Search

Electronic devices with multifunctional capabilities is forever an attractive area with diverse scope including towards developing solutions to sustainable energy technology. Microbial biofuel cells (MiBFCs) are one such sustainable energy technology based electronic device which can not only harvest energy, but can perform biosensing leading to bioremediation. However, low energy yield, costly fabrication procedures and bulky devices are some of the limitations of such MiBFCs. In this work, for the first time a simple vacuum filtration fabrication technique is used for making thin and conductive electrodes with homogeneous CNT solution for MiBFC application. The fully paper-based MiBFC is integrated into a compact micro device with 3D printed components which adds novelty to the work. The MiBFC is capable of maintaining a stable open circuit voltage of 410 mV for more than 1 h and can deliver a maximum power density of 192 μW/cm 2 which is reasonably high for such paper-based MiBFCs operating with micro-volume of substrate. This device will help in developing more freestanding power sources for instant diagnostics and data transfer., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Over the past three decades, Pakistan's energy consumption has surged due to industrialization, population growth, and development activities. To meet the escalating energy demands, the country has primarily relied on thermal power projects, which are financially burdensome and environmentally detrimental, compared to hydropower projects. This reliance exposes Pakistan to global oil price shocks and environmental degradation. To address this dilemma, this empirical research investigates the impact of both non-energy factors (labour and capital) and energy-specific factors (renewable and non-renewable) on Pakistan's aggregate output, using annual time-series data from 1980 to 2021. The analysis employs the newly established Residual Augmented Least Square (RALS) cointegration test and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) methodology to estimate the long-term cointegrating relationship among the examined variables. The empirical findings demonstrate that both non-energy and energy-specific factors positively and significantly influence Pakistan's long-term aggregate output. However, petroleum consumption exerts a positive but insignificant influence on Pakistan's long-term aggregate output. The study recommends diversifying the energy supply mix to include more hydroelectricity, non-hydroelectric renewables (mainly solar and wind), and natural gas. Specifically, transitioning from imported, expensive, and more greenhouse gas (GHG)-generating petroleum products to domestically produced natural gas could potentially reduce Pakistan's trade deficit and its vulnerability to global oil price shocks. Besides the economic benefits, shifting from non-renewable energy sources (specifically oil) to renewable energy would enhance Pakistan's image and increase its geopolitical influence over neighboring countries. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need to encourage private sector participation in renewable energy projects and suggests implementing effective carbon tax policies to mitigate CO 2 emissions and foster economic growth., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In today's world, where the dramatic effects of climate change continue to increase, it is critical to turn from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources to achieve the CO 2 emission reduction targets that countries have committed at the Paris Climate Agreement and COP 27 conference. This study analyzes the effects of macroeconomic factors, including economic growth, investments, and unemployment, on the transition to renewable energy in OECD countries. From 1996 to 2020, long-run relationships between variables were examined using advanced econometric methodologies for empirical analysis. For this purpose, panel data analysis, second-generation panel unit root tests, cross-sectional dependence tests, and panel cointegration tests were applied. Economically, in the long run, according to panel CCEMG and AMG estimator, while economic growth enhances the renewable energy transitions, investment does not statistically promote an impact on the renewable energy transitions. Renewable energy transition increases with unemployment. Moreover, the role of the considered variables in the renewable energy transition varies among country-specific. Within the framework of the results obtained, it has been proven that before determining policies for renewable energy transformation, it is necessary to do the necessary groundwork in the economy to increase economic growth and investments and reduce unemployment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The surge in economic growth and increased agricultural output can augment societal well-being whilst proliferating environmental stressors. So, the study tests the validity of the "agriculture-induced Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis" (AEKC) by assessing the varied environmental proxies that have yet to be accounted for earlier in the case of BRICS economies. Furthermore, most studies have utilised "first-generation econometric approaches" as the "cross-sectional dependency" has not been deemed in estimation. On account of this, the research employed "second-generation CIPS and CADF unit root test", "Westerlund cointegration test", "fully modified ordinary least square" (FMOLS) and "dynamic ordinary least square" (DOLS) to test the validity of AEKC in "BRICS countries" for 30 years. A positive association between agriculture and "ecological footprint" has been found which evidences the presence of an "inverted U-shaped AEKC" in BRICS nations. Another finding shows that the favourable impact of agriculture towards climate change can be moderated by illustrating the interaction effect of "human capital" and "renewable energy" with "agriculture". Lastly, the investigation brings forth the policy repercussions and acumens for the BRICS governments and policymakers in halting climate change by using renewable energy in agriculture and building human capital., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The contributions of the tourism sector and its development to economic growth are widely recognized across the economies. However, development in this sector also has its impacts on environmental quality and sustainability. In addition, elevated economic policy uncertainty also has repercussions on the environment. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of international tourism on environmental sustainability while considering EPU, renewable energy consumption (REC), and service sector output (SSO) in the model estimated based on panel data from 17 economies. Having the heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation issues in the panel data, the author used multiple econometric methods (pooled OLS with Drisk/Kraay standard errors (DKSEs), GLS, PCSE, and quantile regressions) to examine the relationship between international tourism and environmental sustainability. DKSEs address the common issue of heteroskedasticity and GLS also accounts for both heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. PCSE method corrects these errors. Finally, quantile regression estimates the relationships between variables at different points of the distribution. The results show that international tourism and EPU adversely impact environmental quality and sustainability by increasing GHG emissions. The findings show that increased GHG emissions from international tourism and EPU harm environmental sustainability. Furthermore, SSO and REC significantly reduce GHG emissions and enhance sustainability. Nevertheless, the tourism sector should adopt sustainable practices like using eco-friendly lodging, conserving energy and water, and utilizing renewable energy (RE) to reduce negative environmental impacts. Conserving biodiversity and regional cultures while minimizing waste and resource use is also essential. Tourists should embrace eco-friendly practices such as choosing green hotels, conserving energy and water, and supporting environmental causes while adhering to regulations to reduce emissions. The study recommends establishing uniform trade laws that support green technology and RE to reduce EPU. The findings stress the need for international collaboration to promote eco-friendly tourist practices and minimize the sector's environmental impact., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper is the first comprehensive research to examine the effect of circular economy on environment employing two environmental degradation indicators (CO 2 emissions, ecological footprint) and one environmental quality indicator (load capacity factor) for 57 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries during 2000-2019. The effect of other variables such as renewable energy, industrialization, and globalization was also controlled. The study applied the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag method (CS-ARDL), the augmented mean group (AMG), and