Strategic Planning and Management in Energy

1. Introduction

The proposal for this Special Issue of Energies, devoted to Strategic Planning and Management in Energy, was developed at the end of 2021. At that time, only a few experts realized how important strategic planning is in relation to energy management. The outbreak of the war between Ukraine and Russia has demonstrated the need to build strategic plans in relation to forecasted scenarios of events. Despite the fact that the conflict began in 2014 and Russia used energy resources as an instrument of political influence, both the most important energy market operators and the authorities of individual states proved to be insufficiently prepared for the current situation.

Awareness of the importance of an appropriate strategic planning and management process in the energy industry is constantly growing. The right choice of energy strategies is one of the most important challenges facing the international community today. At present, it can be undoubtedly assumed that the diversification of energy sources and the acceleration of the dynamics of efficient use of energy obtained from renewable sources can be considered paradigms that will be valid for the next decade. This is related not only to the dynamic development of the energy sector and global climate change but also to the increase in energy demand and the requirements for quick access to its resources. Additionally, the transition to a clean energy system in all economic sectors requires changes in national energy policies and strategies, more energy and environmental awareness among society, and changes in consumer behavior to increase their involvement in the energy transition process.

The aim of this Special Issue, entitled “Strategic Planning and Management in Energy”, was to collect and analyze issues related to energy sector management, to discuss current and future research lines and practices specific for a given country or industry in relation to strategic planning in the energy sector, to present the challenges of the energy sector, and to provide a general understanding of the management issues in the sector.

2. Research Papers Presented in Special Issue Entitled “Strategic Planning and Management in Energy”

Several papers were considered, and finally, a total of six papers were selected for this Special Issue. The main ideas of these papers are briefly reviewed in the following sections in order to summarize the main outcomes of the presented works.

In the paper entitled “The Impact of Digital Finance on Green Total Factor Energy Efficiency: Evidence at China’s City Level”, Liu et al. [1] evaluated the rapid development of digital finance, which has delivered significant benefits, such as sustainable development and economic growth. The relationship between digital finance and green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) is explored via a comprehensive literature review. This paper uses dynamic panel models to explore digital finance’s impact on GTFEE at the Chinese city level in panel data from 2011 to 2018. The results show that digital finance can significantly improve urban GTFEE, and the findings remain robust with various tests. Second, the mechanism analysis indicates that digital finance can improve GTFEE by promoting urban green technology innovation and industrial structure upgrades. Further study showed that digital finance has a better effect on the improvement in GTFEE in central and western cities, small cities and non-resource-based cities but has no significant or small impact on GTFEE in eastern cities, large cities and resource-based cities, reflecting the inclusiveness of digital finance.

In the paper entitled “Pro-Ecological Activities and Shaping the Competitive Advantage of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Aspect of Sustainable Energy Management”, Klemke-Pitek et al. [2] identified the pro-ecological activities of SMEs conducive to achieving a competitive advantage. The original empirical research was conducted in 2021 on a sample of 452 small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland. The research was based on a questionnaire. The research allowed for an assessment of sustainable energy management by assessing the awareness of entrepreneurs, assessing the pro-ecological activities undertaken, and assessing the impact of pro-ecological activities on shaping the competitive advantages of enterprises in 2015–2020. The surveyed entrepreneurs considered the most important components of the company’s competitive advantage and sustainable energy management to be investments aimed at achieving a high input–result ratio in a short time. In order to review the pro-ecological activities in Poland against the background of international data, other research results in this area are presented. The cited data confirm the results of the conducted extensive survey research. In the case of many countries and SMEs, environmental awareness is relatively low. Where it occurs, it is not translated into real activities in the field of sustainable energy management in the absence of economic efficiency.

In the paper entitled “Challenges in the EU Banking Sector as Exemplified by Poland in View of Legislative Changes Related to Climate Crisis Prevention”, Komarnicka et al. [3] identified the current condition of and ongoing developments in European Union legal regulations concerning Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and sustainable finance. An important aspect of this study was also to analyze the tools, legal instruments, standards and guidelines of the European Commission and the European Banking Authority (EBA) and those proposed by the international business environment in the area of non-financial reporting of ESG disclosures in the EU banking sector, as exemplified by Poland. In addition, this paper also analyzes the status of the implementation of ESG-related requirements set by the EU legal framework by banks, banking associations and associations of cooperative banks operating in Poland. To achieve the objectives of this study and to answer the research questions posed, an analysis of primary and secondary sources was carried out in conjunction with a review of the (national and foreign) literature on the subject. Two non-reactive research methodologies were used in the design of this study: the doctrinal legal method and desk research. The results of the analysis indicate that EU regulations are at the drafting stage and those adopted so far require a number of amendments. Banker associations have voiced extensive criticism of the regulations, which are viewed by banks as inadequate, unclear and inconsistent. Both EU and Polish banker associations primarily point to a high degree of generality in the solutions and legal frameworks adopted. The legal acts enacted to date do not correspond to the needs of the market. The analysis of the positions of the banking associations also revealed that the EU legislation still has gaps preventing a harmonized approach to the comprehensive and consistent integration of ESG factors by banks in their strategy and operations.

In the paper entitled “The Leading Traits of the Modern Corporate Leader: Comparing Survey Results from 2008 and 2018”, Karaszewski et al. [4] presented the results of comparative empirical studies conducted in 2008 and 2018. Based on an analysis of empirical research on the 2000 largest global corporations, obtained from the Forbes Global 2000, this paper presents the changes in the characteristics and competencies of contemporary leaders that took place over a decade. The results allowed for identification of the desired characteristics, competencies, and character traits of contemporary leaders. In fact, the comparative analysis of these data showed the dynamics of change in the approach of global corporate leaders over the decade. The research results have important implications for the energy sector. Some of the companies participating in the study operate in the energy sector; therefore, the opinions of these CEOs indicate significant determinants of modern leadership in this type of enterprise. When analyzing the research results on the vision and scope of leadership impact in corporate business, we pointed, among other things, to the assessment of leadership traits, the evolution of leadership activities’ delegation, and the assessment of the importance of managers’ individual action areas and leadership factors.

In the paper entitled “Comparison of Consumption and Renewable Sources of Energy in European Union Countries—Sectoral Indicators, Economic Conditions and Environmental Impacts”, Komarnicka et al. [5] determined and compared the level, trends and variation in energy consumption by different economic sectors in countries of the European Union in 2010–2019. An analysis of the share of renewable energy consumption in different economic sectors was also carried out, as was an assessment of the relationship of these indicators with the level of economic development of the countries and environmental impacts in the form of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption. The source of empirical data collected was the European Statistical Office. The researched period covered the years 2010–2019. The empirical data were statistically analyzed. The article considered changes in the values of the studied indicators, differentiation between countries, and the results of a correlation and regression analysis. As shown by the data from 2010 to 2019, the countries of the European Union vary significantly with respect to primary and final energy consumption. The highest final energy consumption occurred in the transport sector, followed by a slightly lower consumption in the industrial sector and in the household sector, and the lowest but also significant consumption occurred in the commercial and public service sector.

In the review paper entitled “Blockchain Technology in Life Cycle Assessment—New Research Trends”, Karaszewski et al. [6] reviewed the literature and, based on the review, presented the possibilities and effects of using blockchain technology in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is in line with the current developmental trends of this method. The analysis of the research conducted in this area also allowed the authors to present not only the advantages of blockchain in LCA but also the limitations of this technology and the potential directions of further research.