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Sustainable development is the subject of many economic analyses, but so far no attempt has been made to identify the main mechanism of interdependence between sustainable energy development and sustainable economic development in the second decade of the 21st century. The particular role of energy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is due to the fact that the production, supply and use of energy underpin economic growth. The article fills this research gap and spawns both a better understanding of the essence of sustainable development as well as practical conclusions. The aim is to assess sustainable energy development and sustainable economic development in EU member states and to determine the correlation between the two in the EU. Substantive and formal methods were used to select diagnostic variables, including: the parametric method, the standardized sums method, and correlation analysis. The analysis period covers the years 2014–2021. The conducted research demonstrated a significant variation in the level of sustainable energy development and sustainable economic development among EU countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional economic growth models treat production/consumption as abstractions linked only by money flows, disregarding their connection to the physical world. Nevertheless, the existing literature suggests that energy flows can influence production and links useful exergy prices with economic growth. Useful exergy is energy measured at the stage where it produces an end-use (and is a measurement of energy quality). Not all approaches in the literature use this metric and they often consider energy as a primary input (despite it being an intermediate input). We explore the relationship between energy flows and economic growth for the US through a framework where useful exergy, the output of an "extended energy sector" (where all effects of increasing primary-to-final-to-useful exergy efficiency are located), is an intermediate input for a "non-energy sector". Together, they encompass the entire economy. We conclude that the share of investment in the extended energy sector grew with the overall economic growth throughout 1960–2020, while the labour share decreased. The non-energy sector contributed the largest share of consumption, exports, imports and labour. In recent years, the energy sector has overtaken it in terms of investment. Our two-sector model has important implications for current climate policy, namely regarding the Integrated Assessment Models on which it is based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This study presents empirical results regarding the relationships between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and the GDP within the Visegrád Group (V4) countries. Using FMOLS/DOLS and ARDL approaches, along with causality tests based on the Toda–Yamamoto method, this study explores these relationships at a regional level. The study fills the research gaps for a comprehensive analysis of the indicated relationships in the V4 countries by using both individual and panel models. The findings indicate that renewable energy has a small positive impact on long-term economic growth, with non-renewable energy having a more significant effect. Moreover, CO2 emissions have a negative impact on economic growth, suggesting an ongoing reliance on non-renewable energy sources and a burden on economic expansion. At an individual country level, the effects vary. Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary exhibit a negative relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth. Energy sources also differ in regards to impact: in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, non-renewable energy significantly affects economic growth, while in Hungary, renewable energy plays a more substantial role. Causality tests reveal a causal relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth in the Czech Republic and Poland, suggesting that CO2 emissions significantly influence economic expansion. In terms of energy production, renewable energy is causally related to economic growth in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. All countries demonstrate significant causality between non-renewable energy and economic growth. Additionally, a relationship between renewable energy and CO2 emissions is confirmed in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, the UAE adapted its National Energy Strategy to accommodate several new goals, including doubling renewable energy (RE) capacity to 14 GW by 2030. This development further highlights the significance of transitioning towards RE sources. This study focuses on examining and assessing the utilization of RE technologies in Sharjah, an emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It offers an overview of Sharjah's current energy scenario and investigates the factors influencing the adoption of RE technologies in the area. Furthermore, it provides an evaluation of RE installations, energy production capacity, and future prospects for RE in Sharjah. These findings contribute to a deeper comprehension of the transition towards RE and its potential in Sharjah. The analysis uncovers a growing inclination towards adopting RE in Sharjah. Solar energy installations are experiencing an upswing, driven by advancements in technology, cost reductions, and supportive policies. However, wind energy installations remain limited due to lower wind potential in the region. The adoption of RE technologies in Sharjah yields several advantages, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, diversification of energy sources, and the potential for economic expansion. Nevertheless, challenges like intermittency, grid integration, and initial investment costs require attention to further expedite adoption. The outlook for RE in Sharjah appears promising. Sustained government backing and ongoing research and development efforts, in addition to collaborations between public and private sectors, can facilitate the wider implementation of RE technologies. Implementing policies that encourage the uptake of RE, such as feed-in tariffs and net metering, should be considered. Additionally, partnerships with international organizations and the exchange of best practices can enhance knowledge transfer and capacity building. [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]