common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG) methods as a robustness checks. The empirical findings reveal that circular economy and renewable energy have pro-environmental effects by decreasing carbon emissions and ecological footprint and increasing the load capacity factor in BRI countries. However, industrialization and globalization have detrimental effects on the environment. The result of causality shows a bidirectional causality between renewable energy, circular economy, industrialization, and three environmental indicators, but the relationship of globalization with CO 2 emissions and the load capacity factor is unidirectional and with the ecological footprint is bidirectional. All the results are confirmed by the robustness tests. The study suggests policy implications for the BRI government., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Utilizing renewable energy (RE) and embracing the digital economy (DIG) can significantly contribute to achieving economic, energy, and climate goals by promoting carbon reduction. In this regard, public debt (DEB) is particularly important since it provides the funds required to achieve these goals by investing in renewable energy and digital economy projects. This study examines the impact of public debt on the link between renewable energy and carbon emissions (CE), as well as the association between the digital economy and carbon emissions in emerging economies from 2003 to 2022. The study employed cross-sectional augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) estimation to check the relationship between the variables. The findings of our study suggest that the integration of renewable energy sources and the growth of the digital economy have a positive impact on reducing carbon emissions. On the other hand, public debt has a positive effect on carbon emissions. In addition, the findings support the notion that interaction terms (RE × DEB) and (DIG × DEB) have a diminishing effect on carbon emissions. It can be concluded that the reduction of carbon emissions is contingent upon the utilization of public debt to promote the growth of renewable energy and the digital economy. Based on our study, it is recommended that emerging economies' needs focus on boosting renewable energy usage and digital economy initiatives. Additionally, it is necessary for these economies to maintain a sustainable level of debt., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Fossil fuels-coal, oil and gas-supply most of the world's energy and also form the basis of many products essential for everyday life. Their use is the largest contributor to the carbon dioxide emissions that drive global climate change, prompting joint efforts to find renewable alternatives that might enable a carbon-neutral society by as early as 2050. There are clear paths for renewable electricity to replace fossil-fuel-based energy, but the transport fuels and chemicals produced in oil refineries will still be needed. We can attempt to close the carbon cycle associated with their use by electrifying refinery processes and by changing the raw materials that go into a refinery from fossils fuels to carbon dioxide for making hydrocarbon fuels and to agricultural and municipal waste for making chemicals and polymers. We argue that, with sufficient long-term commitment and support, the science and technology for such a completely fossil-free refinery, delivering the products required after 2050 (less fuels, more chemicals), could be developed. This future refinery will require substantially larger areas and greater mineral resources than is the case at present and critically depends on the capacity to generate large amounts of renewable energy for hydrogen production and carbon dioxide capture., (© 2024. Springer Nature Limited.)

This paper examines sustainable development, which employs an integrated approach to tackle environmental, social, and economic challenges. It provides a theoretical underpinning by examining sustainable development's inception, fundamental tenets, and conceptual structures. This study highlights the interdependence of social equity, economic prosperity, and environmental conservation, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach. Quantitative methodology is utilized in this study, and the dependent variable is sustainable development. Financial risk, green growth, technological innovation, renewable energy, financial inclusion, and soft infrastructure are all independent variables. The analysis is predicated on secondary data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and World Development Indicators databases spanning 2004 to 2019. An entropy-weighted method used for the green growth index is a metric that enhances the precision of variable indicators. Cointegration, correlation, VIF, cross-sectional dependency, and stationarity tests are among the diagnostic tests that inform the selection of methods for the panel data set. It is determined that fully modified ordinary least squares is the suitable technique. The findings suggest statistically significant positive correlations among greenhouse gases, financial inclusion, and soft infrastructure. Conversely, significant negative correlations exist between financial risk, green growth, renewable energy, and technological innovation. An estimated 55% long-run variance is present. The study's key finding is that financial risk has an adverse effect on sustainable development, while an impactful relationship where increased green growth is linked to decreased GHG emissions. This association is notably significant. Results show that renewable energy has a negative coefficient and significant negative impact on greenhouse gases, showing an active relation to enhancing sustainable development. In contrast, financial inclusion has a significant positive effect on sustainable development. The implications imply that providing incentives to institutions engaged in alternative energy, precisely renewable sources, could positively impact the environment. Government policies and funding regulations oriented toward sustainable development are indispensable for environmental sustainability. Government policies and incentives are pivotal in advancing an environmentally conscious and sustainable future. This study's contribution lies in elucidating the positive correlation between government interventions and promoting renewable energy adoption, thereby paving the way for a greener tomorrow., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The recent global energy crisis scenario echoes the past, and the vulnerability of traditional fuels remains the proximate cause of environmental degradation. The fundamental changes in mobilising finance resources are predominant in an energy transition. So, acknowledging finance and energy transition via financial and environmental technology is necessary to meet sustainable development goals. Accordingly, this study employs panel econometric models to investigate how financial resources can ensure the production of renewable energy and environmental protection in 38 OECD member nations over a time period from 2000 to 2021. The empirical finding shows that foreign direct investment and financial technology ameliorate environmental performance by alleviating CO 2 emissions. Environmental technologies positively impact environmental protection by eliminating CO 2 emissions. The financial resources ensure renewable energy production and environmental protection by reducing the environmental externalities and encouraging renewable energy consumption. Similarly, the consumption of renewable energy catalyses environmental improvement. Economic globalisation spurs environmental externalities. The D-H causality test also shows a reciprocal movement from environmental performance to financial technology, environmental technology and renewable energy consumption. The study's outcomes offer a new model of insight for governments as well as financial and energy policymakers to protect the environment. Enable sustainable development in OECD countries by empowering financial innovation through fintech and incentivising environmental technology to increase renewable energy production., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Under the background of cap-and-trade mechanisms, this article constructs a game model of the electricity supply chain, which is dominated by electricity generators and followed by electricity sellers, taking into account the situation of electricity generators investing in renewable energy and energy storage under the grandfathering mechanism (GM) and benchmarking mechanism (BM). By comparing the equilibrium solutions in different cases, the research finds that (1) compared with the grandfathering mechanism, the benchmarking mechanism has more investment in renewable energy and higher energy storage quality; (2) in the consumer market, compared with GM, the electricity price and the electricity demand are higher under BM; (3) an increase in the renewable energy preference coefficient or carbon price will lead to an increase in the electricity wholesale price, renewable energy investment, energy storage quality, electricity price, and electricity demand. Further, an increase in the energy storage cost coefficient or renewable energy investment cost coefficient will result in lower electricity wholesale price, renewable energy investment, energy storage quality, electricity price, and electricity demand; and (4) the profit of the generator under GM is higher than that under BM when the total carbon quota is larger, while the profit of the generator under BM is higher than that under GM when the unit carbon quota is larger., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Renewable energy consumption is a crucial solution to addressing pressing environmental issues, particularly climate change and air pollution. Investigating the factors that drive its adoption is highly significant, as it provides policymakers and stakeholders with valuable insights to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources. Through this approach, we can minimise the negative consequences of our reliance on fossil fuels, thereby protecting the integrity of the environment. