Iranian Journal of Public Policy

Iranian Journal of Public Policy

Energy Transition Governance in Iran: Content Analysis of National Energy Documents from the Perspective of Energy Security and Sustainable Development

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Amir Mohammad Moghani 1
Abbas Maleki 2
Bahareh Heidary 3
1 Ph.d. Student of Energy Governance, Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Energy Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor of Energy Governance, Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jppolicy.2026.417593.2919
Abstract
Energy transition, as one of the most significant policy challenges, requires coherent governance to simultaneously achieve energy security and sustainable development. This study aims to analyze energy transition governance in Iran by examining 19 national energy policy documents based on a conceptual framework comprising the dimensions of energy security, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and governance components. This research adopts a qualitative approach and employs directed thematic analysis using MAXQDA software. The findings indicate that the national policy documents primarily focus on energy efficiency, demand-side management, the reform of economic mechanisms, and the development of renewable energy. Furthermore, energy governance in Iran is predominantly state-centered and centralized, with limited participation of stakeholders and non-state actors. In addition, components such as stakeholder participation and collaboration, as well as the integration of climate policies, have received comparatively less attention. The findings emphasize the necessity of establishing integrated, participatory, and multi-level governance to facilitate the energy transition.
Keywords
Energy Transition Governance
Energy Security
Sustainable Development
National Documents
Iran
1. Alofaysan, H., Hossain, M. R., Mohammed, K. S., & Hassan, F. A. (2026). The effect of energy security risk, fintech, green innovation, and environmental fiscal policy on the energy transition framework among top fossil fuel-consuming industrialized nations. Energy, 141062. Doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2026.141062
2. Atarodi, Mohammad Reza and AliReza Hajizade. (2026). Explaining the Change in Gasoline Pricing in Iran Based on the Narrative Policy Framework. Iranian Journal of Public Policy, 12(1), 9-29. doi: 10.22059/jppolicy.2026.106366 [In Persian]
3. Cherp, A., & Jewell, J. (2014). The concept of energy security: Beyond the four As. Energy policy, 75, 415-421. Doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2014.09.005
4. Darabi, Maryam and Abolhasan Faghihi. (2023). Designing a model for Formulation of renewable energy development policy in Iran considering general energy policies. Quarterly Journal of The Macro and Strategic Policies, 11(44), 789-818. Doi: 10.30507/jmsp.2023.383586.2535 [In Persian]
5. Dujany, N., Perotti, F. A., & Sohag, K. (2026). Exploring governance for sustainable transitions in renewable energy communities: A comparative inquiry of private and public initiatives. Energy Policy, 212, 115183. Doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115183
6. Falcone, P. M. (2023). Sustainable energy policies in developing countries: a review of challenges and opportunities. Energies, 16(18), 6682. Doi: 10.3390/en16186682
7. Fartash, Kiarash, Mohammad Sadegh Khayyatian Yazdi, and Amir Ghorbani. (2020). The role of actors in the solar energy governance in Iran: A critical study. Iranian Journal of Public Policy, 6(2), 155-177. Doi: 10.22059/jppolicy.2020.77618 [In Persian]
8. Fattahizadeh, Abouzar and Shirin Andarkhord. (2024). Renewable Energies and Iran's Energy Security Strategies. Iranian Energy Economics, 14(53), 157-191. Doi: 10.22054/jiee.2025.79556.2089 [In Persian]
9. Gebara, C. H., & Laurent, A. (2023). National SDG-7 performance assessment to support achieving sustainable energy for all within planetary limits. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 173, 112934. Doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112934
10. Geels, F. W. (2014). Regime resistance against low-carbon transitions: introducing politics and power into the multi-level perspective. Theory, culture & society, 31(5), 21-40. Doi: 10.1177/0263276414531627
11. Hajimirzaei, Seyed Mohammad Ali, Morteza Behroozifar, Shirko Bahaderi, and Afsaneh Malek Hosseini. (2024). Evaluating approved policies in the field of energy and presenting proposed policies to improve energy governance in Iran. Quarterly Journal of Energy Economics Research (QEER), 20(80), 269–305. http://iiesj.ir/article-1-1617-en.html [In Persian]
12. Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative health research, 15(9), 1277-1288. Doi: 10.1177/1049732305276687
13. Liu, W., Shen, Y., & Razzaq, A. (2023). How renewable energy investment, environmental regulations, and financial development derive renewable energy transition: Evidence from G7 countries. Renewable energy, 206, 1188-1197. Doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.02.017
14. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
15. Loorbach, D. (2010). Transition management for sustainable development: a prescriptive, complexity‐based governance framework. Governance, 23(1), 161-183. Doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0491.2009.01471.x