The economic downturn caused by the financial crisis of 2008–2009 and the intensifying global climate policy trends forced changes in the energy management of the European Union. The study examined how the most relevant energy economic variables affected the economic growth of the E.U. between 2010–2019. The study used the PSL-PM methodology to explore the relationship between G.D.P. (dependent variable) and energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, the average energy price, and renewable energy use (independent variables). The main findings are: G.D.P. growth is negatively correlated with CO2 emissions, showing that the E.U. economy is still highly dependent on fossil fuels; the increase in the proportion of renewable energy consumption contributed to the growth of the E.U.'s G.D.P.; CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and the average energy price are more critical in E.U. member states with a lower G.D.P.; renewable energy use and energy balance are essential in countries where more emphasis is placed on replacing traditional energy sources and reducing energy dependence; there is a strong positive correlation between G.D.P. and renewable energy use, indicating that this type of energy use effectively supports E.U. economic growth. The results of the multicollinearity test show that there is also a strong linear dependence between the independent energy economic variables. One of the significances of the study is that the presented and analyzed variables and the relationships between them can contribute to optimizing the E.U.'s currently critical energy management and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore the impact of economic growth (GDP), energy consumption, foreign direct investment, oil price, and exports on carbon emissions by employing yearly time series data for Italy for the period 1971–2019. For this purpose, we employed the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and wavelet coherence approach to analyze the interconnections among variables. The cointegration results confirm the long-run association between our variables. Our findings show that GDP has a positive impact on carbon emissions, while the square of GDP has a negative impact, thus confirming the presence of the EKC hypothesis. Further, oil prices have a detrimental impact on carbon emissions both in the long- and short-term; on the contrary, foreign direct investment, energy consumption, and exports promote environmental degradation. We propose some important policy recommendations based on these findings to address the environmental constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic activities are directly supported by the natural environment, and in this context, it has become crucial to analyse the phenomenon of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. The negative effects of economic activities on the environment are clearly visible, and understanding how to separate economic growth from environmental harm is of utmost importance. This paper aims to study the degree of the decoupling of economic growth, measured by GDP, from environmental degradation, quantified through CO2 and HFCs emissions, at the level of each EU27 country in the periods 2008–2012 and 2013–2020. In the analysis, graphical representations and statistical tests were utilised. In the first period, most of the EU27 countries registered negative levels for the variables considered, placing them into the negative coupling stage. In the second period, the evolution of the decoupling process was visible in all the countries, enabling them to make a significant transition to the relative or absolute stages. Overall, the Nordic countries could be observed as examples of best practices, managing to achieve the most desired stage of decoupling, i.e., the absolute one. These results are important for a wide range of stakeholders implicated in the preparation of programs, projects and policies dedicated to achieving economic growth in a sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonrenewable energy makes up a sizeable portion of Africa's gross domestic product. The continent heavily relies on nonrenewable energy sources, such as gasoline, for industrial and commercial uses, which helps it expand and develop, especially in oil-producing nations. Incorporating nonrenewable energies when analyzing the relative effects of renewable energy consumption and economic growth on environmental quality is paramount. The transition to renewable energy has been identified as a contributing factor in clean energy and sustainable development, but the consumption of renewable energy in Africa is negligible. This study employed panel threshold regression and covered data from 1990 to 2019, and examined the non-linear relationship between renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental quality. According to the study's findings, the consumption of renewable energy has a nonlinearly negative relationship with carbon emission proxied environmental quality. The relationship between environmental quality and economic growth was also shown to be nonlinearly positive, pointing to the dominance of nonrenewable resources in the African industry. The report recommends an effective policy for boosting the use of renewable energy sources in order to support clean energy and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our modern world, energy keeps the global economy running, and economic growth concerns are profoundly interrelated with environmental quality issues. Interestingly, scientists engage with empirical research to identify the impacts and causalities at the interface of economic activities, energy supply, and demand. The importance of the present study lies in a discussion of all contemporary research efforts bridging two strands of empirical literature in environmental economics: developments in energy growth nexus discussion and the environmental Kuznets curve. Furthermore, it highlights the inclusion of untested explanatory variables and the impacts on environmental degradation levels. In the context of the EKC hypothesis, the most popular indicators are greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and carbon dioxide emissions in conceptualizing environmental degradation. A review of relevant empirical studies disclosed additional research opportunities that can consider currently untested and less visible proxies of economic growth. For both strands in the literature, results differ based on the group of countries investigated, the econometric models adopted, the format of data, e.g., time series or panel analyses, the time frames due to data availability, and the proxies used to conceptualize energy, environmental degradation, and economic growth. Practical implications indicate that environmental degradation can be avoided or significantly limited within sustainable economic growth to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase the use of renewables in the energy mix. Furthermore, one particular implication is the concept of energy efficiency to reduce relevant demand to produce the same outcome or task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism has become one of the most important sectors in many countries, significantly contributing to their economic growth and development. However, the expansion of tourism has also brought about various environmental and social challenges. The relationship between tourism, economic growth, trade openness, and the environment is diverse and complex. The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the international tourism development index, GDP per capita, CO2 emissions, trade openness index as well as the energy intensity index in EU 27, over the 1995–2019 period. A composite index for international tourism was developed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Panel Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach is used to reveal the long- and short-run impact of GDP per capita, CO2 emissions, trade openness index as well as the energy intensity index on the tourism development index. Panel ARDL estimates confirm some of our research hypotheses: at the level of EU countries, there is a short-run relationship between tourism and GDP per capita, but only in a few EU countries, trade openness influences tourism development index. Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test confirms long-run feedback relationship between tourism development index and trade openness, between tourism development index and CO2 emissions, and between tourism development index and GDP and unilateral causality running from tourism development index towards energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of ICT capital services on economic growth and energy efficiency in China at both national and industrial levels during the period 2000–2020. To achieve this aim, this study introduces a measurement method for capital services, explores ICT's contributions to economic growth, and analyzes the impact of ICT on energy efficiency. The empirical results of this study indicate that although the ICT capital services scale is relatively small, accounting for only 8.87% of the total in 2020, its growth rate is faster than that of non-ICT capital services, and the distribution of ICT capital services varies widely among different industries. Additionally, based on the economic growth decomposition framework, this study finds that the contribution of ICT capital services to economic growth is 6.95% on average. It is significantly higher in certain industries, such as Financial industry; Information transmission, software and information technology services; Construction; and Manufacturing compared to others. The total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) reveals that industries with higher energy consumption have lower energy efficiency, while the panel regression model illustrates that the development of ICT has a positive impact on improving energy efficiency, with variability across industries. Overall, the findings of this study provide crucial scientific evidence and policy implications for promoting the development of ICT and integrating it with various industries, which can significantly contribute to boosting economic growth and energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article concerns the verification of links between the energy intensity of public urban transport, regional economic development