Renewable energy and territorial sustainability

Abstract

Over the past two decades, nations within the European Alliance have spearheaded a significant energy reform process, modifying their energy policies to establish renewable resources as a primary source of energy supply. However, this transition toward a low-carbon energy model necessitates addressing a range of challenges spanning the political, technological, and scientific spheres. Since the Industrial Revolution, the consumption of non-renewable energy has shaped societal development, making the energy sector a strategic component of any economy. Given that natural resources underpin the three pillars of sustainable development—economic, social, and environmental—the promotion of renewable energy is inextricably linked to more sustainable resource management. Rural areas have traditionally been viewed in opposition to urban ones, with the distinction between the two spaces defined by demographic factors—primarily population size or density. Furthermore, rural regions have historically been characterized by the predominance of agricultural activity, as well as by lifestyles and forms of human interaction that are more enduring, stable, and rooted in traditional social models.