Urban Economics and Planning

Urban Economics and Planning

Elucidating the Factors Influencing the Use of Renewable Energy and the Enhance Sustainable Development in Metropolitan Areas Using Content Analysis Method and MAXQDA Software

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Maryam Torkaman 1
Samaneh Jalilisadrabad 2
1 M.A. Student, Regional Planning, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Regional & Urban Planning, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/uep.2024.476310.1535
Abstract
Introduction 
In today’s world, urbanization has led to metropolitan areas facing extensive and complex challenges. The development of human societies in recent centuries, particularly in the 21st century, along with the increasing trend of industrialization as a critical indicator of economic and social progress in urban regions, has had significant negative impacts on the environment and natural resources. These issues include excessive land consumption, increased traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and high energy consumption, leading to global warming, biodiversity loss, and greater dependence on fossil fuels [1]. The rapid growth of urbanization, increased construction, and the rising demand for energy for cooling and heating have significantly escalated energy consumption, consequently increasing various types of pollution [2]. Consequently, the sustainable growth of cities faces multiple challenges, including increased individual consumption and inefficient exploitation of natural resources, leading to the creation of socially deprived and underprivileged areas [3]. In this context, the concept of sustainable development has been proposed to address these environmental issues, particularly in urban areas. The negative ecological footprint and consumerist lifestyle are among the factors that reinforce the necessity for action toward sustainable development. Sustainable development is defined as meeting society’s current needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs [4]. The sustainable development model, focusing on the optimal management and preservation of resources, facilitates economic growth and social development in alignment with the needs of the natural environment [5]. Therefore, as ecological units, environmental indicators in cities demonstrate a close connection between humans and the environment, which can be improved by reducing resource consumption, energy use, and pollution [6]. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, urban areas account for two-thirds of global energy consumption and are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions from energy [7]. Since the economy, energy, and environment are inextricably linked [8], renewable energy resources and sustainable development are considered two related and complementary concepts [9]. In this context, one of the most essential strategies for achieving sustainable development is using renewable energy resources [10,11]. To ensure sustainability and meet current needs without compromising future resources, renewable energy sources are proposed as a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for energy security [12]. Considering that using renewable energy is one of the critical global issues in sustainable development, numerous studies have been conducted in this area. However, the elucidation of factors influencing the use of renewable energy and sustainable development in metropolitan areas has not yet been fully addressed in research. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the factors affecting the use of renewable energy and the promotion of sustainable development in metropolitan cities. Wath factors influence the use of renewable energy in the sustainable development of metropolitan areas?
Materials and Methods
The research method in this study is a review, and data collection was conducted through library and documentary studies. Qualitative content analysis and the software MAXQDA were utilized for analysis. This research method employs qualitative content analysis, interpreting library documents, and extracting textual codes based on the content of these documents. Subsequently, the qualitative data were quantified by calculating the percentage of importance based on the frequency of codes in the texts, allowing for a more precise analysis. The extracted codes were then categorized according to economic, social, institutional, and environmental indicators, and the percentage of importance for each indicator was also presented.
Findings
The analysis of the relationship between the use of renewable energy and sustainable development in urban areas indicates that these two concepts are deeply and mutually interconnected. Using renewable energy sources, particularly in the current context where environmental crises and climate change have become significant challenges for societies, can serve as a key solution for achieving sustainable development. From an economic perspective, adopting renewable energy can lead to reduced energy costs, new job opportunities, and increased investment in sustainable infrastructure. Furthermore, using these resources can strengthen the local economy and reduce dependence on fossil fuel sources. Based on the research findings and the study’s conceptual model, it is evident that the use of renewable energy and sustainable development have a reciprocal and bidirectional relationship. Therefore, based on the research findings, the factors influencing the use of renewable energy in the sustainable development of metropolitan areas include poverty reduction, enhancement of quality of life, job creation, improvement of public health, environmental protection, reduction of air pollutants, energy security, energy sustainability, equitable access to energy, fossil fuel consumption savings, health promotion, effective governance, the intermittency of renewable energy sources, poverty alleviation, and energy security, as well as national policy drivers, among others. Additionally, using renewable energy can lead to decreased dependence on fossil fuels and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn contributes to environmental protection and the preservation of natural resources. One of the significant factors is the intermittency of renewable energy sources, which, when combined with optimal governance and energy management, appropriate zoning, and facilitation of service distribution, can enhance the performance of renewable energy systems and, consequently, support the sustainability of renewable energy sources.
