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Amid global imperatives to combat climate change and achieve sustainable economic development, the convergence of digital transformation and the transition to clean energy has emerged as a critical focal point for oil-exporting nations. This study comprehensively investigates the interplay of digital technology, clean energy transition, climate change, and economic growth among selected oil-exporting nations. Drawing upon a diverse set of economic and geographical contexts, this study uses panel data analysis of data from the World Bank's Economic Indicators and the United Nations Development Program for the period from 2006 to 2020. The results show that digital technology reduces climate change by improving environmental quality, but internet and mobile access have insignificant and negative effects on environmental quality, respectively. Meanwhile, all technology variables negatively impact green energy and economic growth, while the Happy Planet Index and financial development positively impact the green energy transition. This study is important for regulators, producers, and consumers, as it provides a better understanding of the crucial role of digital transformation in sustainable development within oil-export countries. This study's findings can be used to develop policy recommendations for a low-carbon economy, the promotion of digital transformation through green energy, and the management of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research paper is to apply a mathematical model to estimate and predict the economic growth of the Caspian countries in the period from 1995 to 2022. We use multiple regression by applying the OLS method to estimate the impact of global oil price, energy resource production per capita, trade, and renewable energy on GDP per capita. The mathematical approach uses fixed and random effects models to assess the overall impact of the independent variables on economic growth in this region and over the period analysed. This study also aims to investigate whether the explanatory variables are cointegrated in the long run; as such, we carry out several mathematical cointegration tests, namely the Pedroni and Johansen tests. The mathematical analysis is completed by the estimation of short- and long-run parameters using the stochastic VAR/VEC models, the impulse response function, and the causality test to assess economic growth in this region. This study's main finding is that GDP per capita is increasingly influenced by its previous values, which is confirmed by considering lag 1 and lag 2. The results of the Granger causality tests identify several bidirectional relationships between GDP per capita and oil and gas production. These relationships are clearly positive evidence of the growth trend and progress of economic activity in the Caspian region. The practical implications of the study aim to promote and support the use of renewable energy sources. In this sense, policymakers in the Caspian countries should create favourable conditions for the transition to a green economy. An important aspect is the efforts of the government authorities to make their policies more environmentally friendly, as decarbonisation is a good practice in the current context of sustainability and related choices. As the Caspian countries are heavily dependent on conventional energy production, it is essential for them to increase their export earnings from energy resources via diversifying and strengthening new energy opportunities and partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some advanced countries' rapid population, economic growth, and energy consumption expansion contribute significantly to global CO2 emissions. And while developed countries have achieved 100% universal access to electricity, mainly from non-renewable sources, many developing countries still lack it. This presents challenges and opportunities for achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13 of generating all energy from cleaner or low-carbon sources to reduce CO2 emissions in all countries and combating climate change consequences. Renewable energies have been widely acknowledged to greatly advance this endeavour, resulting in many studies and about 30 countries already with over 70% of their national electricity mix from RE. It has birthed a new paradigm and an emerging field of 100% RE for all purposes, recently receiving much attention from academia and in public discourse. The major challenge with this idea is that achieving such a feat requires a more diverse approach. This study emphasises the need to meet technical and non-technical requirements for working towards a 100% RE for all purposes. Therefore, our work introduces six methodological or evaluation mechanisms (herein, identified as 100% RE evaluation metrics) suitable for existing and future 100% renewable energy analysis. It then reviews energy modelling tools to identify their applicability to 100% RE analysis. The review and perspectives presented in this study will be valuable in developing a common integrated methodology and modelling tool for analysing full renewable energy adoption in countries or regions with best trade-offs, using performance indices that have not been previously used. It will also help with proper national and regional energy resources and system planning for new energy projects and installations, contributing to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European Union (EU) countries pay meticulous attention to environmental issues and achieve carbon-free development. In this direction, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and extending renewable energy are the primary goals. At the same time, the energy price and declining energy efficiency increase countries' environmental expenditures and hinder their capabilities for economic growth. Against this backdrop, this research aims to examine the influence of environmental regulations, renewable energy, and energy efficiency on green economic growth. The originality of the study is twofold: first, it evaluates the green economic growth of a country, which simultaneously reveals the options for economic growth and the capability to eliminate its negative effect on the environment by applying the Global Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index; second, it develops an econometric model based on panel data for EU countries for 2000–2020 to investigate the nonlinear impact of environmental regulations, the effect of