The global energy transition is experiencing unprecedented growth in renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles, and other low-carbon industries, offering tangible hope for mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable development goals. However, this transition also introduces complex challenges, particularly regarding resource reliability and supply chain stability. The evolving global trade landscape, emerging geopolitical tensions, potential resource bottlenecks, and policy changes are further exacerbating these challenges.

The energy transition necessitates a rapid and profound transformation across the entire energy technology ecosystem, from mineral extraction and processing to the large-scale deployment of low-carbon technologies. The high interconnectivity between energy technologies, industries, and markets means that risks in one area can quickly propagate to others, causing cascading effects that may destabilize the entire system. As such, the resilience and sustainability of industry, supply, and trade chains are critical to supporting the energy transition and must be addressed with urgency.

This Special Issue invites papers on the identification, assessment, and propagation of risks within the global energy transition process, with a focus on, but not limited to, the following key areas:

• Risk identification in industrial chains, supply chains, and trade chains during the innovation, development, and large-scale deployment of low-carbon technologies.
• Potential vulnerabilities within supply chains, industrial chains, and trade networks of clean energy technologies.
• Policy dynamics and supply chain risks associated with critical minerals for energy transition.
• Resource availability, sustainable extraction, and utilization of critical minerals.
• Impacts of geopolitical risks and trade dynamics on energy transition and mineral supply chains.
• Effects of policy and regulatory risks on supply chain stability, global energy technology trade, and low-carbon transition.
• Cross-sectoral and cross-industry transmission of risks in critical minerals and clean energy technology supply chains.
• Strategies for mitigating supply chain risks and enhancing resilience to support energy transitions.

Guest editors:

Dr. Baihe Gu

Professor, Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Email: gubaihe@casisd.cn

Dr. Meng Li

Professor, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

Email: mengli2010@sjtu.edu.cn

Dr. Heran Zheng

Professor, The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, UK

Email: heran.zheng@ucl.ac.uk

Submission information:

https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/jecm

Guide for Authors will be helpful for your future contributions, read more: Guide for authors

Papers submitted for this special issue are subject to a rigorous peer review procedure before being rapidly and widely disseminated. Upon its acceptance, the paper will go into production immediately, and then be published online in a regular issue.

Submission information:
Submissions address: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/jecm
Journal homepage: https://www.sciopen.com/journal/3006-9203
E-mail: ecm@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Contact way: B608C, Xueyan Building, Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
Tel: +86-10-8470577
Guide for Authors will be helpful for your future contributions, read more: Guide for authors
Papers submitted for this special issue are subject to a rigorous peer review procedure before being rapidly and widely disseminated. Upon its acceptance, the paper will go into production immediately, and then be published online in a regular issue.

Important dates:
Manuscript submission deadline: 30 April 2026
Publication online: As soon as accepted (VSl)