Conclusion
Identifying and understanding the factors influencing the use of renewable energy and sustainable development is a fundamental issue for urban planning and the advancement of urban areas in alignment with national objectives. This understanding is essential for formulating strategies and policies to enhance quality of life across various economic, social, institutional, and environmental dimensions at both micro and macro levels. To date, no study has specifically addressed the elucidation and description of the factors affecting the use of renewable energy and sustainable development, illustrating the nature of this relationship. Therefore, this research was conducted through a review and synthesis of previous studies, presenting a conceptual model demonstrating the connection between these two aspects. The findings indicate that using renewable energy has a direct relationship with promoting urban sustainable development. This relationship is significant across environmental, economic, social, and institutional dimensions, as supported by the data and results of the study. Various studies have highlighted the factors influencing the use of renewable energy and its impact on the sustainable development of urban areas. However, in most of these studies, not all dimensions and the nature of their interconnections have been thoroughly addressed. Consequently, this research examines the influential factors across all dimensions, aiming to articulate the relationships among these dimensions and the internal connections between them.
Considering the profound relationship between the use of renewable energy and the enhancement of sustainable development, it can be regarded as one of the effective strategies for promoting sustainable development in urban and metropolitan areas across various economic, social, institutional, and environmental dimensions. In this context, this research employs qualitative content analysis of existing studies to elucidate the factors influencing the use of renewable energy and sustainable development.  The findings of the research indicate that the factors influencing this area include poverty reduction, enhancement of quality of life, job creation, improvement of public health, environmental protection, reduction of air pollutants, energy security, energy sustainability, equitable access to energy, conservation of fossil fuel consumption, effective governance, and the intermittency of renewable energy sources. These factors not only contribute to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gases but also lead to improvements in quality of life and economic growth. The elucidation and implementation of these factors in energy policymaking can enhance the quality of metropolitan areas, attract domestic and foreign investments, and ultimately promote sustainable development indicators.
Keywords
Content Analysis Using MAXQDA Software
Metropolitan Areas
Renewable Energy
Sustainable Development

Subjects

[1] Turner G, Foran B. Resource consumption and resource depletion. Transitions: Pathways towards sustainable urban development in Australia. 2008:35-55. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257527724_Resource_Consumption_and_Resource_Depletion_Future_Scenarios_and_Pathways_for_Change
[2] Zhang X, Davidson EA, Mauzerall DL, Searchinger TD, Dumas P, Shen Y. Managing nitrogen for sustainable development. Nature. 2015;528(7580):51-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15743
[3] Cook IR, Swyngedouw E. Cities, social cohesion and the environment: towards a future research agenda. Urban studies. 2012;49(9):1959-79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098012444887
[4] Purvis B, Mao Y, Robinson D. Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins. Sustainability science. 2019;14:681-95.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0627-5
[5] Drzazga D. Interaktywny model proekologicznego zarządzania zintegrowaną gospodarką energetyczną i przestrzenną w rozwoju miast: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego; 2008.
[6] Zehtab H, Alavi S, Bagheri A, editors. Assessing the status of metropolitan cities in sustainable development indicators. 6th International Conference on Civil, Architectural & Environmental Science, Stockholm; 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337824925_Assessing_the_status_of_metropolitan_cities_in_sustainable_development_indicators 
[7] News U. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy 2015 [Available from: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/.
