Green Recovery and the Reorganization of Energy Policy Instruments: Global Lessons from Post-Pandemic Renewable Energy Strategies

Following the World Health Organization’s 2023 declaration, which ended the global health emergency, energy policy shifted from a short-term crisis response to a structural recovery focused on renewable energy. However, the current literature remains fragmented, often overlooking the realities of implementation in the Global South and failing to integrate diverse policy instruments. This study examines post-pandemic renewable recovery strategies to categorize instruments, evaluate effectiveness, and identify critical implementation gaps. An integrative review was conducted, combining bibliometric mapping of 113 documents (n = 113) and systematic thematic synthesis of 42 studies (n = 42), utilizing the SPIDER and PRISMA protocols. Policy instruments were classified into five groups: Recovery (REC), Fiscal/Financial (FISC), Regulatory (REG), Energy Efficiency (EE), and Social and Information (SOC), revealing a “Global North-South Asymmetry”, where advanced economies leverage fiscal–regulatory coupling while emerging markets face administrative bottlenecks. Findings identify coordination failures, such as missequencing, and propose a “Cascading Policy Logic” that prioritizes de-risking before mandatory standardization. This research bridges the evidence gap by validating the need for informal sector mechanisms and equity safeguards in developing nations. Ultimately, this review provides a strategic framework for policymakers to transition from a reactive stimulus to durable, socially legitimate decarbonization pathways beyond 2025.