Abstract:

The research problems addressed in this article are a response to the growing need for coordinated action, both in global and local scale, with the purpose of resisting the negative effects of recent climate changes and introducing preventive measures, also in the area of sustainable development. These trends are evidenced by the ongoing transformation of the energy sector, from energy-intensive, high-emission solutions based on highly pollutant fuels towards energy-conserving, low-emission technologies which, apart from being environmentally-friendly, offer sizeable reductions of external costs. The transformation is also visible in the shift from the mechanistic (Cartesian) paradigm (neoclassical economics approach) towards a paradigm of sustainable development. The main goal of the article is to identify the correlations between the paradigms of sustainable development, economics of sustainable development and sustainable energy and show the fundaments and form of sustainable energy paradigm in the economics. The article is construed on the basis of a logical, iterative approach method, which means a step-by-step elaboration of each paradigm from level one (sustainable development paradigm) to four (sustainable energy paradigm). The methodology of systemic analysis is adopted to offers a multi-level, multi-aspect and – at the same time – a holistic approach to the problems that occurred in the society-economy-environment megasystem as the basis of sustainable development. The findings reported in the article are a valuable contribution to the theory and practice of sustainable economics as a new discipline of economics. They include the systematisation and comprehensive evaluation of the paradigm of sustainable development, followed by presentation of a multi-level progression of paradigms, formulation of original definitions of concepts, involving systematisation of properties, principles, objectives, orders, axiology, concept of an individual decision-making unit and explanation of phenomena associated with the sustainable economics and sustainable energy.