Pathways to Decarbonization: A Conceptual Framework Linking Renewable Energy Implementation Strategies to Sustainable Transitions Through Adaptive Technology Integration

Pathways to Decarbonization: A Conceptual Framework Linking Renewable Energy Implementation Strategies to Sustainable Transitions Through Adaptive Technology Integration

Mohd Rizaimy Shaharudin¹*, Jamaludin Akbar¹, Preecha Wararatchai², Sirion Son-ong², Sittichai Pintuma²

¹Faculty of Business and Management, University Technology MARA, 08400 Merbok, Kedah, Malaysia

²College of Logistics and Supply Chain, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

*Corresponding Author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.914MG00172

Received: 03 October 2025; Accepted: 08 October 2025; Published: 27 October 2025

ABSTRACT

The global transition to carbon neutrality is hindered by fragmented approaches that treat renewable energy deployment, technological innovation, and sustainability outcomes as disconnected domains. This study addresses the critical gap in understanding how renewable energy implementation strategies translate into sustainable transitions, proposing that clean energy technology adaptation serves as the essential mediating mechanism. Drawing on a narrative review methodology, the research synthesizes evidence from 327 peer-reviewed studies (2020–2025) sourced from Scopus to develop the Adaptive Carbon Planning Framework. Findings reveal that strategic initiatives such as multi-energy system integration, sector-specific hybrid solutions, and spatially coordinated policies only yield deep decarbonization when coupled with adaptive technologies like Power-to-X, AI-driven electrolyzers, and smart storage systems that respond dynamically to system fluctuations and stakeholder needs. The study demonstrates that technology adaptation is not a passive outcome but an active conduit that amplifies the impact of implementation strategies on sustainability. Theoretically, this reframes decarbonization as a complex adaptive process; practically, the Adaptive Carbon Planning Framework offers policymakers a structured yet flexible tool for designing resilient, equitable, and technically viable energy transitions. Future research should empirically test the proposed framework using comparative case studies from multiple jurisdictions, integrating both qualitative stakeholder feedback and quantitative data.

Keywords: Adaptive Carbon Planning Framework, Clean Energy Technology Adaptation, Decarbonization Pathways, Renewable Energy Implementation, Sustainable Energy Transitions

INTRODUCTION

The worldwide drive to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century has transformed decarbonization from a policy goal into an operational imperative within energy, transport, industry, and urban systems. Although the widespread use of renewable energy is largely accepted as the foundation of this transition, its success depends not simply on the availability of technology but on the manner in which implementation strategies are formulated, translated, and embedded into intricate socio-technical systems (Apata, 2025; Kongkuah & Alessa, 2025). Emergent literature emphasizes that the integration of multi-energy systems (MES) and complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory offers promising pathways to addressing interdependencies between technology, governance, and spatial context (Apata, 2025; Delafield et al., 2024). Yet, despite significant advancements in Power-to-X (PtX) technology and smart grid infrastructure, deeply rooted institutional, economic, and technical barriers continue to impede systemic transformation, revealing a pressing need for frameworks that explicitly bridge the gap between strategic intention and adaptive action.

Increasing literature on renewable energy policies, technological advances, and sustainability transitions in isolation often neglects the mediating role of technology adaptation. For example, although PtX technologies such as power-to-hydrogen and power-to-ammonia have transformative promise, diffusion is often foiled by thermodynamic inefficiencies, control complexities, and incompatibility with local energy infrastructures (Huerta-Rosas et al., 2025; Tao et al., 2025). Again, literature on sectoral strategies, ranging from city mobility with hydrogen storage to nearly zero-energy ports with hybrid systems of renewables, points up the value of situational customization but hardly ever gives explicit causal treatment to adaptation (Suresh et al., 2024; Cholidis et al., 2025). In addition, local institutional gaps where national objectives meet resistance due to fragmentation of rules or failure of stakeholder engagement further undermine scalar multipliability even for well-crafted strategies (Shen & Tai, 2024). These patchy insights themselves bring out a fundamental lacuna: that there is no single conceptual model that tells us how renewable energy implementation strategies unlock sustainable transitions through adaptive technology diffusion.

This study directly addresses that gap by proposing a novel conceptual framework that positions clean energy technology adaptation as the central mediating variable between renewable energy implementation strategies and sustainable transitions. While existing models focus on linear policy-to-outcome relationships or treat adaptation as a peripheral outcome, our framework theorizes adaptation as an active, dynamic process shaped by institutional learning, spatial context, and technological co-evolution (Apata, 2025; Huerta-Rosas et al., 2025). By integrating insights from MES planning, CAS theory, and PtX system integration, we construct a causal architecture; Renewable Energy Implementation Strategies → Clean Energy Technology Adaptation → Sustainable Transitions — that bridges theoretical fragmentation with empirical relevance. The aim of this study is thus to advance both scholarly understanding and practical implementation by providing a heuristic for diagnosing failures, designing context-sensitive interventions, and evaluating progress toward systemic decarbonization.

The significance of this work lies in its capacity to reorient energy transition discourse from static policy evaluation toward dynamic, adaptive governance. Grounded in emerging frameworks such as the Adaptive Decarbonization Pathway Framework (ADPF), which emphasizes stakeholder collaboration, system interactions, and emergent behaviors, our approach captures the iterative feedback loops between strategy, technology, and societal outcomes (Apata, 2025). It also aligns with calls for multi-level governance structures that address institutional misalignments and promote equitable, scalable transitions (Shen & Tai, 2024; Fragkiadakis et al., 2025). The paper is structured as follows: Section 2 elaborates the theoretical foundations of the framework; Section 3 presents the proposed conceptual model with its core constructs and mediating pathways; Section 4 discusses implications for policy design and cross-sectoral collaboration; and Section 5 outlines limitations and future research directions. By centering adaptive integration as the linchpin of decarbonization, this paper offers a timely and actionable contribution to the science and practice of sustainable energy transitions.

LITERATURE REVIEW

To fulfill the aim of this study byproposing a conceptual framework that links renewable energy implementation strategies, clean energy technology adaptation, and sustainable transitions, it is imperative to synthesize existing scholarly insights across these three interrelated domains.

Renewable Energy Implementation Strategies

The literature also reveals that successful renewable energy deployment is dependent on overall economic and policy structures, considering technological uniqueness, market design, and adaptive governance. Khan et al. (2025) emphasize that connectivity, stability, and long-term sustainability of the grid require flexible compensation mechanisms for balancing and regulatory predictability for attracting investments. Similarly, institutional agents such as universities are also emerging as crucial implementers, with Skrzyzowski et al. (2024) reporting key drivers such as sustainability commitments and economic cost savings, and inhibitors such as restrictions on funds and technical complexity for implementing solar and wind systems. These findings point out that implementation success is not only technical but highly embedded within socio-political and economic ecologies with the requirement for coordination with stakeholders and robust regulatory support systems.

Clean Energy Technology Adaptation

Clean energy technology adaptation presents a parallel yet interconnected challenge, requiring solutions that bridge technical innovation with socio-environmental considerations. Kaur et al. (2025) note the growing significance of hybrid systems that integrate hydrogen, bioenergy, and photovoltaic systems, which add strength to the grid but have persisting barriers such as high capital outlays, intermittency, and patchy regulatory regimes. To mitigate such complexities, decision-support systems such as Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) have proven effective means of enhancing project siting and design by evaluating legal, environmental, and social trade-offs (Cook & Pétursson, 2025). Moreover, Herrera-Franco et al. (2024) advocate for the Water–Energy–Food nexus approach, which allows for system thinking by interlinking energy adaptation with overall resource security and social engagement. In this approach, technology deployment does not occur in a silo but is responsive to local ecological and social contexts and enhances long-term adaptability and acceptability.

Sustainable Transitions

Sustainable transitions require combining implementation and adaptation efforts as an integrated, dynamic system that can evolve with changing conditions. Simões (2024) argues that achieving transitions towards sustainability in development settings requires stakeholder-led frameworks that place institutional innovation and international coordination ahead of hardwired structural barriers. Jayachandran et al. (2022) echo this by citing nascent technologies’ potential for driving SDG 7, but point out that this must be accompanied, on the one hand, by inclusive policies and capacity development lest they reinforce rather than alleviate inequalities. Amegboleza and Ülkü (2025) provide another example from the transition problems of the mining industry, where global harmonization of norms and innovative funding must be employed to offset high up-front capital outlays and logistical constraints. In general, the literature seems to suggest that achieving sustainable transitions occurs with more than patchworks of intervention; it requires an integrative, adaptive framework that synthesizes across scales policy, technology, and stakeholder engagement. The proposed conceptual framework tries to bring this thinking to life by openly modeling the interrelationships between renewable energy implementation, technology adaptation, and systemic sustainability outcomes.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study employs a narrative review methodology, which is particularly suited for synthesizing complex, interdisciplinary bodies of literature to develop conceptual frameworks and identify thematic patterns across diverse research domains (Green et al., 2006). Unlike systematic reviews that prioritize quantitative synthesis or meta-analysis, narrative reviews allow for greater flexibility in interpreting and integrating findings from heterogeneous sources, making them ideal for exploratory and theory-building purposes (Sandelowski, 2000). Given the aim of this study—to propose a conceptual framework linking renewable energy implementation strategies, clean energy technology adaptation, and sustainable transitions—a narrative approach enables the researcher to construct a coherent, interpretive synthesis that captures the nuances, contradictions, and evolving discourses within the decarbonization literature. This design facilitates the identification of key theoretical perspectives, emergent themes, and gaps that can inform the development of a structured, integrative framework.