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to thoroughly investigate the main factors that influence renewable energy consumption and environmental change in six specifically chosen ASEAN countries. The stationarity of the 1990-2019 data was tested using panel data techniques such as Levin, Lin, and Chu (LLC), Im Pesaran (IPS), and the Shin W-stat test. According to the stationarity tests, after the first order, all variables exhibit stationarity. Additionally, Pedroni's co-integration test result confirmed that there was a long-term relationship among the variables. Different methods, such as dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), and pooled ordinary least squares (POLS), are used for cointegration estimating. The results suggest that there is a positive co-integration between renewable energy use and GDP in six ASEAN countries, indicating a long-term relationship. The positive relationship between GDP and renewable energy use suggests that economic growth is the primary driving force behind ASEAN's renewable energy adoption. However, factors like carbon emissions, population density, and foreign direct investment (FDI) negatively impact the demand for renewable energy. The limited availability of renewable energy in certain ASEAN countries may discourage foreign direct investment (FDI) due to the inverse relationship between FDI and renewable energy use. The studies also revealed that carbon emissions, which contribute to environmental pollution, do not motivate industries to invest in renewable energy. This finding would challenge the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. According to the EKC, there is a significant transition towards renewable energy as a response to environmental degradation. However, it is worth noting that several ASEAN countries have experienced economic growth while also experiencing higher levels of carbon emissions. Given that economic expansion might not be environmentally beneficial, this research has implications for ASEAN energy policies. The ASEAN region faces a challenge in investing in renewable energy due to the excessive dependence on fossil fuels. Therefore, an in-depth evaluation of the main factor behind ASEAN's environmental concerns, which promotes the adoption of renewable energy, can greatly influence policy decisions, particularly in attaining net zero emissions. Policymakers can utilise this comprehensive analysis to establish informed objectives for policies related to renewable energy and develop strategic plans, i.e. reforming fuel subsidies. The goal is to encourage the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable energy plans for the future in the ASEAN region., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The main hurdle in deploying renewable energy projects is the high initial cost, making it difficult for businesses and individuals to afford it. The fragility of the financial sector and human resource management further slows the pace of renewable energy demand. Therefore, we aim to investigate the impact of financial fragility and human resource management on renewable energy consumption over time horizon 1997-2020. To that end, the analysis employed the ARDL-PMG model. For Asia as a whole and all other sub-regions, including South East Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and Western Asia, the estimates for bank non-performing loans are notably negative. In general, these findings imply that a rise in financial fragility significantly reduces renewable energy consumption in the long run. In the short run, the estimates attached to both bank non-performing loans and bank costs are negatively significant in Asia and sub-regions of Western Asia only. The results for the human resources show that it exerts a significant and positive influence on renewable energy demand in Asia as a whole, South Asia, East Asia, and Western Asia. The estimates attached to human resources are statistically insignificant in all models in the short run. In the end, some important public strategies and their implementations have been discussed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Several emerging economies, including economies in belt and road initiative (BRI), are experiencing difficulty attaining sustainable development goals. The efficient utilization of biomass energy sources plays an essential role in attaining sustainable development goals, especially among developing economies. This study empirically investigates the ecological footprints, biomass energy demand, and per capita income association for 30 BRI economies from 1995 to 2021. The study incorporates cointegration and panel quantile regression (PQR) to identify the relationship among discussed variables. Empirical outcomes indicate a negative significant biomass energy demand and ecological footprints relationship, especially among the economies with high traits of ecological footprints. Moreover, the empirical findings also confirm the negative significant per capita income and ecological footprints relationship, while the square of per capita income approves a significant positive association with ecological footprints. These estimates confirm the EKC hypothesis among per capita income and ecological footprints. The findings of the current study help to determine the optimum level of modern biomass energy consumption, which helps to attain economic growth without compromising ecological sustainability., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), spearheaded by China, is anticipated to bolster trade, investment, and economic growth among participating countries to advance the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 7 through international trade. Within this context, renewable energy has emerged as a promising avenue to address environmental degradation and foster sustainable development. However, the impact of BRI's trade volume on renewable energy development and adoption in these nations remains unresolved. To address this, our study examines the influence of trade openness, foreign direct investment, economic growth, and oil prices on renewable energy consumption in 94 BRI countries with varying income levels from 2000 to 2019. Employing panel data analysis, including fixed effects (FE), random effects (RE), and the system generalised method of moments (GMM), we present findings across income groups: i) Trade openness exhibits a positive effect on renewable energy consumption in high-income and upper-middle-income countries; ii) In contrast, it diminishes renewable energy consumption in lower-middle-income countries; iii) Trade openness demonstrates insignificant effects on renewable energy consumption in low-income countries; iv) On the panel level, trade openness significantly and positively impacts renewable energy consumption. Our research underscores the significance of trade openness as a crucial instrument for advancing renewable energy development in high-income BRI countries, thereby fostering environmental sustainability. Policy interventions targeting renewable energy hold promise for enhancing environmental quality in low-income countries., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Energy transition to greener systems has been a focal point in climate policy agendas across countries as the negative environmental impacts of fossil fuel technologies have become more evident Displacing fossil fuels with clean energy alternatives in this regard is essential for meeting global climate objectives. In this context, the study analyzes the role of disaggregated renewable energy sources on fossil fuel displacement in 36 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in the period 2000-2020. The findings demonstrate a discernible trend in the displacement of fossil fuels by various forms of renewable energy sources. It is found that to effectively displace 1% of fossil fuels, it is necessary to achieve an average increase of 1.15% in renewable generation capacity. In addition, a one-to-one displacement of fossil fuels occurs with hydropower, demonstrating its higher level of competitiveness and effectiveness in