and urbanisation in the light of sustainable development challenges and club convergence processes. Three research questions were formulated in the article: (1) Does the regional economic development of voivodeships affect the energy intensity of public urban transport? (2) Does urbanisation shape energy consumption patterns in public urban transport (and are there agglomeration effects)? (3) Does the level of urbanisation of voivodeships depend on their regional level? The study covered 16 subregions of Poland from 2010 to 2020. A spatial dynamic exploration of the relationships between energy intensity patterns of public urban transport and the phenomenon of urbanisation and regional economic development was carried out. Panel models of vector autoregression and panel causality testing were used. The influence of the economic development of regions and the level of urbanisation on energy intensity patterns of public urban transport was confirmed. The link between economic development and the process of urbanisation was identified. An additional effect was noticed (novelty knowledge), i.e., there is a delayed club convergence between voivodeships in the area of energy intensity of public urban transport, regional economic development and urbanisation (polyconvergence). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the conditions behind energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Poland following its accession to the European Union. The study analyzed some energy, fossil fuel, economic, and environmental indicators, such as energy use, CO2 emissions, driving factors, decoupling elasticity status, and decoupling effort status. It relied on the Kaya identity and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) in determining the drivers of CO2 emissions. As shown by the results, between 2004 and 2020, energy consumption in Poland grew at an average annual rate of 0.8%, while fossil fuel carbon emissions declined at 0.7% per year. Energy intensity was found to be the key force behind the reduction in CO2 emissions, whereas rapid economic growth was the main driver of CO2 emissions. While other factors, i.e., carbon intensity, energy mix, and population, also contributed to reducing the emissions, they had a much smaller—if not marginal—effect. In turn, the decoupling elasticity analysis showed that Poland mostly witnessed strong decoupling states, which means a strong decoupling of CO2 emissions from economic growth. Furthermore, it follows from the decoupling effort analysis that strong decoupling effort statuses prevailed throughout the study period, suggesting that the changes in the considered factors significantly contributed to reducing CO2 emissions. However, both the decoupling elasticity indices and the decoupling effort indices revealed the presence of an adverse trend. The above means that Poland witnessed a decline both in the strength of decoupling CO2 emissions from economic growth and in the efficiency of policies and measures designed to reduce CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its immense natural resources, Angola struggles to significantly improve its economy to reduce poverty. Carbon emissions have been increasing over the years, even though the country plans to reduce them by 35% by 2030. This paper attempts to assess the carbon emissions of several sectors (industries, transport, services, and residences) on economic growth, intending to find a balance between environmental protection that requires carbon emissions reduction and economic development that may add to environmental degradation. The study employed time series data on GDP, CO2, CH4, and N2O covering 1971 to 2021 and ARDL and ECM models. This is the first study at the state level in Angola on the relationship between economic development and environmental sustainability considering methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Additionally, the paper assesses the responses of GDP to deviation shock of GDP, CO2, CH4, and N2O by 2032. Phillip Perron and Augmented Dickey-Fuller tests showed that all the data are stationary at the first difference, favoring the application of the ARDL model to explore the short and long-run relationships. The result reveals that methane from agricultural activities and carbon emissions from the building sector and public services contribute to economic growth, whereas carbon emissions from industrial heat systems, non-renewable electricity production, and manufacturing industries harm economic growth. However, no relationship exists between nitrous oxide emissions and economic development. In addition, impulse response function estimates show that appropriate investments can sustain economic development over the years. Therefore, the country should diversify its economy and avoid polluting fuel sources, such as coal. Raising renewable energy's proportion in the total energy mix can support growth while considering the environmental quality. Investments in skills training, academic projects in renewable energy technologies development, agriculture mechanization, and sustainable job creation are recommended. Additionally, investing in quality seeds adapted to climate realities might help lessen climate change's adverse effects and promote growth. Manure manufacturing processes must be improved to reduce agriculture and livestock's methane and nitrous oxide emissions. The country's leaders are encouraged to promote raw material processing industries while insisting on reducing carbon emissions. [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]

