Renewable Energy Sustainability in the Top EU’s Strong Economy Countries

The transition to renewable energy is vital for mitigating climate change and ensuring energy security. In this study, we assess the sustainability of renewable energy in the top European Union (EU) countries with strong economies. It employs sustainable indicators and the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process to evaluate the renewable energy sustainability performance of the higher economies of EU. Our findings suggest that Sweden is the most sustainable country in the renewable energy sector, followed by Belgium, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Italy. The study also reveals that the most significant drivers that affect the sustainability of renewable energy in these countries are energy, environmental, economic, social, and institutional. It also highlights the most significant indicators that affect the sustainability of renewable energy in these countries. Employment rate, human development index, gross domestic product (GDP), greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, economy growth rate, crime rate, corruption, dependency on fossil fuels, inflation rate, energy intensity, energy consumption per capita, general energy production, and share of renewable energy are the most critical indicators. The results of this study give suggestions to the policymakers and energy experts about the current state of renewable energy sustainability in the top EU countries with strong economies. Findings provides guidance for future policy planning and development, such as identifying areas for improvement and setting realistic renewable energy targets. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process is a useful decision-making tool that is applied to other countries and sectors to evaluate sustainability performance and inform policymaking. Overall, this study contributes to the ongoing efforts to transition to sustainable renewable energy production in the EU and beyond.