Key Steps in Conducting a Narrative Review

The narrative review was conducted following a structured, iterative process grounded in best practices for qualitative evidence synthesis (Tranfield et al., 2003). The first step involved defining the scope and objectives of the review, explicitly aligned with the study’s aim: to link renewable energy implementation, technology adaptation, and sustainable transitions. Second, a comprehensive search strategy was developed and executed using the Scopus database, selected for its broad coverage of peer-reviewed scientific literature across disciplines, including engineering, environmental science, policy studies, and economics. Third, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to ensure relevance: only peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters published between 2020 and 2025 were considered, with priority given to studies addressing decarbonization pathways, renewable energy technologies, policy frameworks, and transition dynamics. Fourth, data extraction was performed iteratively, capturing key variables such as authorship, publication year, research focus, methodology, findings, and theoretical contributions. Finally, an integrative thematic analysis was conducted to synthesize the extracted data into coherent conceptual categories that informed the proposed framework. Figure 1 illustrates the key steps in conducting a narrative review.

Figure 1. Key Steps in Conducting a Narrative Review

Data Collection and Review Strategy

Data collection was systematically executed through Scopus using a comprehensive, multi-component Boolean search string designed to capture the full spectrum of relevant literature. The search string was constructed as follows:

(“decarbonization” OR “carbon reduction” OR “emission reduction” OR “climate neutrality”)
AND (“renewable energy” OR “sustainable energy” OR “clean energy” OR “green energy”)
AND (“pathways” OR “strategies” OR “approaches” OR “methods”)
AND (“policy” OR “framework” OR “implementation” OR “transition”)
AND (“solar” OR “wind” OR “biomass” OR “hydro”)
AND (“technology” OR “innovation” OR “development” OR “advancement”)

This search yielded an initial pool of 1,847 documents after applying filters for peer-reviewed publications from 2020–2025. Following title and abstract screening based on relevance to the study’s aim, 327 full-text articles were retained for in-depth analysis. To ensure methodological rigor, the selection process was guided by an iterative coding protocol that categorized articles according to their contribution to one or more of the three core dimensions: implementation strategies, technology adaptation, or sustainable transitions.

An integrative thematic analysis approach was then employed to synthesize the selected literature (Thomas & Harden, 2008). This involved open coding of all texts to identify recurring concepts, followed by axial coding to group these into broader themes (e.g., “Policy Enablers,” “Technological Barriers,” “Stakeholder Engagement”). Finally, selective coding was used to refine and define the overarching analytical categories that would form the pillars of the proposed conceptual framework. This approach allowed for the identification of both explicit and implicit connections across the literature, facilitating the construction of a holistic model that bridges empirical findings with theoretical insights. The resulting synthesis not only maps the current state of knowledge but also reveals critical gaps, such as the lack of adaptive governance structures and integrated evaluation metrics that the proposed framework seeks to address.

Key Findings from the Narrative Review

The integrative thematic analysis of 327 peer-reviewed articles retrieved via Scopus yielded five dominants, interrelated themes that collectively inform the conceptual architecture of decarbonization pathways. These findings highlight both the progress made and the persistent gaps in aligning renewable energy implementation, clean technology adaptation, and sustainable transitions. Below is a comprehensive table summarizing these key findings, followed by an analytical synthesis. Table 1 presents the key findings from the narrative review.