extending renewable energies, and the growth of energy efficiency on a country's green economic growth. The study applies the following methodology: a system generalized method of moments (GMM) analysis. The empirical results confirm the U-shape, nonlinear impact of environmental regulations on a country's green economic growth along with a gradual increase in energy efficiency. In addition, the findings indicate that renewable energy is crucial for furthering a country's green economic growth. At the same time, environmental regulation has a significant role in extending renewable energy. The study results could be used as the basis for implementing green economic growth for EU countries and improving the policy of carbon-free development of these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ambitious goal of the European Union (EU) countries is to achieve carbon neutrality by providing inclusive economic growth, which requires the development of relevant incentives and initiatives. Furthermore, such incentives and initiatives should guarantee the achievement of the declared goals. Energy sectors are the core determinant of inclusive economic growth. Traditional energy resources (coal oriented) have a higher negative impact on nature and people's well-being than on economic and social benefits. However, the transition to renewable energy raises new issues in achieving goals of inclusive economic growth: affordable and clean energy, responsible energy consumption, and energy infrastructure. The analysis of the theoretical framework found that the digitalization of government could be a core instrument for handling the abovementioned issues. The paper aims to justify the role of green energy in achieving inclusive economic growth empirically. The study applies the following methods: fully modified Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and canonical cointegrating regression. The findings allow concluding that institutional quality passively affects inclusive economic growth and that the digitalization of government has a U-shaped impact on inclusive economic growth. In this case, countries should boost the digital transformation of public services and continuously increase the quality of institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of countries' growth causes the depletion of natural resources, biodiversity degradation, ecological imbalances, damage, and disasters. The aggravation of ecological issues requires the development of mechanisms for simultaneous achievement of economic, social, and ecological goals. The energy sector is the core direction of economic decarbonization. Therefore, green economic growth requires economic development due to the extension of innovative technologies for renewable energies and relevant investment for that. The study aims to test the hypothesis on the impact of green field investment on green economic growth. The object of the research was countries in the European Union (EU) for 2006–2020. This study applied the Malmquist-Luenberger Global Productivity Index to estimate green economic growth. It considers the resources available for the production process in the country (labor, capital, energy), the desired outcome (gross domestic product) and undesirable results (emissions to the environment) of this process. The study applied the Tobit model to test the hypothesis. The findings confirm the spatial heterogeneity of green economic growth among the EU countries. The asymmetry in technological efficiency and progress limits the efficacy of green innovations. At the same time, the obtained data confirm the research hypothesis. It is shown that along with green investments, economic openness and the efficiency of public governance have a positive effect on the green economic growth of countries. The findings highlight the importance of attracting green investments to increase green innovations in renewable energy, which boost green economic growth. This study explored the linear and direct effects of green investment on the green economic growth while eliminating the transmission impact of other mediating factors. It should be noted that further research should analyze the nonlinear impact of green investment on the green economic growth and the mediating effect, which could be caused by other variables (corruption, governance efficiency, green innovations, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a country's economy is directly related to the use of energy in that country's economic sectors. Therefore, the energy–environmental Kuznets curve (EEKC) is often used when analysing a country's potential and challenges in sustainable development, green economy, and green growth. This hypothesis tests whether there is an inverse "U"-shaped relationship between energy use and economic growth and is especially important when analysing developing countries to assess if, at a certain point, energy use begins to drop, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation, and the consumption of fossil-based fuels. This study aims to examine the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in the Baltic States from 1995 to 2019, with a focus on the agriculture sector. The study uses the non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model for individual and panel time series. Total energy use, as well as electricity use, is included in the study, whereas gross value added is employed as a measure of economic growth. Research data analysis reveals that energy use in all three Baltic countries stabilises as gross value added increases. However, there is insufficient evidence to show that after a certain point, energy use begins to drop; thus, the hypothesis for the inverse "U"-shaped energy–environmental Kuznets curve (EEKC) is rejected. Research results have important practical implications regarding countries' policies toward energy, including the use of electricity and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A businesses with a green label is associated with resources that are sustainable. This business is linked to the green economy, which can be described as a form of economy that is responsible in relation to the environment and economic growth, and thus complementary. In this type of economy, viable products are created, but also solutions and practices that take the environment into account. It is well known that eco-innovation activities are closely linked to the development of an eco-business. The research sample consisted of 10 countries, namely