In this article, we investigate the effect of different energy variables on economic growth of several oil-importing EU member states. Three periods from 2000 to 2020 were investigated. Three different types of regression models were constructed via the gretl software. Namely, the OLS, FE, and SE approaches to panel data analysis were investigated. The FE approach was chosen as the final one. The results suggest the importance of the consumption of both oil and renewable energy on economic growth. Crises of certain periods also had a noteworthy effect as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates electricity consumption, carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, and economic growth decoupling using data from 1971 to 2020 for the economy of China. The study uses decoupling analysis (DA) as the prime methodology for analysis. Furthermore, the findings put forward a significant contribution to an economic picture of the economy of China and a sizeable addition to related research and findings under the assigned issues discussed in the study. The study's main contribution is to decouple electricity consumption from the gross domestic product (GDP), which is rare in the existing literature in the context of China. Moreover, the study shows the decoupling of environment affects electricity consumption, and GDP growth. The DA model shows that electricity consumption is the main driving force enhancing economic growth. However, industrialization has increased greenhouse gases, global warming, and climate change due to production and consumption. China's economy uses coal for energy resources, which indicates that China produces a large proportion of electricity with coal, which causes high CO2 emissions. Finally, further analysis with the Granger causality test confirms the main findings. [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]

The World Energy Council has consistently formulated useful policies and ranked countries in term of their performances in environmental sustainability, energy equity, and energy security. In a novel approach, and possibly in one of the most unique studies in the World Energy Trilemma literature, the current study examines the interaction of energy efficiency and economic growth of several top-performing economies (Austria, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) in respect to environmental sustainability, energy equity, and energy security. Importantly, while affirming the inappropriateness of the linear econometric approach, the study utilized the newly developed quantile-on-quantile approach to examine the dataset for the period 1990Q1 to 2018Q4. As such, the result largely indicates a significant and positive effect of economic growth toward the energy efficiency across the quantiles for the examined countries (Austria, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom). On the other hand, energy efficiency also impacts economic growth in most parts of the quantiles in the examined countries. However, the results show weak and negative interaction in the lower quantiles (average of 0.1–0.3) only for Denmark, Germany, and New Zealand, while the results further reveal weak and negative interaction in the middle quantile (average 0.4–0.6) for France, Finland, and Sweden. Importantly, this study presents useful economic-related policy inferences from the aspects of energy efficiency, energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the energy intensity (EI), energy efficiency (EE), and economic growth, measured by the type of returns to scale (RTS), of 37 nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 2000 to 2019. We apply a non-parametric approach to estimate the three measures from their consumption of four primary energy sources, such as coal, gas, oil, and zero emission (e.g., renewable and nuclear power) as inputs and gross domestic product (GDP) as an output. In this study, we have the two types of efficiency measures over time: window-based and cross-sectional-based measures. Three findings are identified from our empirical study. First, the operationally efficient group, including France, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, UK, and USA, presented a stable status of full efficiency in the window-based efficiency measure. Iceland and Switzerland were also in the higher efficiency group based on the cross-sectional measure. Their efficiencies were high and stable over the observed periods. Second, zero-carbon-emission (e.g., renewable and nuclear) energies outperformed other energy sources (coal, gas, and oil) in terms of a potentiality of EI/EE improvement. In other words, OECD nations can improve on their EI/EE measures by reducing fuel consumption of coal, gas, and oil while maintaining their high GDP levels. Finally, four industrial nations (France, Japan, UK, and USA) had a status of unity in their EI/EE measures for zero-carbon-emission energies with decreasing RTS. These nations would increase zero-carbon emission for energy consumption to increase GDP while keeping optimal EI/EE because such changes in consumption would not largely affect EI/EE due to their constant RTS status. Iceland showed increasing RTS. The nation may improve the EI level by increasing zero-carbon-emission energy consumption and economic size. The four nations can increase zero-emission energy consumption to achieve further economic growth without observing a large deterioration of EI/EE because it is very close to constant RTS. The examination of RTS provides policy directions for the improvement of EI and EE. Switzerland showed decreasing RTS and may deteriorate the EI/EE by increasing energy consumption and the size of each economy. The remaining