Anargul Belgibayeva

The disclosure of information on sustainability by energy companies is a guarantee of increasing their competitiveness in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the post-war recovery of the Ukrainian energy sector. This paper aims to evaluate the sustainability transparency reporting of energy companies in Ukraine and connect the level of such transparency and their competitiveness. The study used the Transparency Index to analyze information disclosure on sustainability by 50 energy companies in Ukraine, the largest taxpayers. It is based on SDG, CSR, and ESG criteria and shows the companies’ ratings. It was found that companies with a low disclosure of SDG, CSR, and ESG criteria have the largest specific weight (76%) among the respondents. The undisputed leader in sustainability transparency is Energoatom, while only 11 companies out of 50 surveyed have an A and B rating (the highest and higher level of transparency). The index was used as a factor variable in the non-parametric modeling of the relationship between the sustainability transparency of energy companies in Ukraine and their competitiveness (company return, profitability, and profit margin of taxes paid). A close, statistically significant, and inverse relationship was revealed between the Sustainability Transparency Index of energy companies and indicators illustrating their competitiveness besides profitability. The results of rating and clustering companies according to SDG, CSR, and ESG criteria can be used to improve their positive and negative investment screening procedures and increase their competitiveness on the way to SDG 7.

Acknowledgment
Inna Makarenko gratefully acknowledges support from the Supreme Council of Ukraine (0122U201796).

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Decentralization and renewable energy have gained significant global attention due to their potential to enhance energy security, promote sustainability, and democratize energy access. This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research trends, key contributors, and thematic developments in the field of the decentralization of energy sources and their renewability. The research methodology involves a bibliometric analysis based on data extracted from the Scopus database, covering publications from 1973 to 2025. The analysis reveals exponential growth in research output, particularly after 2014, with over 3,700 publications recorded in 2023 alone. Citation trends indicate that foundational studies on decentralized microgrids and distributed energy systems remain highly influential, while recent works on blockchain-based energy trading and AI-driven energy management are gaining prominence. The study identifies China (11.7% of total publications), the United States (6.5%), and India (5.7%) as the leading contributors, with significant research activity also observed in European countries. Additionally, journals such as Applied Energy, Renewable Energy, and Energies serve as the primary publication platforms in this domain. Thematic analysis highlights a shift from bioenergy and land-use studies toward smart grids, energy storage, artificial intelligence, and decentralized finance for energy markets. Furthermore, co-authorship and international collaboration have increased significantly, with 25% of papers involving multi-country research efforts. Keyword analysis indicates growing research interest in emerging topics such as hydrogen energy, demand-side management, and digitalization in decentralized energy systems. These findings underscore the increasing interdisciplinary nature of decentralized energy research, integrating technological, economic, and policy dimensions.

Acknowledgment
This study was prepared as part of the project IZURZ1_224119/1 (Swiss National Science Foundation).