THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING ESG PRINCIPLES INTO UKRAINE’S ENERGY POLICY
Abstract
The article substantiates theoretical and methodological foundations for embedding ESG principles (Environmental, Social, Governance) into Ukraine’s energy security policy under wartime risks, European integration and post-war recovery needs. ESG is interpreted not as an optional reporting add-on but as a decision-making and accountability framework that links policy goals to indicators and instruments and therefore reshapes how energy-security interventions are justified, financed and monitored. Conceptually, energy security is expanded beyond resource availability towards a multidimensional construct that includes physical resilience of infrastructure, operational recoverability, cyber resilience, affordability and financial discipline, social acceptability and protection of vulnerable groups, and compliance with decarbonization and environmental standards. To operationalize this intersection, the study proposes a three-level model of ESG implementation. At the strategic level, ESG is integrated into long-term energy security documents through a results–indicators–instruments logic and the prioritization of recovery and modernization projects. At the regulatory level, ESG criteria are embedded into market rules and legal instruments via project-selection screens, environmental and social safeguards, transparency and compliance standards, and coordination mechanisms among public authorities. At the project-operational level, ESG is translated into risk and impact assessments, mitigation plans, KPI-based monitoring, public reporting and independent auditing of funds and outcomes. Empirically, a bibliometric mapping using VOSviewer reveals a multi-core research field centred on “ESG”, “energy security” and “sustainable development”, with mediating themes such as energy transition, renewable energy, governance and sustainable finance. Five stable clusters are identified–environmental, social, governance/institutional, investment-economic and security-geopolitical–together with inter-cluster trajectories that explain how ESG-driven finance and institutional quality transmit into infrastructure modernisation, social resilience and national security outcomes. The findings provide a structured evidence base for designing an ESG-oriented policy architecture for Ukraine’s energy sector, including a coherent set of governance requirements and indicative KPI areas for selecting, financing and supervising recovery and green transition projects.
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