the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, and Finland, which were selected by purposive sampling. In this article, we look at eco innovations in selected countries, specifically ranking them, where we have divided countries into different levels, from countries that are at the super eco-innovation level, to countries that are in the middle zone, to countries that are significantly lagging in this trend. To classify countries into each level, we looked at the following variables: eco-innovation inputs, eco-innovation activities, environmental outcomes, socio-economic outcomes, and the eco-innovation index itself. Taking these sub-results into account, we determined where countries are, in other words, which level they have reached. We found that there are significant differences between countries. As we conclude, there are several reasons for this, but one of them is the lack of communication, coordination, and synergy between institutions, government, and SMEs, which are the drivers of eco-innovation. The supporting quantitative data collection method was data collection and structured observation, which is more precise and therefore provides more detailed information about the reality under study. For the purpose of this thesis, data were obtained from the Statistical Office of the European Union, that is, Eurostat, which is responsible for publishing pan-European statistics and indicators that allowed us to compare countries. In the survey, we compared the five most recent years for which Eurostat data were available, namely 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The overall score of a European Union member state is calculated as the unweighted average of 16 sub-indicators. It shows how well each Member State performs in terms of eco-innovation compared to the European Union average of 100. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is essential to achieving economic growth, yet the production of energy results in the emission of carbon dioxide, the primary factor in the deterioration of the environment and the acceleration of climate change. In this sense, the diversity of energy sources can contribute to achieving both environmentally sustainable development. This study investigates the relationship between energy diversification and economic growth in Nordic nations by employing a unique measure of energy diversity. The Nonlinear Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NPARDL) approach is utilized in the research, and it looks at data from 1998 through 2018. According to our results, these nations experience favorable economic growth when there is an increase in the long-term diversity of their energy sources. However, in the near term, they have seen negative economic development due to the diversification of their energy sources. According to these findings, energy diversification benefits Nordic economic growth; however, further research is required for developing economies. As a result, further preventative actions must be implemented while simultaneously diversifying energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate, ecological, and energy crisis has increased the interest in the green economy (GE) concept that aims to resolve environmental problems while promoting economic growth, social stabilization, and creating favorable conditions for sustainable economic growth. The implementation of GE solutions requires an assessment system for evaluating the extent to which business operations are consistent with GE principles. In this study, the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the quality of life were identified, and agricultural factors were considered to determine the progress in the implementation of GE principles. The correlation between the success of GE implementation and the utilization of environmental funding provided by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was analyzed. A composite GE index composed of 19 variables was developed for this purpose with the use of Hellwig's taxonomic measure of development. The strength of the correlation between GE implementation and the utilization of green payments under the CAP was evaluated by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficient. Polish rural areas were analyzed at the level of Local Administrative Units (LAU). The study revealed spatial variations in GE development, and it demonstrated that local projects financed from EU funds had a positive impact on the environment. However, the utilization of EU support schemes differs considerably across Polish regions. The analysis revealed that agri-environmental-climate measures (spending per ha) were most strongly correlated with the economic dimension of the quality of life. Southern Poland and suburban areas differed considerably from Eastern Poland where green payments were less effective in promoting GE development. The results of this study are useful for planning, land management, and the development of socioeconomic development strategies at the municipal, regional, and local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is a multidimensional assessment of the diversification of economic development in EU countries in the context of the progress in the implementation of the concept of sustainable development in 2014 and 2019. The issues discussed in this article are topical and important, given that the spatial disparity of economic development in the EU has never been so pronounced as it is today. While there is a wealth of studies on economic development in the literature, research on the comprehensive approach to this problem in the relation of sustainable development appears to be rather scarce. The article emphasizes the role of energy in economic growth. Authors used taxonomic measures. They were constructed on the basis of selected methods of multidimensional comparative analysis. By using the Hellwig method and the TOPSIS method, taxonomic measures were constructed, and linear ordering of the EU countries was carried out. In addition, using the so-called threshold method, the clustering of EU countries was carried out. The analysis involved 27 EU countries. The conducted research revealed significant disproportions between the respective EU countries in terms of the level of economic development in the relation of implementing the concept of sustainable development. It seems justified to take action aimed at eliminating the differences between the countries in the analyzed aspect. It is necessary both to intensify efforts at the level of individual