Citation: Qudrat-Ullah, H. A Review and Analysis of Green Energy and the Environmental Policies in South Asia. Energies 2023, 16, 7486. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16227486 Academic Editor: Eugenio Meloni Received: 25 September 2023 Revised: 5 November 2023 Accepted: 6 November 2023 Published: 8 November 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). energies Review A Review and Analysis of Green Energy and the Environmental Policies in South Asia Hassan Qudrat-Ullah School of Administrative Studies, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M9V 3K7, Canada; hassanq@yorku.ca Abstract: This paper explores the challenges and opportunities for green energy and environment transition in South Asia, a region that faces the dilemma of meeting its growing energy demand while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and environmental vulnerability. The region has rich renewable energy sources and potential for energy efficiency improvement, but it also relies heavily on fossil fuels and suffers from various barriers and constraints that hinder its green energy development. The region needs policies that can achieve economic growth, social welfare, and environmental sustainability coherently and effectively. Utilizing the thematic literature review approach, this paper examines the literature on four main topics: (1) the estimation of green energy resources potential and scenarios in South Asia; (2) the comparison of green energy targets and policies in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries; (3) the evaluation of green energy deployment and performance in different sectors; and (4) the identification of green energy transition challenges and opportunities in South Asia. This paper fills some research gaps in the literature by providing a comprehensive, comparative, holistic, and integrated analysis of green energy and environment policies in South Asia, using various data sources, methods, frameworks, criteria, indicators, scenarios, impacts, trade-offs, drivers, barriers, best practices, lessons learned, and policy recommendations. This paper also develops a conceptual model for the green energy transition in South Asia, which consists of five key variables: green energy potential, green energy policies, green energy deployment, green energy performance, and green energy transition. The main findings and implications of this paper are that South Asia has a huge opportunity to pursue a green energy and environment transition that can address its multiple challenges and aspirations, but this requires overcoming various obstacles and constraints that hinder its progress. This paper suggests some policy options and strategies to enhance the green energy and environment policies in South Asia, such as developing a clear and consistent policy framework, enhancing regional cooperation and collaboration, leveraging information technology and data analytics, emphasizing sustainability and resilience, and engaging with other stakeholders and partners. Keywords: South Asia; renewable energy; green energy potential; green energy policies; green energy deployment; green energy performance; green energy transition 1. Introduction: Pivotal Crossroads in South Asia’s Energy and Environmental Landscape In the contemporary milieu, South Asia finds itself at a critical juncture, confronted by a dynamic interplay of energy, climate, and sustainability imperatives. This region, composed of eight nations (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), grapples with a dual challenge—satisfying the mounting energy requirements of its burgeoning population and economy while concurrently striving to curtail greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fortify its environmental sustainability. At present, the region’s energy framework remains tethered to fossil fuels, with coal compris- ing a substantial 44% of the total primary energy supply in 2018. Consequently, South Asia discharged a staggering 2.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO 2 e) from fuel Energies 2023, 16, 7486. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16227486 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies