Social Sustainability Assessment of Energy Systems: Research Status and Opportunities

In pursuit of sustainable development, the energy sector must consider the three basic pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social. However, research on the social sustainability pillar has been lagging relative to the two other pillars. This paper explores the status and opportunities in the field of social sustainability assessment of energy systems through a systematic literature review of 122 peer-reviewed articles. The paper primarily highlights the common research gaps identified in existing literature, the definition of social sustainability as defined by previous research, and the tools used to measure social sustainability. The findings of this paper can guide researchers and other stakeholders about future research directions and serve as a knowledge base in the field of social sustainability assessment of energy systems.