countries, whose degree of EI/EE measures was less than unity, showed increasing or decreasing RTS. The examination of RTS provides important implications for energy policy to enhance the degree of EI/ EE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity consumption and government policy are two vital elements for economic growth. Thus, this study explores the roles of electricity use and government policy in the economic growth of the selected four South Asian countries over the period from 1980 to 2014. The study includes the government policy variable in the extended Cobb–Douglas production function of the electricity driven growth model, which was absent in earlier studies. The pooled mean group-based panel autoregressive distributed lag (P-ARDL) method is used for empirical investigation, while fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) methods are used for checking the sensitivity of the P-ARDL estimates. Our results reveal that the effects of electricity, government spending, financial development and capital formation have significant positive effects on the economic growth of South Asia. However, exports and imports are found to have detrimental effects. Causality test reveals a unidirectional causality from electricity consumption to economic growth that supports the growth hypothesis. Following the findings, important policy recommendations are made to foster the economic growth in the South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between geothermal energy consumption, economic growth, and foreign direct investments in countries where geothermal energy production is possible. Panel Fourier Granger causality and panel Fourier Toda–Yamamoto causality tests (2020–2021) were applied, which can take into account smooth transitional structural breaks with trigonometric functions using quarterly data for the period 2016 Q1–2020 Q3. Data were obtained from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), and the OECD official website. According to the results obtained based on panels, there is one-way causality from economic growth to geothermal energy and one-way causality from geothermal energy consumption to foreign direct investments. The results obtained based on individual countries indicate that one-way causality from foreign direct investment to geothermal energy consumption was found for Mexico and Portugal, and one-way causality from geothermal energy consumption to economic growth was found for Italy and Mexico. On the other hand, causality from economic growth to geothermal energy consumption was observed for Germany, Japan, and USA. No significant results were found for Turkey and New Zealand, and it is understood that the macroeconomic structures of these countries are not affected by geothermal energy. The difference in the results reveals that the application recommendations on this subject should also be different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the nexus between economic growth, energy consumption, and the environment with the moderating role of agricultural value addition and forest in Africa based on data sourced from 1980 to 2019. We employed both the time domain and frequency domain panel Granger causality estimation techniques to compare results across the different horizons. Extant literature suggests the inability of time domain estimation techniques to account for causality at different frequencies. The study also accounts for the nexus among our variables both at the single-country and multi-country levels. The results at the single-country level are at best mixed. The results of the panel Granger causality at the frequencies domain suggest that a bi-directional relationship exists between energy consumption and economic growth, and that energy consumption Granger causes carbon emissions in Africa. The results align with the feedback hypothesis on the one hand but contradict the conservation hypothesis on the other hand. The study has some policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aspiration of this paper is to learn about the effects of economic growth (GDPG) and energy consumption (ENRC) on environmental pollution (EP) in G-3 countries and to show the significance of renewable energy consumption (RENEW) on environmental pollution (EP). The data covers the period from 1970 to 2020 by applying the "Pooled Mean Group-Autoregressive Distributed Lag" (PMG-ARDL) model. The results indicate that GDPG is negatively co-integrated with CO2 emissions (pollution) in the short run (SR) but positively co-integrated in the long run (LR). Energy consumption has a positive impact in the long run, but there is no positive impact in the short run to accelerate pollution. In both the short and long run, renewable energy has a significant role in reducing environmental degradation. However, according to the Dumitrescu Hurlin panel, there was bidirectional causality (BC) involving energy consumption and pollution. Because of the large volume of energy emphasized in economic growth and development activities, energy use increases pollution. In addition, there was a BC involving energy consumption and economic growth. At the country level, a significant contribution implies sustainable development and the implication of environmental quality assurance policies. [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]

