The Impact of Energy Productivity and Eco-Innovation on Sustainable Environment in Emerging Seven (E-7) Countries: Does Institutional Quality Matter?

Green innovation and environmental quality in OECD countries: the mediating role of renewable energy and carbon taxes

The exceptional rise in overall economic activities has deteriorated environmental sustainability around the world. However, countries around the globe are implementing strategies for reaching the global climate objective. For this purpose, OECD countries committed many efforts, although their pledges and results are not parallel to the level of the Paris Agreement's ambition. This study examines the impact of eco-innovation, environmental taxes, and renewable energy consumption on the environmental performance of selected OECD countries over the period of 2006 to 2020. This study uses the generalized method of moments (GMM) and instrumental variables 2 stage least square (2SLS) methods. For robustness checks, this study uses a quantile regression approach. We conclude that an increase in the adoption of renewable energy and green innovation has a statistically significant impact on controlling CO2 emissions. Moreover, the empirical model is expanded by incorporating environmental taxes as an explanatory variable. The expanded model showed that the imposition of environmental taxes has a detrimental impact on the reduction of CO2 emissions. Moreover, on the contrary, an increase in economic activities, measured by GDP, is responsible for rising CO2 emissions in OECD countries. In light of the results we obtained, policy recommendations are provided.

Renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, energy technology investment, green technological innovation, and environmental sustainability in the United States: Testing the EKC and LCC hypotheses with novel Fourier estimation

The energy sector represents one of the key contributors to environmental degradation. In this context, actions taken within the energy sector are paramount in the global effort to combat climate change. This study aims to investigate the impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, energy technology investment, and green technological innovation on environmental sustainability in the context of EKC and LCC hypotheses in the USA from 1980 to 2015. While many studies in the literature focus on the EKC hypothesis, this study offers a comparative analysis of the EKC and LCC hypotheses with relevant variables. For this aim, the study uses the novel Fourier estimation methods. According to the results, the EKC and the LCC hypotheses are valid in the USA. Moreover, non-renewable energy consumption increases the ecological footprint. On the other hand, non-renewable energy consumption decreases the load capacity factor while renewable energy consumption increases it. Finally, energy technology investment and green technological innovation have an insignificant impact on the ecological footprint and the load capacity factor in both models. All results except energy technology investment and green technological innovation are consistent with our expectations. The USA has the potential to realize green growth. Policymakers should support the green technological innovation process and increase green investments.

Understanding the Role of Energy Productivity, Eco-Innovation and International Trade in Shaping Consumption-Based Carbon Emissions: A Study of BRICS Nations

In recent years, addressing the issue of carbon emissions has gained significant attention in the field of environmental sustainability. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by investigating the interplay between eco-innovation, international trade, energy productivity, and consumption-based carbon emissions in the context of the BRICS economies. Using data spanning the period from 1990 to 2020, we employ advanced methodological techniques to overcome challenges associated with cross-section dependency, non-stationarity, and heterogeneity. The results of our study provide compelling evidence of a long-term cointegrating association between eco-innovation, energy productivity, economic growth, imports, exports and consumption-based carbon emissions. The results reveal that eco-innovations, exports, and energy productivity are associated with reductions in CO2 emissions. Conversely, imports and GDP growth contribute to higher CO2 emissions. Our findings have significant implications for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders involved in shaping environmental policies and sustainable development strategies. The observed negative correlations between eco-innovation, exports, energy productivity, and consumption-based carbon emissions offer a clear channel for mitigating environmental pollution. By prioritizing and promoting eco-innovation initiatives, encouraging sustainable exports, and enhancing energy productivity, policymakers can effectively reduce carbon emissions and foster sustainable economic growth.

The impacts of renewable energy and institutional quality in environmental sustainability in the context of the sustainable development goals: A novel approach with the inverted load capacity factor

It is crucial to fulfill sustainable development goals in combating environmental pollution. Recently, there has been a growing literature on environmental pollution; however, while many proxies represent environmental pollution, few proxies represent environmental sustainability. In this paper, we examine the effects of institutional quality (SDG-16), economic growth (SDG-8), and renewable energy (SDG-7) on the inverted load capacity factor (SDG-13) in OECD countries from 1999 to 2018. The objective is to ensure environmental sustainability within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. In this respect, the study differs from the existing literature by approaching the sustainable environment literature from a broader perspective. Long-term empirical estimates from the PMG-ARDL technique have shown that institutional quality, reel income, and population increase the inverted load capacity factor, that is, decrease environmental sustainability. However, on the contrary, renewable energy decreases the inverted load capacity factor. Therefore, renewable energy consumption helps reach SDG-7 and SDG-13 in OECD countries. In addition, it is found that economic growth is significant both in the long run and in the short run, and the impact of economic growth on the environment is greater in the short run than in the long run. This result supports the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for OECD countries. The panel causality test results find a bidirectional causality relationship from renewable energy and population to inverted load capacity factor and a unidirectional causality relationship from institutional quality to inverted load capacity factor. This study argues that policymakers should concentrate on deploying environmentally friendly technology to slow down environmental degradation, increase the usage of renewable energy sources, and promote sustainable development in line with the SDGs.

Consumption of energy from conventional sources a challenge to the green environment: evaluating the role of energy imports, and energy intensity in Australia

Conventional energy consumption such as coal, natural gas, and oil is a source of deteriorating environmental sustainability as well as a severe challenge to the green environment. The present paper explores the nexus between CO₂ emissions, energy imports, energy intensity, and power generation from renewable and non-renewable energies from 1990 to 2021 in Australia. Based on the ARDL model, the findings reveal that energy imports and power generation from non-renewable energy sources show an adverse effect on the green environment. A 1% increase in conventional energy imports leads to an 11% increase in CO₂ emissions. Similarly, a 1% increase in energy generation from conventional sources will increase CO₂ emissions by 45%. On the other hand, lower energy intensity and power generation from renewable sources reveal a positive effect on environmental quality. A 1% increase in energy intensity will decrease CO₂ emissions by 92% while energy generation from non-conventional sources by 15%. Most interestingly, energy intensity reveals the foremost position among all the selected variables to decarbonize and effectively transform conventional energy to clean and green energy production and utilization. The robustness test outcomes confirm the results of the empirical output. Furthermore, this study suggests that governments and policymakers should focus on the adaptation of lower energy intensity for the purpose to reduce CO₂ emissions and promote a clean and green environment. Finally, power generation from renewable energy sources plays an inevitable role which ultimately helps environmentally sustainability in Australia.