[8] Suo C, Li Y, Mei H, Lv J, Sun J, Nie S. Towards sustainability for China’s energy system through developing an energy-climate-water nexus model. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2021;135:110394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110394
[9] Marco-Lajara B, Martínez-Falcó J, Sánchez-García E, Millan-Tudela LA. Analyzing the role of renewable energy in meeting the sustainable development goals: A bibliometric analysis. Energies. 2023;16(7):3137. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16073137
[10] Dincer I. Renewable energy and sustainable development: a crucial review. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews. 2000;4(2):157-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-0321(99)00011-8
[11] Liu J, Diamond J. China’s environment in a globalizing world. Nature. 2005;435(7046):1179-86. DOI:10.1038/4351179a 
[12] Everett R, Boyle G, Peake S, Ramage J. Energy systems and sustainability: power for a sustainable future: Oxford University Press; 2012. http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199593743.do
[13] Vera I, Langlois L. Energy indicators for sustainable development. Energy. 2007;32(6):875-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2006.08.006 
[14] Omer AM. Energy, environment and sustainable development. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews. 2008;12(9):2265-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2007.05.001 
[15] Elum ZA, Momodu AS. Climate change mitigation and renewable energy for sustainable development in Nigeria: A discourse approach. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews. 2017;76:72-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.03.040 
[16] Cîrstea SD, Moldovan-Teselios C, Cîrstea A, Turcu AC, Darab CP. Evaluating renewable energy sustainability by composite index. Sustainability. 2018;10(3):811. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030811 
[17] Carbajo R, Cabeza LF. Sustainability and social justice dimension indicators for applied renewable energy research: A responsible approach proposal. Applied Energy. 2019;252:113429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.113429
[18] Güney T. Renewable energy, non-renewable energy and sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology. 2019;26(5):389-97. DOI:10.1080/13504509.2019.1595214
[19] Čeryová D, Bullová T, Turčeková N, Adamičková I, Moravčíková D, Bielik P. Assessment of the renewable energy sector performance using selected indicators in european union countries. Resources. 2020;9(9):102.https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jresou:v:9:y:2020:i:9:p:102-:d:404791
[20] Surya B, Muhibuddin A, Suriani S, Rasyidi ES, Baharuddin B, Fitriyah AT, Abubakar H. Economic evaluation, use of renewable energy, and sustainable urban development mamminasata metropolitan, Indonesia. Sustainability. 2021;13(3):1165. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031165 
[21] Pan X, Shao T, Zheng X, Zhang Y, Ma X, Zhang Q. Energy and sustainable development nexus: A review. Energy Strategy Reviews. 2023;47:101078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2023.101078  
[22] Brimani MM, Mehdi Engineer, Kaabi Nejadian, & Dr. Abd al-Razzaq. Renewable energy and sustainable development in Iran. Journal of renewable and new energies 2014;1(1):21-6. 
[23] Kazemi Fard S, Naji, & Afshar Tarimi. An overview of the role of renewable energy sources in sustainable development. Journal of renewable and new energies 2017;4(1):34-43. DOI: 20.1001.1.24234931.1396.4.1.6.2
[24] Behbodhi D, Mohammadzadeh, Parviz, and Mousavi, Soha. Examining the interrelationships between renewable energy-sustainable development-carbon dioxide emissions in Iran: Bayesian vector autoregression approach. Environmental Science and Technology. 2019;22(2). https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/jest/Article/835565 [in persian]
[25] Mahdi M, Vahidinasab V, Ghazizadeh MS. The evaluation and prioritization framework of renewable energy sources and sustainable development in Iran, based on the multi-criteria decision-making method. Journal of Energy Planning And Policy Research. 2022;8(2):51-63. http://epprjournal.ir/article-1-1087-en.html
[26] Danielewicz J. The Sustainable Development Idea in the Management of European Metropolitan Areas. Economic and Environmental Studies. 2017;17(2 (42)):279-96. https://doi.org/10.25167/ees.2017.42.8 
[27] Agency IE. World energy outlook: OECD/IEA Paris; 2009. 
[28] TREIA. Definition of renewable energy. Define Renew Energy 2015. 2015.
[29] Plan G. Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Government of the Republic of Bangladesh. 2011.