Member States and the EU, oriented towards pro-development activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of research related to the SDG7 sustainable development implementation analysis. The goal is to provide affordable and clean energy. Its implementation will allow for development that will simultaneously provide the possibility of economic growth and the achievement of an optimal level of citizens' health and life. The research was conducted for the countries of the European Union EU-27. During the analysis, the indicators proposed by Eurostat were used. The research aimed to examine the progress in EU member states' energy markets integration. In order to carry out the indispensable research, it was necessary to use a spatial information system. Cluster analysis, as well as TSA analysis, were applied. The conducted research made it possible to verify the posed hypotheses and showed that the energy transformation process of the EU-27 countries is so complicated and heterogeneous that it has given rise to new independent and unique clusters. The authors also verified the adopted set of SDG7 achievement indicators using multiple regression. Additional indicators were also proposed that could complement the set and clarify its analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problems of urban and rural areas are now high on the agenda of industrialized countries, becoming a key challenge for regional-level policymaking. The mutual influence of population growth, economic and technological development, and the anthropogenic pressure on the environment is still insufficiently studied in many countries, including Russia. In this paper, this relationship is studied for the municipalities of Angara–Yenisey Siberia using an ensemble of the STIRPAT-like regression models, adapted according to the available data. We found that population size and gross municipal product were positively associated with pollutant emissions (p < 0.01), while energy efficiency had no significant impact on air pollution. In addition to the poor national data quality and completeness issues, which can distort statistical conclusions, the cause of the observed lack of spatial correlation between energy efficiency and air pollutant emissions may be path dependence and an insufficient pace of transition to a greener economy. This leaves room for institutional transformations aimed at intensifying energy efficiency to reduce the environmental burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a spatial approach to the analysis of the relationship between air pollution, economic growth, and renewable energy consumption. The economic growth of every country is based on the energy consumption that leads to an increase in national productivity. Using renewable energy is very important for the environmental protection and security of the earth's resources. Promoting environmentally friendly operations increases awareness of sustainable development, which is currently a major concern of state governments. In this study, we explored the influence of economic growth and the share of renewable energy out of total energy consumption on CO2 emissions. The study was based on the classical environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and enriched with the spatial dependencies. In particular, we determined the spatial spillovers in the form of the indirect effects of changes in renewable energy consumption of a specific country on the CO2 emissions of neighboring countries. A neighborhood in this study was defined by ecological development similarity. The neighborhood matrix was constructed based on the values of the ecological footprint measure. We used the spatio-temporal Durbin model, with which the indirect effects were determined in relation to the spatially lagged renewable energy consumption. The results of our study also show the strength of the effects caused by imitating actions from the states with high levels of environmental protection. The study was conducted using data for 75 selected countries from the period of 2013–2019. Cumulative spatial and spatio-temporal effects allowed us to determine (1) the countries with the greatest impact on others and (2) the countries that follow the leading ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the synchronisation of economic cycles of GDP and crude oil and oil products cargo volumes in major Polish seaports. On the one hand, this issue fits into the concept of sustainable development including decoupling; on the other hand, the synchronisation may be an early warning tool. Crude oil and oil products cargo volumes are a specific barometer that predicts the next economic cycle, especially as they are primary sources of energy production. The research study applies a number of TRAMO/SEATS methods, the Hodrick–Prescott filter, spectral analysis, correlation and cross-correlation function. Noteworthy is the modern approach of using synchronisation of economic cycles as a tool, which was described in the paper. According to the study results, the cyclical components of the cargo traffic and GDP were affected by the leakage of other short-term cycles. However, based on the cross-correlation, it was proved that changes in crude oil and oil products cargo volumes preceded changes in GDP by 1–3 quarters, which may be valuable information for decision-makers and economic development planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of renewable energy has become a substitute for fossil fuels to mitigate environmental degradation. However, this substitution of energy raises many questions regarding its possible impact on economic growth. In this context, this research aims to examine the long-term relationship between economic growth and financial development, non-renewable energy, renewable energy, and human capital in 16 Latin American countries. Panel data techniques during the period 1988–2018 and statistical information compiled by the World Bank and Penn Word Table databases were used. Second-generation econometric techniques (cross-sectionally augmented Dickey–Fuller (CADF) and cross-sectionally augmented IPS (CIPS) were used in the work methodology, which allow the presence of cross-sectional dependence between sections to be controlled. The main results indicate that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between financial development, non-renewable energy consumption, renewable energy consumption, human capital, and economic growth. The results show that the consumption of renewable energy does