Table 1: Key Findings from the Narrative Review

The narrative review in Table 1 reveals that while technological and policy advancements in renewable energy are accelerating, their effective integration into sustainable transitions remains hindered by structural, institutional, and methodological shortcomings. A recurring theme is the misalignment between top-down policy mandates and bottom-up implementation realities, exacerbated by fragmented governance and inadequate stakeholder inclusion. Furthermore, although clean energy technologies such as hydrogen and hybrid systems demonstrate significant potential, their deployment is frequently impeded by systemic inertia and a failure to account for spatial and resource interdependencies.

Crucially, the literature exposes a fundamental deficiency: the absence of adaptive governance mechanisms capable of managing uncertainty, facilitating learning, and enabling real-time recalibration of strategies. These findings underscore the necessity of a holistic, dynamic framework, one that transcends siloed approaches and embeds adaptability, stakeholder agency, and systemic thinking at its core. The proposed framework directly responds to these insights by integrating policy coherence, technological interoperability, and participatory governance within a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) lens, thereby offering a more resilient and responsive pathway toward carbon neutrality.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The theoretical foundation of this study is anchored in Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory, which provides a robust lens for understanding the nonlinear, dynamic, and emergent properties of energy systems undergoing decarbonization (Apata, 2025; Kazemi & Davis, 2024). Unlike traditional linear models that assume predictability and control, CAS theory recognizes that energy transitions involve heterogeneous agents such as governments, utilities, communities, and technologies, that interact in unpredictable ways, giving rise to system-level behaviors not reducible to individual components. This perspective is particularly relevant in the context of renewable energy implementation, where policy feedback loops, technological learning curves, and stakeholder resistance create evolving landscapes that demand adaptive responses. By adopting CAS as the guiding framework, this study moves beyond static, siloed analyses to embrace the inherent complexity and uncertainty of real-world energy transitions, thereby enabling a more realistic and resilient conceptual model.

In applying the theory of CAS to the goal of this study, specifying a conceptual framework that unites the implementation strategies for green energy, adaptations of green energy technologies, and sustainability transitions, the framework interweaves key CAS principles: self-organization, co-evolution, nonlinearity, and feedback mechanisms. For instance, the literature reports that successful transitions require cyclical refinements in policy using present-time data, a hallmark of CAS feedback loops (Khan et al., 2025). Similarly, hybrid technologies like hydrogen or bioenergy need to account for their co-evolution with grid infrastructure and market rules (Kaur et al., 2025). The proposed framework applies such ideas concretely by integrating adaptive governance systems, multi-stakeholder interaction nodes, and scenario-based learning components. This interweaving is taken further with the WEF nexus (Herrera-Franco et al., 2024) and spatial decision-making technologies such as GIS-MCDA (Cook & Pétursson, 2025), so both systemic interdependence and local constraint come into the frame of reference within the framework. In this manner, the theoretical model does not merely describe complexity—it designs for it preemptively.

The practical implications of such a CAS-informed framework have significant value for policymakers, planners, and industry actors seeking to mitigate the uncertainties surrounding energy transition. The proposed framework offers a structured yet adaptable starting point for exploring and prioritizing decarbonization pathways in terms of adaptability, resilience, and stakeholder alignment, a set of key features all too often missing from conventional planning models (Simões, 2024). From a practical perspective, it enables dynamic scenario simulation, risk reduction through redundancy, and enables ongoing learning through mechanisms of tracking and evaluation. In addition, by rooting the framework within empirical evidence gleaned from diverse contexts—in academia, mining operations, and national energy systems, the model moves beyond abstract theory, making it usable across a range of scales. Overall, the development of this theoretical framework represents a critical shift away from deterministic, top-down approaches towards an adaptive, collaborative, and systems-focused approach to decarbonisation, one that views complexity as a hindrance, rather than an intrinsic feature of sustainable transitions. Based on the discussions that have preceded it, Figure 2 illustrates the proposed Adaptive Carbon Planning (ACP) Framework of this study.

Figure 2. Proposed Adaptive Carbon Planning (ACP) Framework

Proposition Development

Renewable Energy Implementation Strategies Affects Clean Energy Technology Adaptation

Renewable energy implementation strategies directly influence the pace, scale, and effectiveness of clean energy technology adaptation by shaping the institutional, technical, and economic environments in which innovation occurs; for instance, coordinated multi-energy system (MES) planning fosters interoperability between emerging technologies like Power-to-X (PtX) and existing infrastructure, thereby reducing integration barriers and accelerating deployment (Apata, 2025; Huerta-Rosas et al., 2025), while adaptive control mechanisms, such as those governing electrolytic hydrogen production under variable renewable input, enhance technological resilience and economic viability, making adoption more attractive to investors and operators (Tao et al., 2025).

