Mapping the meanings of decarbonisation: A systematic review of studies in the social sciences using lexicometric analysis

Abstract

The present paper provides a systematic overview of the way decarbonisation has been treated in social sciences in recent years. Titles and keywords of 404 papers, published from 2015 to June 2020, and indexed in the Scopus database, were submitted to lexicometric and bibliometric analyses. Results confirm that decarbonisation has become a key term in social sciences research on energy, with a growing number of articles published by interdisciplinary journals. Key terms associated with decarbonisation shifted their focus from issues connected with production to broader themes related to sustainability and solutions. Governance, discourse in the social arena and public opinion are the main semantic associated areas emerging from the selected sample. Themes included in these areas range from biophysical and technological risks to social movements, issues of justice, and visions of the future. The overall picture detected in the current study poses further questions and suggests possible research paths concerning the voices and themes at the centre of the stage and those left in the shadows.

Keywords

• Decarbonisation
• Coal
• Energy transition
• Systematic review
• Text mining
• Bibliometric analysis