not compromise economic growth; the 1% increase in renewable energy consumption is related to the 1% increase in economic growth. The policy implications suggest some measures to ensure economic growth considering the role of green energy and human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of renewable clean energy such as hydropower can not only ensure energy security, but also help achieve the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. This paper uses the annual data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2017, and constructs a dynamic spatial Durbin model and a geographically weighted regression model to empirically test the dynamic impact of hydropower on haze pollution and economic growth at the national and provincial levels. The empirical results show that the promoting effect of hydropower on economic growth in Western China is less than that in Eastern China, which further aggravates the economic development gap between the eastern and western regions. In addition, the suppression effect of hydropower on the haze pollution in the western region is greater than that in the eastern region, where the haze pollution is serious. From the national level, hydropower can promote regional economic growth and inhibit haze pollution, and the spatial spillover effects of these two effects are greater than the local effects, and the long-term impact is greater than the short-term impact. The research conclusions of this paper will help China realize the sustainable development goals of energy saving and emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze the evolution of the scientific research regarding the relationship between energy and economic growth, in order to reveal preferred topics and less approached themes. We conducted an occurrence and cluster analysis, followed by a correspondence analysis using articles published between 1979 and 2019 in journals indexed in the Web of Science. The analysis was split into three periods taking into account the major economic and energetic milestones. The analysis focused on distribution of the topics studied both by years and by journals. The research revealed some major trends: there has been an explosive increase in studies based on Asian countries over the three periods as concerns for sustainable development intensified, and environmental issues were associated with research on the relationship between energy and economic growth. Even if the journals cover different scientific areas, during the last 10 years they contain articles with very similar topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobilizing industry and transforming industrial sectors to a circular economy (CE) is one of the key areas of activities in the European Green Deal (EGD)—the newest strategy of economic growth in European Union (EU). In the CE, the raw materials that can be recovered from various waste streams play a key role, therefore, recommendations for their management were developed, both at the European and national level. In Poland, the raw material recovery sector is one of the strategic sectors (key industries) described in several documents determining the further directions of economic growth in the country. This paper presents the revision of these documents and guidelines for the implementation of the CE in the raw material recovery sector. The scope of the paper also includes a description of the current state of the raw materials recovery sector and its return, supported by the analysis of drivers and barriers in its further development. In previous years, a dynamic development of the recovery industry was observed, followed by formation of new companies (dominated by medium-sized companies comprising ~50% of entities in the sector) and increasing amount of people employed (~70,700 people). A growing level of processing of secondary raw materials with the use of more and more innovative technologies has been observed, which could contribute to the improvement of the level of innovation of the national economy. There also some barriers, such as the lack of sufficiently developed industrial symbiosis (IS) and long-term support for the implementation of recovery technologies. The growing ecological awareness of society and enterprises themselves, as well as the growing belief in the importance of resource recovery for environmental protection, suggest the possibility of subsequent development of the raw materials recovery sector. Further actions in this field will be taken to strengthen the implementation of the CE in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key challenges for climate policies is the identification of strategies that will effectively support the implementation of environmental goals. Environmental policies are connected with other development policies carried out by governments. In order to comprehensively shape environmental policy, it is important to understand the interactions between sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as their impact on environmental goals. Employing econometric modeling based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) method and full-factorial analysis, the authors identify a number of statistically significant relationships between the implementation of sustainable development goals and the environmental variable represented by greenhouse gas emissions. Analysis reveals that implementation of particular sustainable development goals, namely SDG4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities) and SDG17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development), explicitly facilitate the achievement of environmental policies. In addition, other SDGs exert an indirect influence on environmental goals through their reinforcing interactions with SDG4 and SDG17 variables. These are: SDG1 (End poverty), SDG3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being), SDG8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and productive employment) and SDG15 (Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests and halt biodiversity loss). These findings have important implications for proper identification of effective government policy instruments which indirectly support the achievement of environmental goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the case of developing countries, it is not clear which crisis management tools will ensure sustainable development in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, as well as reducing CO2 emissions in addition to ensuring GDP