“No Backyard Available”: A Meta‐Synthesis of Renewable Energy Land‐Use Conflicts and the Ladder of Land‐Use Efficiency in Asia

ABSTRACT The renewable energy transition in high‐density Asian economies is defined not by the “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) psychology prevalent in Western discourse, but by a structural reality of “No Backyard Available.” This study challenges dominant theoretical paradigms by conducting a bibliometric analysis ( n = 306) and qualitative meta‐synthesis ( n = 52) to map the specific mechanics of land‐use conflict in land‐scarce Asia. The review identifies three pervasive conflict archetypes—the Food‐Energy Nexus, Green‐on‐Green Paradox, and Blue Space contestation—where energy infrastructure directly competes with essential livelihood systems and biodiversity rather than esthetic preferences. A critical assessment gap is revealed, in which GIS‐based technical potential systematically overestimates capacity by ignoring complex tenure systems, subsistence constraints, and the social costs of displacement. To resolve this impasse, the review proposes the “Ladder of Land‐Use Efficiency,” a theoretical framework that prioritizes siting strategies—ranging from built‐environment integration to technological co‐location—based on their ability to decouple energy generation from the consumption of marginal land. The findings demonstrate that achieving net‐zero targets in Asia necessitates a fundamental policy shift from laissez‐faire financial‐cost optimization to active state‐led spatial planning that internalizes the social premium of land integrity. This research provides a prescriptive roadmap for environmental managers to reconcile aggressive decarbonization with the region's complex spatial and socio‐economic realities.