The journal would like to alert the readers that there are concerns that the authors appear to have used a Generative AI source in the writing process of the paper without disclosure, which is a breach of journal policy.
Furthermore, an investigation identified the inclusion of references that could not be verified, specifically references 16 and 23.
Additional concerns were raised about inconsistencies in the timeline of accessed web sources, with some access dates appearing to post-date article acceptance.
The journal contacted the authors to request an explanation. The authors acknowledged the use of ChatGPT to assist in generating suggestions for the reference list. They clarified that reference 23 should read as follows:
International Energy Agency (IEA). Global Energy & CO₂ Status Report 2019. IEA; 2019. Available from: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-co2-status-report-2019/emissions
However, as the journal was unable to fully verify or resolve the concerns, the Editor has determined that an Expression of Concern is warranted to alert readers to these concerns.
Apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission and publication process.