growth. The next analysis discusses the details of this issue. The study explores the connection between per capita GDP, emission of CO2, combustible energy, and waste consumption. The Hausman test ratifies that the regression model with the fixed effect is the proper method for the panel balanced data from 1990 to 2019 in the selected 13 countries of the EU. This study ordered the data into three categories (for 13 selected countries, the top nine EU countries (in GDP), and Visegrad countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland)). The study found a significant positive effect of combustible energy and waste consumption and the negative impact of CO2 emission on GDP per capita. The cointegration test confirms that all three variables are cointegrated. This implies a long-term link among all three variables in the context of all three types of the selected panel. The Granger causality results ensure that there is a two-way cause–effect relation between the variables. The study strongly recommends that developed European Union countries (the top nine EU countries) increase energy production from biomass-based renewable energy and waste to stimulate economic growth. The same strategy was not recommended in the Visegrad countries because of the much lower GDP growth due to the N-shaped Kuznets curve. In these countries, it is advisable to avoid unexpected increases in CO2 emissions from biomass and fossil fuel-burning, to achieve greenhouse gas reductions using other circular, platform-based models instead of simple biomass energy production. Due to the low level of energy efficiency and the lack of application of technological innovation, the energy use of biomass can significantly slow down GDP growth in less developed EU countries (such as the V4 countries). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric power sector in countries suffering from crises and wars such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, etc., is among the most affected infrastructures. Since this sector plays a vital role in the economic growth and in improving people's quality of life, the post-crisis reconstruction of this sector must take into account the requirements and concepts of sustainable development (SD) in addition to technical and economic considerations. This article discusses the role that renewable energy sources (RES) can play in achieving SD in the post-crisis reconstruction phase of the Syrian Electric Power Sector (SEPS) as a case study. Based on the available data, the study period was chosen from 2005 to 2017 and divided into two periods. In the first period (2005–2010), which is the pre-crisis period, the structure of the SEPS and its main characteristics were described while the adoption of RES solutions and SD concepts were investigated. In the second period (2011–2017), the crisis period, the satiation of the SEPS and impact of the crisis were evaluated. The challenges that faced the adoption of SD concepts and RES solution were also addressed at this stage. Based on analysis and comparison of the available data, several scenarios were discussed to evaluate the role of RES in achieving SD in the post-crisis reconstruction phase of the SEPS. EnergyPLAN software was used for the techno and socio-economic evaluation of these scenarios. Our results emphasize the importance of the adoption of RES solutions in the reconstruction phase, as these can help promote SD concepts (reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting the environment, increasing energy efficiency, creating jobs, etc.) and securing the electric supply of the SEPS while enhancing its stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption is of great significance to the sustainable development of the economy. Due to the spatial heterogeneity of low-carbon growth in regional economies, the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is complicated. However, a few researches have been published about spatial spillover effects and non-linearity of energy consumption and financial development on regional economic growth in China. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2007 to 2017, this paper analyzes the spatial spillover effects and threshold effects of energy consumption and financial development on regional economic growth by using spatial and nonlinear econometric methods. The main conclusions are as follows. Spatial econometric methods show that financial development and energy consumption are two factors of production input to promote China's economic growth. Meanwhile, energy consumption and financial development have spillover effects on regional economic growth. Additionally, the nonlinear econometric method finds that with increasing financial development, the impact of energy consumption on economic growth is segmented. Therefore, relevant policies should be implemented to enhance the role of finance in energy consumption to promote low-carbon growth of China's economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research attempts to evaluate the impact of renewable electricity generation mix on economic growth and CO2 emissions in Iran from 1980 to 2016. In this regard, by using EViews 10, the Structural Vector Autoregressive model (SVAR) is estimated by imposing the Blanchard and Quah long-run restrictions. The yearly data on real Gross Domestic Production (GDP), the share of electricity generation from renewable sources, and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) caused by liquid, solid, and gaseous fuels were used. The positive impact of one standard deviation shock of increasing the share of renewable electricity on economic growth was confirmed by using Impulse Response Function (IRF). Contrary to the expectation, the share of renewable electricity in the energy mix is not at a desirable level to lower CO2 emissions, which partly could be explained by the dominant role of fossil fuel in Iran (as an energy-driven country). Moreover, the findings of Variance Decomposition (VD) verified the low share of electricity generated by renewable energy in explaining forecast error variations in economic growth and CO2 emissions. It indicates that in this stage of development, increasing the share of renewable electricity could not be considered as an appropriate strategy to control environmental issues. Therefore, initiating and implementing environmental policies could be considered as the most proper policies to lower CO2 emissions and to achieve the goal of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]