Circular Economy and Energy Transition: Research Trends, Knowledge Structure, and Future Directions

The circular economy offers effective strategies to support the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. However, research at the nexus of the circular economy and energy transition remains fragmented across disciplines and lacks a systematic and integrative overview of its intellectual structure and thematic evolution. To address this gap, this study conducts a large-scale bibliometric analysis of 2977 journal articles published between 2008 and 2025 to examine the development, knowledge structure, and global distribution of this field. Performance analysis and scientific mapping are employed to evaluate research output, subject areas, thematic structures, intellectual foundations, journal dissemination, and international collaborations. The results indicate that the circular economy–energy transition nexus is a rapidly growing and multidisciplinary field. It is anchored by conceptual and policy-oriented works and complemented by applied studies on waste management, bioenergy, and decarbonization technologies that directly relate to energy production, conversion, and system efficiency. The geographical distribution shows a multi-pillar but uneven research landscape, with Europe and China emerging as leading contributors, while other regions remain comparatively underrepresented, shaped by regional priorities and collaborative networks. The study highlights emerging research gaps and future directions, offering insights into how circular economy strategies such as resource circularity and waste-to-energy applications can contribute to sustainable and equitable energy transitions and inform future energy-focused research agendas in the context of low-carbon transformation.