As China reaffirms its commitments to limit the climate change risk and improve air quality, a combination of new policy and technology opportunities is presenting itself. A national emission trading scheme (ETS) begun in 2017 and is showing great promise, creating decentralized incentives for cost effective pollution mitigation. At the same time, sustained energy sector innovation is driving the costs of renewable electric power generation below those of fossil fuel substitutes. Early economic evidence of ETS measured pollution reductions, but has not addressed important economy-wide net benefits. This paper focuses on technology and energy cost savings and is the first to account for three multiplier effects—shifting consumption patterns, job growth, and the benefits of induced productivity growth—that would result from accelerated renewable electricity deployment in China. Results from a dynamic recursive computable general equilibrium model for 2017 to 2030 show that expanding renewable deployment can interact with the ETS to slash GHG emissions, as well as energy costs, stimulating significant long-term economic growth. These results suggest that China should accelerate its clean energy transition, not only for the air-quality and climate benefits, but to fulfill the energy sector's potential to promote innovation, employment, and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key goal of this research was to figure out the short and long run relationship between environmental degradation caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and energy consumption, the level of GDP economic growth, and urbanization in the Visegrad Region countries (V4). The study used data from the years 1996–2020. In the methodological area, ARDL bound test, and ARDL and ECM models were used to determine the directions and strength of interdependence. The results show that in the case of some V4 countries (Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary), changes in the urbanization rate affect CO2 emissions. Moreover, it was confirmed that the phenomenon of urbanization influences the enhanced energy consumption in the studied countries. In the case of individual countries, these relationships were varied, both unidirectional and bidirectional. Their nature was also varied—there were both long and short-term relationships. These findings suggest that the V4 countries should increase renewable and ecological energy sources. It is also recommended to enhancement energy savings in the areas of both individual and industrial consumption by promoting low-emission solutions. This should be done while considering changes in urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asian countries have seen remarkable economic growth and development in the past few decades. This has been driven by financial sector reforms, industrialization, and expansion of foreign trade. The present study is designed to identify the long- and short-run relationships among environmental degradation, economic growth, energy consumption, and trade openness in the South Asian region. Our research contributes to the literature by employing a new approach (the NARDL method). We examine annual data for four South Asian countries between 1971 and 2014. We found that there was a long-run equilibrium relationship between environmental degradation, economic growth, energy consumption, and trade openness. The results confirmed the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis only for India and Pakistan. However, the long-term coefficients related to energy consumption were statistically significant only in Pakistan. The most interesting finding was that only in Sri Lanka did the long-run coefficients associated with trade openness shocks significantly impact carbon dioxide emissions. These impacts were based on the scale effect. Our study has some policy implications. Foremost, the governments of South Asian countries should promote and subsidize green energy use by increasing R&D spending on renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the primary difficulties we have recently is environmental degradation. The deterioration of the environment was visible in the rise in carbon dioxide emissions, which has a detrimental impact on various life matters. A variety of factors caused this growth. Inappropriate human behaviors caused the majority of them. This study aimed to ascertain how energy consumption and economic growth with its components in the Czech Republic, affected CO 2 emissions. The relationship between CO 2 emissions, economic growth, agriculture, and energy consumption was studied using econometric analysis, specifically the Johansen, Vector Error Correction (VEC) Model, and granger causality. The findings revealed that all variables are cointegrated. Economic growth, agricultural, and energy consumption output are all positively correlated with CO 2 emissions. There is a unidirectional Granger Causality between economic growth, and Agriculture towards carbon dioxide emissions. A unidirectional Granger Causality agriculture towards economic growth, and energy consumption. In addition, there is no Granger Causality between energy consumption and CO 2 emissions, and economic growth. This is the first study to use the most recent data to empirically evaluate the environmental impact of economic growth and energy use in the Czech Republic. This study includes pertinent advice for reducing emission ns and supporting the environment by increasing renewable energy sources and adhering to the Czech Ministry of Environment's strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is an essential component for prosperity, economic growth, and development and has become a basic necessity for humans, but at the same time, it has an impact on the environment. Therefore, it is believed that, in the coming future, renewable energy will play an important part in fulfilling the