[30] Shaaban M, Petinrin J. Renewable energy potentials in Nigeria: Meeting rural energy needs. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews. 2014;29:72-84. DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2013.08.078
[31] Hermann S, Miketa A, Fichaux N. Estimating the renewable energy potential in Africa: A GIS-based approach. 2014. http://www.irena.org
[32] OlayinkaOyedepo S. Energy and sustainable development in Nigeria. The way forward. Energy, Sustainability and Society (online). 2012;2. https://doi.org/10.1186/2192-0567-2-15
[33] Wang G, Sadiq M, Bashir T, Jain V, Ali SA, Shabbir MS. The dynamic association between different strategies of renewable energy sources and sustainable economic growth under SDGs. Energy Strategy Reviews. 2022;42:100886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100886
[34] Clausen LT, Rudolph D. Renewable energy for sustainable rural development: Synergies and mismatches. Energy Policy. 2020;138:111289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111289
[35] Strielkowski W, Civín L, Tarkhanova E, Tvaronavičienė M, Petrenko Y. Renewable energy in the sustainable development of electrical power sector: A review. Energies. 2021;14(24):8240. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14248240 
[36] Mohtasham J. Renewable energies. Energy Procedia. 2015;74:1289-97. DOI:10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.774 
[37] Hannan M, Al-Shetwi AQ, Ker PJ, Begum R, Mansor M, Rahman S, et al. Impact of renewable energy utilization and artificial intelligence in achieving sustainable development goals. Energy Reports. 2021;7:5359-73. DOI:10.1016/j.egyr.2021.08.172
[38] Jaiswal KK, Chowdhury CR, Yadav D, Verma R, Dutta S, Jaiswal KS, Karuppasamy KSK. Renewable and sustainable clean energy development and impact on social, economic, and environmental health. Energy Nexus. 2022;7:100118. DOI:10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100118
[39] Shahzad U, Radulescu M, Rahim S, Isik C, Yousaf Z, Ionescu SA. Do environment-related policy instruments and technologies facilitate renewable energy generation? Exploring the contextual evidence from developed economies. Energies. 2021;14(3):690. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14030690 
[40] Kumar. J CR, Majid MA. Renewable energy for sustainable development in India: current status, future prospects, challenges, employment, and investment opportunities. Energy, Sustainability and Society. 2020;10(1):2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-019-0232-1 
[41] Gyamfi S, Derkyi NS, Asuamah EY, Aduako IJ. Renewable energy and sustainable development.  Sustainable Hydropower in West Africa: Elsevier; 2018. p. 75-94.
[42] Doukas H, Papadopoulou A, Savvakis N, Tsoutsos T, Psarras J. Assessing energy sustainability of rural communities using Principal Component Analysis. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2012;16(4):1949-57. doi.10.1016/j.rser.2012.01.018
[43] Yumashev A, Ślusarczyk B, Kondrashev S, Mikhaylov A. Global indicators of sustainable development: Evaluation of the influence of the human development index on consumption and quality of energy. Energies. 2020;13(11):2768. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13112768
[44] Oyedepo SO. Towards achieving energy for sustainable development in Nigeria. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews. 2014;34:255-72. DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2014.03.019
[45] Gunnarsdóttir I, Davidsdottir B, Worrell E, Sigurgeirsdóttir S. Review of indicators for sustainable energy development. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2020;133:110294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110294 
[46] Aboul-Atta TA-L, Rashed RH. Analyzing the relationship between sustainable development indicators and renewable energy consumption. Journal of Engineering and Applied Science. 2021;68:1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-021-00041-9
[47] Ruhol Amini. Renewable energies in Iran, current and future situation Iranian political Sociology Monthly 2019;1(4):546-56. DOI: 10.30510/PSI.2024.466903.4436 
[48] Jin X, Ahmed Z, Pata UK, Kartal MT, Erdogan S. Do investments in green energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy R&D improve the load capacity factor? An augmented ARDL approach. Geoscience Frontiers. 2024;15(4):101646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2023.101646 
[49] Bali Swain R, Yang-Wallentin F. Achieving sustainable development goals: predicaments and strategies. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology. 2020;27(2):96-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2019.1692316 
[50] Anwar A, Sinha A, Sharif A, Siddique M, Irshad S, Anwar W, Malik S. The nexus between urbanization, renewable energy consumption, financial development, and CO 2 emissions: Evidence from selected Asian countries. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 2022:1-21. DOI:10.1007/s10668-021-01716-2
Urban Economics and Planning
Volume 5, Issue 3
Summer 2024
Pages 214-231

  • Receive Date 01 September 2024
  • Revise Date 01 October 2024
  • Accept Date 21 October 2024