the life cycle, industries, and regions. The conclusions of this paper provide references for energy companies in planning rational emission reduction strategies and for government departments in policy-making.