displacing fossil fuels. Moreover, there is a partial displacement of fossil fuels by solar and wind power. These findings suggest that renewable energy sources are progressively advancing towards effectively displacing fossil fuels., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Due to fast industrial expansion and the increasing population in Vietnam, this country is confronting a mounting lack of energy. While this country has considerable renewable energy (RE) potentials, including wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower sources, it has yet to exploit them entirely because of a lack of proper planning. This research aimed to find and assess solutions for encouraging RE growth in Vietnam. RE development solutions were formulated through SWOT analysis and evaluated in terms of their social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The SWARA approach weighed the strategy evaluation criteria. The most influential sub-criteria were initial investment cost, reduction of adverse environmental impacts, and natural capacity of the region, with weights of 0.155, 0.127, and 0.114, respectively. Strategy evaluation was performed using the Gray ARAS, and the results were validated with the Gray COPRAS, the Gray TOPSIS-G, and the Gray MABAC. In the strategy ranking, the top strategy is to reduce the cost of renewable power generation. This can be achieved by using advanced technologies and promoting cooperation between domestic and foreign industries and companies. Increasing domestic and foreign investment in RE infrastructure by providing financial facilities for investors, developing domestic and international cooperation, and creating a competitive environment between different companies to reduce electricity production costs were the most suitable strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Recently, countries have been making intensive efforts to alleviate the burden on the environment and to make environmental conditions sustainable. In this context, our study aims to investigate the long-term impact of renewable energy consumption (REC) and human capital (HC) by considering the load capacity factor (LCF). We also investigate the long-term impact of economic growth (Y) and non-renewable energy consumption (NREC) on the LCF. In this context, we analyze annual data for the U.S. for the period 1965-2018 using the newly developed augmented ARDL (AARDL) approach. The long-term empirical results show the following. i) Increases in Y negatively affect LCF and deteriorate environmental quality. ii) Increases in NREC negatively affect LCF and accelerate the deterioration of environmental quality. iii) REC has no significant impact on environmental quality. iv) Increases in HC support the improvement of environmental quality. The empirical results show that contrary to expectations, renewable energy consumption does not have a significant impact on environmental quality in the U.S., whereas human capital is an important factor in improving environmental quality. In this context, US policymakers should pave the way for more investment in eco-friendly renewable energy investments and human capital to establish sustainable environmental quality. Policymakers should also take steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although energy is a necessary component of production and hence a contaminant, the environmental effect varies depending on the type of energy used. Renewable sources of energy can provide ecological advantages, particularly when contrasted with fossil fuels, which emit high levels of CO2 emissions. Thus, the research explores the impact of eco-innovation (ECO), green energy (REC), and globalization (GLOB) on the ecological footprint (ECF) in the BRICS nations using the panel nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (PNARDL) technique between 1990 and 2018. The empirical results indicate that there is cointegration in the model. The results from the PNARDL show that a positive shift in renewable energy, eco-innovation, and globalization decreases the ecological footprint, while positive (negative) shifts in non-renewable energy and economic growth intensify the ecological footprint. The paper suggests several policy recommendations based on these results., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

As reported at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), worsening climate situation has led to frequent extreme weather events around the world. The main cause of climate change is carbon emissions from human activities. While realizing rapid economic development, China has become the world's largest energy consumer and carbon emitter. To achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, it should reasonably use natural resources (NR) and promote energy transition (ET). In this study based on panel data on 30 Chinese provinces from 2004 to 2020, second generation panel unit root tests were performed after validating slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependency. Mean group (MG) estimation and error correction model were used to empirically test the impact of natural resources and energy transition on CO 2 intensity (CI). The results show that natural resources exerted adverse effects on CI, whereas ET, economic growth and technological innovation were beneficial to CI. Analysis of heterogeneity indicates that natural resources exerted the greatest impact on CI in central China, followed by west China. Its impact in east China was positive but did not pass significance test. West China achieved the best result in carbon reduction through ET, followed by central China and east China. The robustness of the results was checked with augmented mean group (AMG) estimation. Our policy suggestions are to urge reasonable development and utilization of natural resources, accelerate ET to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, and implement differentiated policies on natural resources and ET based on regional characteristics., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of the study is to extend the existing literature by investigating the effects of foreign direct investment, gross domestic products and per capita and energy diversification on the nitrogen oxide emissions in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) by using annual data during the period 1992-2019. As per our knowledge, the present study is a first of its kind to examine the impact of a new energy diversification index, based on Herfindahl-Hirschman framework on pollution. This study has adopted a new quantile regression augmented method of moments, which is capable of producing the total impacts of the independent variables across the entire distribution of nitrogen oxides emissions. The findings suggest that an increase in foreign direct investment leads to a decrease in nitrogen oxides emissions at the aggregate level and in both manufacturing and service sectors. We observe that foreign direct investment leads to an increase in nitrogen oxides emissions in the agricultural sector in most of the quantiles. Diversification towards renewable energy causes a decrease in nitrogen oxides emissions in most quantiles at aggregate level, agricultural and manufacturing sectors, whilst diversification leads to an increase in nitrogen oxides emissions in the service sector. The findings also suggest that GDP per capita leads to an increase in NOx emissions in all the quantiles. The study suggests the policy to use and attract more clean energy through foreign direct investment for towards the achievement of sustainable development., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A major challenge in renewable energy planning and integration with existing systems is the management of intermittence of the resources and customer demand uncertainties that are attributed to climates. In emerging distributed grids, state-of-the-art optimization techniques were used for cost and reliability objectives. In the existing literature, power dispatch and demand side management schemes were implemented for various techno-economic objectives. In renewable energy-based distributed grids, power dispatch is strategic to system operations. However, demand side management is preferred, as it allows more options for customer participation and active management of energy in buildings. Moreover, the demand side management can simply follow supplies. This paper investigates the implications of demand side management as it affects planning and operations in renewable energy-based distributed grids. Integration of demand side management in customer-oriented plans such as the time-of-use and real-time-pricing on residential and commercial demands is conceptualised to ensure effective customer participation which maintains the valued comforts. Moreover, the optimised tariff integrated demand side management implementations based on the utility-initiated demand response programmes are envisaged to offset conflicting objectives of the economy and customer comforts within residential and commercial demands and are also viewed as a step towards efficient management of energy in buildings., (© 2023. Crown.)