16. Massuga, F., Doliveira, S. L. D., Kuasoski, M., & Mangoni, S. S. (2024). Modes of governance for sustainability transitions: Conceptual definitions. Environmental Policy and Governance, 34(6), 663-678. Doi: 10.1002/eet.2115
17. Mazkouri, Ardeshir, Gholamreza Memarzadeh Tehran, Morteza Mousakhani, Zahra Moghimi, and Yadollah Saboohi. (2025). A Framework for an Operational Energy Governance Model in Iran from a Sustainable Development Perspective: A Systematic Review. Governance and Development, 5(3), 31-66. Doi: 10.22111/jipaa.2025.497221.1240. [In Persian]
18. Meadowcroft, J. (2009). What about the politics? Sustainable development, transition management, and long-term energy transitions. Policy sciences, 42(4), 323-340. Doi: 10.1007/s11077-009-9097-z
19. Mohammadnejad Sigaroudi, Jafar, Yousef Molaei, and Shirin Shirazian. (2024). Examining the legal framework of renewable energy in Iran from the perspective of diplomacy and climate change. Foreign Policy Quarterly, 37(3), 197–222. [In Persian]
20. Piri, Mehdi, and Alireza Ranjbar. (2025). National and International Legal Mega-Challenges of Realizing Energy Transition in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Journal of Researches Energy Law Studies, 11(1), 65-98. Doi: 10.22059/jrels.2025.398343.596 [In Persian]
21. Radtke, J. (2025). Understanding the complexity of governing energy transitions: introducing an integrated approach of policy and transition perspectives. Environmental Policy and Governance, 35(4), 595-614. Doi: 10.1002/eet.2158
22. Savari, Moslem. and Farshad Razmavar. (2024). Compilation of renewable energy development strategies in the agricultural sector of Bushehr Province. Journal of Geography and Planning, 28(88), 104-80. Doi: 10.22034/gp.2023.54282.3062 [In Persian]
23. Sayadi, Mohammad, Hossein Hafezi, Mohammad Jafari, and Habib Soheyli Ahmadi. (2025). Optimal Electricity Generation Planning in Iran Aimed at Achieving the Objectives of the Seventh Development Plan and the Knowledge-Based Production Leap Act. Journal of Industrial Economics researches, 9(32), 88-114. Doi: 10.30473/jier.2026.75617.1511 [In Persian]
24. Shirazi, Hossein, Mohammad Ali Keramati, and Kaveh Alba. (2025). A prospective analysis of the drivers affecting the expansion of renewable energies in the Seventh Development Plan with a policy-making approach. Journal of Improvement Management, 19(3), 156-189. Doi: 10.22034/jmi.2025.518546.3199 [In Persian]
25. Sovacool, B. K. (2012). Energy security: challenges and needs. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 1(1), 51-59. DOI: 10.1002/wene.13
26. Sovacool, B. K., & Mukherjee, I. (2011). Conceptualizing and measuring energy security: A synthesized approach. Energy, 36(8), 5343-5355. Doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2011.06.043
27. Sreekanth, K. J. (2024). Energy policy analyses, energy transition and sustainability. In Energy Efficiency Improvements with Emission Abatement for Energy Sustainability: Energy Statistics (pp. 135-167). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. Doi: 10.1007/978-981-97-9480-5_8
28. Tupala, M. (2019). Applying quantitative appraisal analysis to the study of institutional discourse: The case of EU migration documents. Functional Linguistics, 6(1), 2. Doi: 10.1186/s40554-018-0067-7
29. Turay, A. B. S., Tirivangasi, H. M., & Zenda, M. (2026). Private sector agency in low-carbon transitions: Rethinking energy security through hybrid governance in the Global South. Energy Research & Social Science, 135, 104656. Doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104656
30. Viera-Romero, A. M. (2025). Beyond blackouts: Analyzing Ecuador's energy transition through the multi-level-perspective. Energy Research & Social Science, 129, 104400. Doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2025.104400
31. Wu, L., & Hussain, S. (2025). Navigating the energy transition: Interplay of geopolitics, economic complexity, and environmental governance in OECD countries. Energy Strategy Reviews, 57, 101624. Doi: 10.1016/j.esr.2024.101624
32. Xetor, L. E., & Mensah, J. (2025). Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development Nexus: Where Is the Synergy?. Sustainable Development, 33(4), 6189-6197. Doi: 10.1002/sd.3430
33. Yan, Y., Khan, K. A., Adebayo, T. S., & Olanrewaju, V. O. (2024). Unveiling energy efficiency and renewable electricity’s role in achieving sustainable development goals 7 and 13 policies. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 31(5), 497-522. Doi: 10.1080/13504509.2023.2300006
34. Zakari, A., Khan, I., Tan, D., Alvarado, R., & Dagar, V. (2022). Energy efficiency and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Energy, 239, 122365. Doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.122365
35. Zandi, Mohammad Ehsan, Fatemeh Saghafi, Alireza Aslani, and Mohammad Sadegh Khayatian. (2024). Iranian development programs analysis in energy from the perspective of sustainable development and innovation strategy. Journal of Strategic Management Studies, 15(58), 23-42. Doi: 10.22034/smsj.2023.381852.1784 [In Persian]
Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 12, Issue 3
Autumn 2026
Pages 274-291