The concept of energy justice (EJ) has gained importance in discussions about energy transitions, mainly due to a growing number of researchers working on the social implications of greenhouse gas emission reductions. At the moment, EJ is defined as a framework for discussing fairness in energy systems and operates as an umbrella term to signify various concerns related to energy development across diverse groups to enable communication. Thus, we call EJ a boundary object (BO) and discuss its further evolution into a standard, or its dissolution into several locally specific concepts. This study provides a systematic review of the literature that applies the concept of EJ: how its features developed and how it gained popularity in academic publications to mid-2019. We present a bibliometric overview of the number of occurrences of the concept across the literature using the Scopus and WOS databases (N = 182) and, using VOSviewer software, we describe similarities between research topics to which the concept was related. By mapping out its diverse thematic and geographic applications, we review the critical trends and claim that EJ can address real-life challenges. We submit that it will have more practical power once it starts being used more broadly to build cooperation among scholars, policymakers, activists, and grassroots movements.

能源正义 (EJ) 的概念在有关能源转型的讨论中越来越重要，这主要是由于越来越多的研究人员致力于研究温室气体减排的社会影响。目前，EJ 被定义为讨论能源系统公平性的框架，并作为一个总括性术语运作，表示不同群体之间与能源发展相关的各种问题，以实现交流。因此，我们称 EJ 为边界对象 (BO) 并讨论其进一步演变为标准，或分解为几个局部特定概念。本研究对应用 EJ 概念的文献进行了系统回顾：其特征是如何发展的，以及它如何在 2019 年中期之前的学术出版物中流行起来。我们使用 Scopus 和 WOS 数据库（N = 182）对文献中该概念的出现次数进行了文献计量概述，并使用 VOSviewer 软件描述了与该概念相关的研究主题之间的相似性。通过绘制其多样化的主题和地理应用，我们回顾了关键趋势并声称 EJ 可以解决现实生活中的挑战。我们认为，一旦它开始被更广泛地用于在学者、政策制定者、活动家和草根运动之间建立合作，它将具有更大的实际力量。我们回顾了关键趋势并声称 EJ 可以解决现实生活中的挑战。我们认为，一旦它开始被更广泛地用于在学者、政策制定者、活动家和草根运动之间建立合作，它将具有更大的实际力量。我们回顾了关键趋势并声称 EJ 可以解决现实生活中的挑战。我们认为，一旦它开始被更广泛地用于在学者、政策制定者、活动家和草根运动之间建立合作，它将具有更大的实际力量。