The evolution of international energy trade research between 2016 and 2025: systematic literature review

Abstract

This study examines trends in academic research on international energy trade between 2016 and 2025 using a systematic literature review method. A total of 45 articles, selected from the Web of Science (WoS) database and included in the analysis, were evaluated in terms of publication year, country, methodology, relation to sustainable development goals, and keyword usage. The findings indicate that scientific interest in international energy trade has increased over the years, with the majority of studies being empirical in nature. According to the keyword frequency analysis, the terms “energy security,” “energy import,” “energy trade,” and “renewable energy” are the most frequently used terms in the literature. A significant portion of the publications focuses on energy security, energy import dependency, geopolitical risks, and renewable energy trade. About a quarter of the studies address sustainable development goals related to energy, economy, and environment, particularly emphasizing climate action, affordable and clean energy, and economic growth. Country-based analyses reveal that the highest number of publications originate from China, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye. Findings from a systematic literature review indicate that research into international energy trade is deepening, particularly around topics such as the energy-water-environment relationship, geopolitical vulnerabilities, and renewable energy exports. These results demonstrate that academic output in the field is increasingly policy-oriented and reflects a growing interdisciplinary tendency toward sustainable energy transition.

Keywords

• International trade
• international energy trade
• systematic literature review
• renewable energy

Supporting Institution

The study did not receive support from any institution.

Ethical Statement

In this study, all the rules specified in the "Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive" have been complied with. "We declare that this research is one of those that does not require ethics committee approval.

Uluslararası enerji ticareti araştırmalarının 2016-2025 dönemine ilişkin evrimi: Sistematik literatür taraması

Abstract

Çalışma, 2016–2025 yılları arasında uluslararası enerji ticareti alanındaki akademik araştırmaların yönelimlerini sistematik literatür taraması yöntemiyle incelemektedir. Web of Science (WoS) veri tabanından belirlenen ve analize dâhil edilen 45 makale, yayın yılı, ülke, yöntem, sürdürülebilir kalkınma amaçlarıyla (SKA) ilişkisi ve anahtar kelime kullanımı açısından değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular, uluslararası enerji ticaretine yönelik bilimsel ilginin yıllar içinde artış gösterdiğini ve çalışmaların büyük çoğunluğunun ampirik nitelikte olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Anahtar kelime frekans analizine göre “energy security”, “energy import”, “energy trade” ve “renewable energy” kavramları literatürde en sık kullanılan terimlerdir. Yayınların önemli bir kısmı enerji güvenliği, enerji ithalat bağımlılığı, jeopolitik riskler ve yenilenebilir enerji ticareti konularında yoğunlaşmıştır. Çalışmaların yaklaşık dörtte biri enerji, ekonomi ve çevre temalarıyla ilişkili SKA’nı; özellikle iklim eylemi, erişilebilir ve temiz enerji, ekonomik büyümeyi temel almaktadır. Ülke bazında yapılan analizlerde, en fazla yayının Çin, Suudi Arabistan ve Türkiye kökenli olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Sistematik literatür taramasına ilişkin bulgular, uluslararası enerji ticareti araştırmalarının özellikle enerji-su-çevre ilişkisi, jeopolitik kırılganlıklar ve yenilenebilir enerji ihracatı gibi konular etrafında derinleştiğini göstermektedir. Bu sonuçlar, alandaki akademik üretimin politika yapıcılar açısından uygulamaya dönük bir yön kazandığını ve sürdürülebilir enerji geçişine ilişkin disiplinler arası bir eğilimin güçlendiğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Uluslararası ticaret
• uluslararası enerji ticareti
• sistematik literatür taraması
• yenilenebilir enerji

Supporting Institution

Çalışma herhangi bir kurum tarafından destek almamıştır.

Ethical Statement

Yapılan bu çalışmada “Yükseköğretim Kurumları Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Yönergesi” kapsamında uyulması belirtilen tüm kurallara uyulmuştur.” “Bu araştırmanın etik kurul izni gerektirmeyen araştırmalardan olduğunu beyan ederiz.

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59. Not: Kaynakların önünde “*” işaretli olanlar sistematik literatür taramasında kullanılan kaynakladır.