Creating a reliable energy supply, ecological quality, and economic development has become a global effort. Finance is at the center stage ecological transition to low-carbon emission. Against this backdrop, the present work analyses the impact of the financial sector on CO 2 emissions using data from the top 10 emitting emissions economies from 1990 to 2018. Using the novel method of moments quantile regression, the findings illustrate that renewable energy usage enhances ecological quality while economic growth lowers it. The results also affirm that financial development is positively linked with carbon emission in the top 10 emitting emissions economies. These results can be explained by the fact that financial development facilities offer low borrowing rates with less restrictions for environmental sustainability projects. The empirical findings of this study highlight the necessity for policies that boost the proportion of clean energy consumption in the top 10 polluting nations' overall energy mix to reduce carbon emissions. It follows that the financial sectors in these nations must invest in cutting-edge energy-efficient technology and clean, green, and environmentally friendly initiatives. This trend will increase productivity, improve energy efficiency, and reduce pollution., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Promoting renewable energy (RE) is one key strategy to increase energy security and mitigate global warming. What really influences the development of RE has aroused public attention worldwide. Numerous studies have identified and evaluated the critical influence factors (CIFs) for renewable energy development (RED); however, there seems to be no consensus among the previous studies on these CIFs and their importance level or influence direction. Given that, this study, for the first time, conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis of the CIFs for RED. With evidence from 33,119 observations in 67 studies between 2010 and 2022, 44 CIFs distributed in political, economic, environmental, social, and technological (PEEST) dimensions were selected from an international perspective. Results demonstrate that (i) 27 CIFs with statistical significance and their rank list were identified through meta-analysis. Some of them were mentioned many times in previous studies, but their significance for RED was not very high. (ii) The top three driving factors in CIFs' significance rank list were industrial infrastructure investment, R&D, and financial development, and the top three inhibiting factors were the fossil-based energy consumption structure, policy uncertainty, and population life. (iii) The publication year, country's economy, and links of the RED value chain have a moderating effect on some CIFs' influence mechanisms. This study not only contributes to the existing RED knowledge body but also provides references to policymakers and practitioners in formulating policies and good practices to promote renewable energy., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The green paradox describes an undesirable and socially inefficient phenomenon caused by the expansionary reactions of the supply as a response to the various mechanisms that combat climate change. This article seeks to understand and aggregate the different drivers of this phenomenon portrayed in the literature, as well the empirical evidence associated and the proposed solutions. For this purpose, compilation and systematization of the various scientific contributions up to date in this context have been elaborated and the driver's effective impact on the European scenario was evaluated, using a balanced panel for 28 countries in Europe over 1996-2018 and the generalized method of moments (GMM) econometric procedure. Proxies for all provocateurs identified in the state of the art were incorporated in this study: (i) environmental taxes, (ii) green support, (iii) uncertain property rights, (iv) emissions limit (cap), and (v) temporal lag. The dependent variables used are (1) the ratio between the annual production/extraction of oil and the consumption of primary energy and (2) the carbon dioxide (CO2) intensity. We have obtained evidences that the hiatus in the implementation of the European emission cap mechanism has generated a strong green paradox. Moreover, a robust reflection regarding the economic and environmental adequacy of green supports should be considered due to its questionable net benefits. Lastly, we offer some recommendations of public environmental policies that escape the paradoxical phenomenon, through the enunciation of the conditionalities of these provocateurs., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The study assesses the relationship between technology innovation and renewable energy in the G10 countries. According to the findings, technology innovation has a significant impact on renewable energy in various countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. It argues that technological innovation is one of the most important elements in renewable energy in these countries because of their strong innovative base and huge spending on research and development. However, the results for the remaining countries show no causation from technology innovation to renewable energy, implying that variables other than technology innovation drive renewable energy development. On the other hand, renewable energy does Granger cause technology innovation in Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA. These countries need to invest in implementation instead of spending on the existing infrastructure. Furthermore, the increased dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear energy may leave renewables undeveloped, with less emphasis on renewable-technology diffusion., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study investigates how renewable energy markets reacted to the war in Ukraine in 2022 using event study and network connectedness analyses and compares this effect to traditional energy sources. Combining event study with connectedness analysis is of great interest in identifying abnormal returns from the Russia-Ukraine conflict event. The risk-return profiles make clean energy more appealing to investors, and increased investment in clean energy subsectors leads to improved climate change mitigation. Sampled data are wrangled daily from 03 August 2021 to 30 March 2022. The results confirm that renewable energy markets have positive and significant cumulative abnormalities while traditional energy markets are heavily affected during the post-war. Moreover, we find higher pairwise return connectedness after the announcement event than during and before the war in Ukraine. The geothermal and full cell markets are the more robust net information transmitter to other clean energy subsectors. Finally, renewable energy appeared more pertinent during and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, given its properties to serve diversifications and hedging tools., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The loss of biodiversity has profound implications for nature's contributions to people and their health. This study intends to examine the factors responsible for biodiversity loss as well as the coping mechanisms to address this crisis in the context of 35 European economies covering the 2009-2018 period. The study utilises both the static and dynamic panel estimation techniques to examine the above issue. Specifically, the study applied Driscoll and Kraay (1998a), Driscoll and Kraay (Rev Econ Stat 80:549-560, 1998b) and Panel Corrected Standard Approach (PCSE) for the static panel models. As for dynamic panel models, the study employs linear dynamic panel model by Arrelano and Bond (Rev Econ Stud 58:277-297, 1991) and Arrelano and Bover (J Econom 68:29-51, 1995)/Blundell and Bond (J Econom 87:115-143, 1998) system generalised methods of moments (GMM). Morandeover for robustness purposes, fixed and random effect models are also applied. The findings indicate that renewable energy use increases biodiversity crisis whereas organic farming is beneficial for biodiversity preservation in Europe. Corruption and gender gap were found to increase the biodiversity crisis. The evidence also suggests a positive and significant effect of forest area, e-governance and social progress on biodiversity. Finally, the study provides insightful implications for stakeholders and practitioners associated with energy and biodiversity conservation in Europe., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The renewable energy product trade is critically important to global economic prospects and its rapid development, making it a key issue in international economics of much interest to scholars. Previous studies have paid attention to bilateral trade, yet we still know little about the patterns of renewable energy product trade and its evolution from the whole industry perspective. Based on bilateral trade data, complex network, as well as ERGM and TERGM, we build global renewable energy trade networks (GRETNs) during 2000-2018 and explore the patterns and determinants. The results show that (1) the GRETNs expand during 2000-2018, characterized by a small-world, reciprocity, degree disassortative, and export volume heterogeneity. (2) The GRETNs form four communities, and the community patterns greatly fluctuate over time. (3) Economies in North America, Europe, and Asia play dominant roles, while the USA, Germany, and China are the cores of the GRETNs. (4) Endogenous structure of reciprocity, structural embeddedness, and out-degree popularity are essential parts of the evolving patterns of GRETNs. Most trade relationships are developed between economies located within the same continent, participating in APEC or WTO, or having similar areas. There is heterophily in GDP and per capita income, and Matthew effects in GDP, urbanization, and industrialization rate. Countries that share a common geographic border, language, religion, or currency, being former colonies of the same colonialists, and having signed regional trade agreements are more likely to trade in renewable energy products., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The present era faces