# Renewable Energy and Sustainability from the Supply Side: A Critical Review and Analysis
## 1 Introduction
It is also known that the use of RE has a positive impact on environmental sustainability. According to [PERSON] et al. [31], the use of renewable energy sources, in particular wind, solar, biomass, and also sea waves, will reduce energy dependence on fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduce environmental pollution, and improve the efficiency of the electrical grid. There is another source of RE which is the tidal power that besides contributes to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels it has a negative hydro-environmental impact since the tidal turbines alter ambient flow patterns because of the extraction of Kinetic energy [32]. Published research on RE(s) and sustainability has focused on different perspectives. For example, one topic receiving attention has been the influence on sustainability of a specific source of renewable energy: (i) [PERSON] [33] focused on nuclear energy, proposing a system to assess the level of sustainability for a nuclear and renewable energy integration system employing a small modular reactor; (ii) [PERSON] et al. [34] suggested generating electrical energy with a wave energy converter to reduce the production of electrical energy from traditional power plants and, as a result, their GHG; and (iii) [PERSON] et al. [25] discussed biomass exploitation for electricity generation in a global-oriented and technological perspective reported in the literature. Some works also suggest different approaches for assessing the sustainable performance of renewable energy systems. For example, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [35] suggested constructing a performance index of renewable energy system choices using an algorithm assessing positive and negative ideal solutions. Considering the focus on RE(s), more emphasis on environmental and economic sustainability is expected, given the usually high costs associated with RE. In addition, [PERSON] et al. [36] argued that besides the tidal and waves energy plants have been considered as green technologies, since they do not alter the climate, conserve resources, have no harmful effect on human health or ecosystems, and are less harmful to the environment than conventional means of energy generations, an assessment of the amount of metal used by these technologies, however, shows an impact, respectively, 11 and 17 times higher than for coal- and gas-based power generators. Investment in RE(s) is growing in almost all countries because of the important benefits that can result, mainly: lower greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel dependence, potential economic benefits, energy supply security [37], monetary benefits for neighboring communities and the entire region, and reliable energy supply [38]. However, some negative outcomes are also identified, such as environmental degradation [39], ecosystem disturbance, watershed damage, and noise and pollution during construction [37; 40]. It is also known that energy supports not only the wealth growth but also the development of countries [41]. Works on renewable energies and sustainability cover a few topics, including systematic and quantitative assessment models of the sustainability of renewable energy [42], the study of the acceptance and impact of a specific renewable energy project (e.g., [43]), and a bibliometric analysis of a sustainability assessment of a specific RE. Unlike our study, however, these approaches present a narrow vision that does not contribute to an accurate perception of the state of the art of studies on the relationship between renewable energies and sustainability. According to the current literature review, the following research questions are suggested:  
RQ\({}_{1}\): Are there differences between the type of renewable energy focused on in the articles and the level of development of countries for which they are analyzed? RQ\({}_{2}\): Are there differences between the dimension of sustainability focused on in the papers and the country's development level?