Furthermore, sector-specific strategies—like smart building retrofits or port-based hybrid renewable systems—create targeted demand signals that drive technological customization and market maturation, reinforcing feedback loops between policy design and technological evolution (Zhou, 2023; Cholidis et al., 2025). Crucially, the presence of supportive policy frameworks, including certification standards, financial incentives, and spatially coordinated governance, reduces uncertainty and mitigates institutional gaps that often stall technology uptake, particularly at the local level where resistance may arise due to fragmented authority or lack of public participation (Belkahla, 2025; Shen & Tai, 2024). Thus, renewable energy implementation is not merely a backdrop for technological change but an active driver that conditions the adaptability, scalability, and sustainability of clean energy innovations across diverse contexts.

Proposition 1: Renewable energy implementation strategies positively affect clean energy technology adaptation by creating enabling environments through integrated system design, adaptive control mechanisms, sectoral tailoring, and coherent policy support.

Clean Energy Technology Adaptation Affects Sustainable Transitions

Clean energy technology adaptation serves as a critical catalyst for sustainable energy transitions by enabling systemic decarbonization across multiple sectors and reinforcing feedback loops between innovation, policy, and societal acceptance; for example, the integration of adaptive Power-to-X (PtX) systems such as power-to-hydrogen and power-to-ammonia, not only addresses renewable intermittency but also facilitates deep decarbonization in hard-to-abate sectors like heavy industry and maritime transport, thereby expanding the scope and depth of sustainability outcomes (Huerta-Rosas et al., 2025). Similarly, adaptive control strategies in electrolytic hydrogen production enhance grid stability and economic feasibility under variable renewable input, making clean hydrogen a viable cornerstone of low-carbon energy systems (Tao et al., 2025). At the urban and community level, technologies like flow batteries and fuel cell vehicles support the electrification of mobility and distributed energy management (Lee et al., 2025), fostering energy autonomy and resilience in buildings and ports (Cholidis et al., 2025; Suresh et al., 2024). Crucially, when these technologies are embedded within socio-technical contexts that prioritize inclusive governance and just transition principles, they help reconcile economic development with environmental integrity, mitigating trade-offs that could otherwise stall progress (Halim et al., 2024; Fragkiadakis et al., 2025). Thus, the successful adaptation of clean energy technologies does not merely substitute fossil fuels but actively reconfigures energy systems toward greater sustainability, equity, and adaptability.

Proposition 2: Clean energy technology adaptation positively affects sustainable transitions by enabling sectoral decarbonization, enhancing system resilience, and fostering socio-technical co-evolution that aligns technological innovation with environmental and societal sustainability goals.

Renewable Energy Implementation Strategies Affects Sustainable Transitions

Renewable energy implementation strategies directly shape the trajectory and effectiveness of sustainable transitions by establishing the structural, institutional, and technological foundations necessary for systemic decarbonization; for instance, the deployment of multi-energy systems (MES) that integrate electricity, heat, hydrogen, and gas enables synergistic interactions across sectors, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and reducing carbon lock-in (Apata, 2025). Sector-specific approaches such as hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) in ports or peer-to-peer energy trading in buildings demonstrate how context-sensitive strategies can simultaneously lower the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), improve energy autonomy, and foster local resilience (Cholidis et al., 2025; Zhou, 2023). This is because renewable energy implementation strategies are designed to meet key sustainability criteria—such as reducing carbon emissions, enhancing energy security, and promoting efficient use of natural resources—which not only advance environmental goals but also deliver tangible benefits to consumers through improved health, resilience, and long-term cost savings, thereby accelerating sustainable transitions (Rashid & Shaharudin, 2017). Moreover, when these strategies are embedded within coherent policy frameworks that include spatial coordination, financial incentives, and participatory governance, they mitigate institutional gaps and local resistance, turning national decarbonization goals into locally viable realities (Belkahla, 2025; Shen & Tai, 2024). Crucially, as emphasized in socio-technical transition literature, the deliberate design of implementation pathways—through visioning, stakeholder co-creation, and iterative evaluation—ensures that renewable deployment aligns not only with technical feasibility but also with social equity and long-term ecological sustainability (Halim et al., 2024). Thus, renewable energy implementation is not a passive input but an active, strategic driver that configures the conditions under which sustainable energy transitions emerge, evolve, and endure.

Proposition 3: Renewable energy implementation strategies positively affect sustainable transitions by enabling integrated system design, fostering sectoral innovation, strengthening institutional coherence, and embedding socio-technical alignment that advances long-term decarbonization and resilience.

Mediating Role of Clean Energy Technology Adaptation on the Relationships between Renewable Energy Implementation Strategies and Sustainable Transitions

Clean energy technology adaptation serves as a critical mediating mechanism through which renewable energy implementation strategies translate into tangible sustainable transitions; while strategic deployment of renewables such as multi-energy systems (MES), sector-specific hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) in ports, or peer-to-peer trading in buildings, creates the foundational infrastructure and policy signals for decarbonization (Apata, 2025; Cholidis et al., 2025; Zhou, 2023), it is the adaptive integration of enabling technologies like Power-to-X (PtX), AI-optimized electrolyzers, and advanced energy storage that resolves core systemic barriers such as intermittency, sectoral coupling, and grid stability (Huerta-Rosas et al., 2025; Tao et al., 2025; Suresh et al., 2024). Without this technological mediation, even well-designed implementation strategies may stall due to technical infeasibility or economic inefficiency.

Moreover, the effectiveness of this mediation is amplified when adaptive technologies are embedded within socio-technical contexts that prioritize inclusive governance, spatially coordinated policies, and stakeholder collaboration, factors that enhance both technological uptake and the equity of transition outcomes (Belkahla, 2025; Shen & Tai, 2024). Thus, clean energy technology adaptation does not merely support but actively channels and amplifies the impact of renewable implementation strategies on the broader trajectory of sustainable energy transitions.

Proposition 4: Clean energy technology adaptation mediates the relationship between renewable energy implementation strategies and sustainable transitions, such that the positive effect of implementation strategies on sustainability outcomes is contingent upon the effective integration and adaptive deployment of clean energy technologies.

CONCLUSION

This study has established that the transition to sustainable energy systems is not driven by isolated technological advancements or policy mandates alone, but by the dynamic interplay between renewable energy implementation strategies and the adaptive integration of clean energy technologies. The findings reveal that multi-energy system planning, sector-specific innovations like hybrid renewable ports and smart buildings, and the deployment of Power-to-X solutions are most effective when they are designed with built-in adaptability, responding in real time to fluctuations in supply, demand, and stakeholder needs. This adaptability transforms static infrastructure into living systems capable of evolving alongside changing environmental, economic, and social conditions.

Theoretically, this research advances the understanding of decarbonization as a complex adaptive process rather than a linear engineering challenge. By positioning clean energy technology adaptation as a mediating force, the study demonstrates how strategic renewable deployment creates the conditions for technological innovation, which in turn amplifies sustainability outcomes through enhanced efficiency, resilience, and equity. Practically, the ACP Framework offers policymakers and planners a structured yet flexible tool to prioritize actions, allocate resources, and design feedback mechanisms that align technical capabilities with societal goals, ensuring that transitions are not only low-carbon but also just and inclusive.

However, the study is not without limitations. Its reliance on a narrative review methodology, while valuable for conceptual synthesis, may overlook quantitative trends or statistical relationships that could strengthen empirical validation. The study’s exclusive use of Scopus-indexed publications may also restrict the inclusion of relevant literature from other databases, which potentially limits the comprehensiveness and global representativeness of the findings. Additionally, the framework’s applicability across diverse geographic, institutional, and cultural contexts remains to be thoroughly tested, particularly in regions with weaker governance structures or limited access to advanced digital tools.

Future research should empirically validate the ACP Framework through comparative case studies across multiple jurisdictions, incorporating both qualitative stakeholder insights and quantitative performance metrics. Further exploration is needed into how digital twins, AI-driven optimization, and decentralized energy markets can enhance the adaptive capacity of local systems. Longitudinal studies tracking the evolution of decarbonization pathways over time would also provide deeper insight into how frameworks like the ACP Framework perform under real-world pressures such as political change, market volatility, or climate shocks. Ultimately, continued refinement of this framework will require collaboration across disciplines, from engineering and economics to sociology and public policy, to ensure it remains responsive to the ever-evolving landscape of global sustainability.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Kedah State Research Committee, UiTM Kedah Branch, for the generous funding provided under the Tabung Penyelidikan Am. This support was crucial in facilitating the research and ensuring the successful publication of this article.

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