adverse effects of the strides recorded in economic advancements of the prior generations thus leading the present generation to growth dilemma. Consequently, there is a conscientious consideration for the ecological effects of economic growth. To resolve the preceding issue, due consideration must be given to harmless growth of which eco-digitalization, green financing, green technology, energy transition, and regularity quality are key determinants. Despite the aforesaid importance, empirical studies advancing this nexus are scarce. Hence, this study contributes to environment empirics by providing empirical evidence for the impacts of the highlighted indicators on sustainable environment in the USA. The study explores quarterly data from 1996Q1 to 2019Q4 based on the novel non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. The pretests' outcomes show that long-run nexus exists among the variables, whereas the Zivot-Andrew uncovers breakpoint years in the observations. The main findings show that eco-digitalization, green financing, green technology, and renewable energy promote sustainable environment. On the flip side, non-renewable energy and regulatory quality hinder the pathways to sustaining the environment in the USA. Robustness analyses conducted based on FMOL, DOLS, and CCR provide substantial support and validity for the main results. Furthermore, the causality nexus lends empirical support for the existence of bidirectional and unidirectional causalities in the empirical model. Policy insights that drive the paths to sustainability in the US are suggested based on the findings., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Renewable energy sources have become a priority for countries' energy agendas due to climate change. Accordingly, the financial performance of renewable energy firms should be enhanced through research and development (R&D) investment to achieve the energy transition. The positive effect of R&D investment on financial performance is well documented in the literature. However, it is not clear whether this positive effect varies or not depending on the institutional characteristics of countries, such as shareholder protection and creditor rights. This study examines whether shareholder protection, on the one hand, and creditor rights, on the other, have any moderating effect on the R&D-financial performance nexus by using firm-level data from 912 renewable energy firms in 21 European Union countries from 2011 to 2020. The results show that shareholder protection strengthens the positive effect of R&D investment on the financial performance of renewable energy firms, while creditor rights negatively moderate this relationship. Thus, firms operating in countries with strong shareholder protection (creditor rights) invest more (less) in R&D activities, which leads to an increase (decrease) in financial performance. Consequently, policymakers may consider policy changes that encourage shareholders and discourage creditors from maximizing their R&D investments, which increase financial performance., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has boosted economic development while harming the ecology. It is vital to track its CO 2 emissions to guide the BRI toward a green future and low carbon. Our research contributes to these goals in two ways. First, this research examines the spatial-temporal effects of institutional quality (IQ) and renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on CO 2 emissions for 75 BRI countries from 1990 to 2019. Second, geographical implications are considered when assessing the factors that affect CO 2 emissions on a regional scale. Several diagnostic methods are used to determine the significant spatial impacts, and spatial panel models (SPMs) are used to analyze the phenomenon's spillover and direct consequences. The empirical findings demonstrate that increased IQ and renewable energy (RNC) harm the country's CO 2 emissions. These negative consequences spread geographically to adjacent countries of the impacted country. Moreover, non-renewable energy (NC) positively affects the CO 2 of the impacted nation and its neighbors. Hence, the objective of reducing CO 2 emissions compels BRI to establish an effective plan to reduce non-renewable energy, enhance IQ, resolve internal and external disputes, and foster religious and ethnic harmony in BRI-affected nations. Positive direct and negative spatial impacts of economic expansion highlight the zero-sum game of nations, so high CO 2 -emitting countries should exercise caution when implementing economic policies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Renewable energy production may offer advantages to human health by way of less pollution and fewer climate-change associated ill-health effects. Limited data suggests that renewable energy will also offer benefits to workers in the form of reduced occupational injury, illness and deaths. However, studies of worker safety and health in the industry are limited. The Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC) Energy Summit held in April 2011 explored issues concerning worker health and safety in the renewable energy industry. The limited information on hazards of working in the renewable energy industry emphasizes the need for further research. Two basic approaches to guiding both prevention and future research should include: (1) applying lessons learned from other fields of occupational safety and health, particularly the extractive energy industry; and (2) utilizing knowledge of occupational hazards of specific materials and processes used in the renewable energy industry., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Today, environmental issues such as the inability to control rising carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, climate change, and global warming are on the agenda of policy-makers and various organizations. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2016 and rejoined by the USA in 2021, emphasizes the need for decarbonization and the importance of CO 2 reduction for sustainable development. Since environmental policies can have long-term effects on variables containing unit roots, it is important for policy-makers to understand the stochastic properties of CO 2 emissions. In this context, we propose a new wavelet-based nonlinear unit root test to investigate the stationary properties of the per capita CO 2 emissions for the G7 countries during the period 1868-2014. To compare results, we use eight different tests that take into account both the time-frequency domain difference, the nonlinear-linear difference, and smooth structural breaks. The results of the different linear tests illustrate that CO 2 emissions have a unit root in the frequency domain for all countries. Moreover, nonlinear unit root test results indicate that the CO 2 emissions for the UK are stationary in the time domain. Overall, we consider frequency domain test results, and conclude that CO 2 emission policies have permanent effects for G7 countries. Based on the findings, we recommend that the G7 countries take long-term measures to reduce CO 2 emissions, such as joint actions to improve environmental quality through fossil fuel conservation, renewable energy improvement, and environmental awareness programs., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The environment has been delivering ecological balance through mitigation and ultraviolet ray protection. Nevertheless, human interactions have been creating unfavorable changes on environmental quality. Accordingly, based on a panel data (1996-2018), this study inspected evidence for N-shaped EKC across 41 SSA countries classified under three income categories. By extending the EKC hypothesis and using the three-stage simultaneous equation modeling, the study also estimated the direct and indirect effects of the three governance indices on environmental quality in the region. Consequently, the study confirmed N-shaped EKC only in the upper middle-income SSA countries. Furthermore, in the lower-income SSA countries, while the institutional governance index has a direct negative effect on environmental degradation, government effectiveness has an indirect negative effect on GHG emissions through renewable energy consumption. In the lower-middle-income SSA countries, while economic governance has a direct positive effect, political and institutional governances have a direct negative effect on environmental degradation. Here, also, political stability and the absence of violence have an indirect negative effect on GHG emission through income. In the upper middle-income SSA countries, control of corruption and the regulatory quality of the government has an indirect negative effect on environmental quality through income and renewable energy consumption, respectively. The inconclusive effects of the three governance indices on environmental quality might be the result of income heterogeneity across the region. Thus, policy prescriptions based on understanding the heterogeneous effects of governance indices within the three income groups might help to prove environmental quality in the region., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of this paper is to examine, for a panel of seven countries from the European Union, spanning the period 1986-2015, whether the use of renewable energy impacts their output elasticities of capital and labor and, thereby, influences the factor shares. By applying a set of models from threshold analysis, the analysis detects-for the first time-the presence of thresholds in the use of renewable energy with nontrivial consequences; notably, once the thresholds are crossed, the output elasticity of capital declines, while the output elasticity of labor rises. These changes in the elasticities indicate substantial changes in factor shares triggered by the identified threshold level of renewable energy consumption. This paper also finds changes in output elasticities of factors of production for other threshold variables including energy production from oil and gas or coal. These findings portray a complex and non-linear relationship between energy sources (e.g., renewables and non-renewables) vis-à-vis the economic growth level (e.g., GDP), with far-reaching consequences for factor shares from using renewables vis-à-vis non-renewables. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the changes in factor shares can, in turn, shape the incentives for the adoption of renewables within the selected European nations. Hence, future economic policies should emphasize the augmentation of renewable energy in the national energy system in order to sustain the rate of economic growth., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The primary objective of this study is to explore the links between fossil fuel energy consumption, industrial value-added, and carbon emissions in G20 countries over the period 1990-2020. Panel unit root test, co-integration test, and CS-ARDL estimator were used to determine the relationship among variables. The empirical results suggest that the driving force of carbon emissions in G20 countries varies significantly in advanced versus emerging economies. Evidence in a whole sample of G20 countries and advanced economies supports environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, while no evidence  emerging economies supports EKC hypothesis. Apart from this, the empirical results show trade opens, FDI, government expenditures on health and education, research and development, and information and communication technology are other determinators of carbon emissions in G20 countries. Our results suggest that countries upgrade industrial structures by shifting their energy structures away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources in order to achieve sustainable environmental goals., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Tunisia is among the developing countries that have taken initiatives to develop renewable energy and strengthen energy efficiency. Moreover, it has considerable potential, especially in the field of wind and solar energy. However, the country is still dependent on fossil fuel energy. In this context, the transition to renewable energy is considered one of the possible solutions to reduce energy dependence and strengthen the economy in general. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to evaluate the role of renewable energy in shaping the energy transition in Tunisia in order to qualify the possibilities of energy transition. Accordingly, we investigate the potential for substitution between the following factors and fuels: Capital, labor, renewable, and non-renewable energy in Tunisia using a translog production function approach. Due to the multicollinearity of the model, the ridge regression method is used to estimate the parameters of the function. The obtained results showed that the possibility of substitution between inputs, especially between renewable and non-renewable energy, can replace fossil fuels with clean energy consumption. Moreover, to maximize the potential of renewable energy in Tunisia, this study recommends that policy makers should take more reliable measures to reflect the exact price of energy through price regulation measures, encourage investment in research and development, and introduce carbon taxes that could accelerate this transition., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study investigates the energy security and income roles in testing environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for developing countries from 1990 to 2019. The panel quantile regression approaches are employed to examine the relationship between the variables, considering that income and energy security effects on carbon emissions may vary across distributions. Findings revealed that the EKC hypothesis was inconsistent at low and high quantiles when estimating energy availability, affordability, and acceptability. The validity of inverted U-shaped EKC is supported at high quantiles for energy affordability and accessibility in developing countries. However, given the energy accessibility and acceptability, the EKC hypothesis becomes invalid in developing countries. Notably, developing countries have yet to progress toward achieving energy security as a switch component to low carbon emissions. This study contributes to the literature by revealing the effect of availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of energy security on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). Thus, it suggests implications for improving environmental quality in developing countries by enhancing energy security. Diversifying energy sources with nuclear, renewable, and developing technologies reduces dependence risks on a single source while improving efficiency through technology and demand management lowers carbon emissions and strengthens energy security. Beyond energy security, this study emphasises sustainable urban planning to promote compact development, effective transportation, and green infrastructure to reduce energy use and improve environmental sustainability, ultimately reducing carbon emissions., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The purpose of this study is to examine how environmental taxation, green growth, and eco-innovations contribute to a more sustainable environment. This study examines the influence of green growth, environmental taxes, and eco-innovations on carbon dioxide emissions in 26 environmentally responsive European Union (EU) countries from 2000 to 2020. The analysis was conducted using the second-generation panel unit root test, cross-sectional dependence, panel cointegration, and panel quantile regression. Theoretical and empirical research has demonstrated that both linear and non-linear green growth strategies are effective in reducing CO2 emissions. There is evidence that CO2 emissions can be reduced through the implementation of environmental taxes, eco-innovations, the use of renewable energy sources, and enhanced energy efficiency. In contrast, economic growth has a positive effect on carbon emissions, and its square term verifies the environmental Kuznets curve. Nevertheless, our research findings provide empirical support for the hypothesis that sustainable development contributes to the maintenance of stringent environmental standards. For the sampled countries, the study's findings have significant policy implications. These results encourage governments to prioritize green growth over traditional economic growth and to encourage eco-innovations in renewable energy technology., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Energy is the source of economic growth, and energy consumption indicates the country's state of development. Energy engineering is a relatively new technical discipline. It is increasingly considered as a significant step in meeting carbon reduction targets, which can produce a variety of appealing outcomes that are useful to humanity's evolution. Many countries have adopted national policies to decrease pollution by reducing fossil fuel use and increasing renewable energy usage by alleviating climate change (wind and solar, etc.). The ever-growing need for renewable sources has led to economic and technological problems, such as wind energy, essential for effective grid control, and the design of a wind project. Precise estimates offer network operators and power system designers vital information for the generation of an appropriate wind turbine and controlling demand and supply power. This work provides an in-depth study of the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the prediction of wind energy generation. The devices employed to calculate wind speed are examined and discussed, with a focus on studies recently published. This review's findings show that AI is being employed in power wind energy measurement and forecasts. When compared to individual systems, the hybrid AI system gives more accurate findings. The discussion also found that correct handling and calibration of the anemometer can increase predicting accuracy. This conclusion suggests that increasing the accuracy of wind forecasting can be accomplished by lowering equipment errors that measure the meteorological parameter and mitigate carbon emission., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Rising economic growth in recent ages is the primary concern of most of the countries to enhance the living standard, but the ever-increasing production of economic activities consumes a lot of energy, which leads to a sharp increase in carbon dioxide emissions. Innovation may be a remedy that can help improve energy efficiency, obtain renewable energy, and promote economic growth, thereby protecting the quality of the environment. Therefore, this paper examines the role of innovation and renewable energy consumption in CO2 reduction in OECD countries from 2004 to 2019. By using the two-step system generalized of moment estimator, the results show that economic growth and innovation significantly increase carbon emissions, however the innovation Claudia Curve (ICC) is verified, and the environmental Kuznets curve does not exist. Foreign direct investment has a negative impact on carbon emissions, thus verifying the Pollution Hao hypothesis, whereas renewable energy also improves environmental quality, but the interaction between innovation and renewable energy consumption still increases carbon emissions. Financial development, industrialization, trade, and energy consumption have also been found to be harmful factors of environmental quality. Our findings have considerable policy implications for OECD countries on the improvement of innovation indicators and investment in renewable energy sources to rise environmental quality., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Unlike previous studies, this study attempts to fill the research gap in the area of consumption-based carbon emissions by introducing the role of energy productivity and eco-innovation along with international trade. To fill the mentioned research gap, the present study aims to evaluate the impact of eco-innovation and energy productivity on trade-adjusted consumption-based carbon emissions for the Next Eleven (N-11) economies using updated available data from 1995-2019. Further, on the methodological aspect, this study employed novel advanced panel data econometric techniques such as cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lags model (CS-ARDL), Westerlund cointegration test, and augmented mean group approach, which helps to tackle the problem of cross-section dependency and heterogeneity. The empirical outcomes confirm the long-run cointegrating relationship for consumption-based carbon emissions with exports, imports, gross domestic product, energy productivity, and eco-innovation. The results from CS-ARDL indicate that energy productivity, eco-innovation, and exports decrease carbon emissions by - 0.181%, - 0.0148%, and - 0.292%, respectively. However, economic growth and imports cause carbon emissions to increase by 1.201% and 0.225%, respectively. Moreover, the results also confirmed that any policy targeting energy productivity, exports, imports, gross domestic product, and eco-innovation should help to achieve equilibrium in approximately more than 1 year. This study recommends that the role of energy productivity and environment-related innovation is crucial for achieving the carbon neutrality target of the Next Eleven economies., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Energy plays a vital role in promoting sustainable economic development in complex societies. This study has analyzed the impact of electricity consumption on three European Union member countries' economic growth, i.e., Portugal, France, and Finland, caring structural breaks in cointegration analyses. The empirical results indicate a positive impact of electric power consumption on economic growth in the long and short run in Finland and Portugal and in the long run in France. The findings also highlight the positive and significant role of the labor force in boosting economic growth in the long and short run in France and Finland. However, it shrinks economic growth in the long run in Portugal. The study discloses the positive role of capital in the long run in the case of Portugal. Similar results are found in all three countries in the short run. Moreover, the study diagnoses a bidirectional causal relationship between economic growth and electric power consumption in Finland in the long and short run and in France in the long run. A growth-promoting or electricity-led growth hypothesis is found in Portugal. By simulating the mean values of electric power consumption, economic growth follows an increasing trend in all the countries. Hence, electric power consumption has appeared an essential factor in elevating economic growth in all three selected countries. Based on these results, this study suggests that the provision of electricity supply ventures may be expanded in the selected EU member countries in order to enhance economic growth. The study also suggests that emphasis should be shifted from non-renewable energy sources to renewable energy sources to ensure the provision of clean energy to all the public under the umbrella of sustainable development goals of 2030. Hence, the present study contributes to achieving sustainable economic growth in the selected EU member countries., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper evaluates the implementation of three waste-to-energy projects at the University of Cincinnati: waste cooking oil-to-biodiesel, waste paper-to-fuel pellets and food waste-to-biogas, respectively. The implementation of these waste-to-energy (WTE) projects would lead to the improvement of campus sustainability by minimizing waste management efforts and reducing GHG emissions via the displacement of fossil fuel usage. Technical and economic aspects of their implementation were assessed and the corresponding GHG reduction was estimated. Results showed that on-site implementation of these projects would: (1) divert 3682L (974 gallons) of waste cooking oil to 3712L (982 gallons) of biodiesel; (2) produce 138tonnes of fuel pellets from 133tonnes of waste paper (with the addition of 20.75tonnes of plastics) to replace121tonnes of coal; and (3) produce biogas that would be enough to replace 12,767m(3) natural gas every year from 146tonnes of food waste. The economic analysis determined that the payback periods for the three projects would be 16months for the biodiesel, 155months for the fuel pellet, and 74months for the biogas projects. The reduction of GHG emission from the implementation of the three WTE projects was determined to be 9.37 (biodiesel), 260.49 (fuel pellets), and 11.36 (biogas) tonnes of CO2-eq per year, respectively., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this research is to explore the connection of financial development, sustainable environmental-economic growth, and energy consumption among the South Asian Nations. This research examines a combine influence on energy consumption, financial development on sustainable environmental economic growth regarding south Asian economies. This study has used autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) and panel data set from World Development Indicators (WDI) start from 1980 to 2018. The findings of this study indicate a significant and positive effect of financial development toward economic growth of selected south Asian economies. However, energy consumption has also positive impact toward sustainable environmental-economic growth, which further leads toward sustainable environmental agenda progress. Finally, energy consumption results have positive effect on sustainable economic growth among mean group (MG), pooled mean group (PMG), and common correlated effect mean group (CMEMG) results., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Green transitioning through renewable energy sources is the most effective strategy for any economy. This study investigates the extent to which G20 countries are shifting towards a green economy compared to prioritizing economic growth. To this end, the present study analyzes the nodes between income and renewable (solar, wind, hydro, and biomass) and nonrenewable (oil, coal, and gas) energy sources for the period of (1997-2020) in G20 countries. The energy-environmental Kuznets curve method is applied to study their behavior at various stages of growth. The main findings showed that wind, solar, and biomass energies have an inverted N-shaped relationship with income. The hydroelectricity did not follow any traditional EKC shape, showing a steady positive trend and growth. While nonrenewable energy consumption, i.e., coal, oil, and gas, follows an N-shaped EKC curve. The impact of foreign direct investment in the solar and wind sectors is positive. The varying outcomes concerning foreign direct investment (FDI) indicate that although G20 countries strive to achieve their green transition objectives by discouraging environmentally harmful investments, their success remains limited. The study indicates that G20 nations are progressing toward a green transition; however, additional technological innovations are required to transform these economies from brown to green. Governments can establish research institutions, offer grants and incentives, and encourage collaboration between academia, industry, and government to support green technology R&D., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of this study is to examine the role of renewable energy consumption and natural resource rents along with control variables of globalization and economic growth on the environmental sustainability of Jordanian economy from 1985 to 2019. These variables have been selected based on theory and empirical literature. We apply a Dynamic Autoregressive Distributed Lag (D-ARDL) technique along with robustness checks of Fully modified OLS (FMOLS), Dynamic OLS (DOLS), and Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR) techniques in order to achieve the above goal. The result from the analysis confirms that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) is not valid for the Jordan in either long or short term. Our estimation results also confirm the highly significant and negative impact of renewable energy on CO 2 emissions in both the long and short term. However, both natural resource rents and globalization are significant and positive in the long run, implying that these variables are detrimental to the environmental quality. The interaction analysis presents detrimental effect of globalization in terms of renewable energy while it shows beneficial effect of globalization in terms of natural resource for environmental quality. The frequency domain causality result shows causality at different frequencies across the variables. Based on the results, several policy directions are provided in order to achieve environmental sustainability in Jordan., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This two-dimensional study makes significant incursions into the health-environment literature by interrogating whether non-renewable energy moderates the impact of environmental degradation on mortality rates. It further aligns with the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and 11, which aim to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. It contributes to the health-environment literature by investigating the intrinsic relationships among mortality rates, carbon emissions (environmental degradation), and non-renewable energy consumption. The study uses an unbalanced sample of 42 Asia and Pacific countries to determine (1) whether carbon emissions exaggerate the incidence of mortality rates and (2) if the interaction of non-renewable energy with carbon emissions enhances or alters the impact of carbon emissions on mortality rates. Consistent findings from the panel spatial correlation consistent least-squares dummy variables (PSCC-LSDV) and two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) techniques reveal that (i) carbon emissions exacerbate mortality rates; (ii) non-renewable energy consumption exhibit mortality-reducing properties; (iii) non-renewable energy attenuates the impact of carbon emissions on mortality rates, (iv) persistency in mortalities occurs; and (v) the health-environment-energy dynamics differ across income groups. The paper's conjecture is expected to channel a new line of discourse on how non-renewable energy influences the environment and health outcomes., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)