energy demand. In that respect, geothermal energy will be vital as it is a continuous source of energy that is not affected by metrological conditions and can be used in power generation or domestic heating. Many countries around the globe are actively producing energy from geothermal resources. However, the extraction of the heat from the subsurface comes with challenges such as subsurface environment, wellbore instability, corrosion, loss of circulation, and cementing operation. However, one of the most challenging and critical tasks is the zonal isolation of the geothermal well. A packer is a tool that is used for the zonal isolation of a well, and at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions, which is common for geothermal wells. Most of the components of packers fail, causing well integrity issues. This paper gives a review of the forces acting on packers, testing standards, problems encountered by a packer in the HPHT subsurface environment, and designs to overcome those problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this research was to determine the impact of renewable energy, alternative and nuclear energy, urbanization, energy use, and fossil fuel energy consumption on Romanian economic development. To investigate the relation between variables, we employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique in conjunction with FMOLS (Fully Modified Least Squares) and CCR (Canonical Cointegrating Regression). Long-run and short-run findings suggest that alternative and nuclear energy, as well as fossil fuel consumption, has a positive association with economic growth, but renewable energy, urbanization, and energy usage have an adversative relationship with economic growth. Similarly, FMOLS and CCR statistics indicate that alternative and nuclear energy and fossil fuel consumption have a favorable impact on economic development. Renewable energy consumption, urbanization, and energy use, on the other hand, revealed a negative connection with economic progress. Conservative solutions are necessary to implement appropriate policies to address energy consumption concerns in Romania in order to improve economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the nexus of income inequality, economic growth, and CO2 emissions based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for 38 OECD countries during 1990–2015. The indices of income inequality include the Gini coefficient and the top income share. The main objective of this study is to re-examine the effects of income inequality and economic growth on CO2 emissions based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. The panel analysis for OECD countries is examined using country fixed effects and Granger causality including pre-tests for unit root, cointegration, and stationarity. The main findings of this study are as follows. First, the effects of economic growth on CO2 emissions have an inverted U-shaped relationship, and the effects of income inequality on CO2 emission also have an inverted U-shaped relationship. Second, the Gini coefficient and the top income share represented by the income inequality index are well-defined tools for analyzing the relationship between income inequality and environmental degradation. Third, the increase in trade dependency and renewable energy consumption has contributed to the decrease in CO2 emissions, but the increase in energy use has led to an increase in CO2 emissions. Finally, economic growth and income inequality have Granger causality for CO2 emissions, and economic growth bi-directionally causes Granger causality for income inequality. Therefore, this study suggests that resolving income inequality is crucial and another important environmental policy that affects CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great attention has been paid in recent months to high energy prices, including fuel prices. Numerous studies present the threat this poses to economic growth, but history already knows such situations. Therefore, the elementary question was posed: How do fuel prices affect trade and economic growth? The research was based on the Polish economy between 2000 and 2020. Poland is an importer of energy commodities, so it should exhibit strong sensitivity to fuel price changes. A VAR model was created for the Polish economy, including fuel prices, seaborne trade, gross domestic product, and inflation. The results demonstrate that the Polish economy is quite resilient to fuel market turbulence. Obviously enough, it is easier to function in the conditions of lower fuel prices, but high prices are not a reason to panic. Moreover, ongoing technological progress allows economies to weather fuel market crises more easily than was the case back in the 20th century. Therefore, one may unequivocally state that low fuel prices are not a prerequisite for a country's development. An economy may develop under conditions of higher fuel prices, and panic over high fuel prices only further fuels the inflationary spiral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels have become the main energy source for economic development. However, fossil fuels have also been linked to serious environmental impacts. China has recently undergone rapid economic growth, but its development model demands large amounts of energy and causes severe pollution. Therefore, there has been a recent shift toward the development of coordinated strategies to achieve economic growth while minimizing energy consumption and preserving the environment. This study sought to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of the coordination degree between economic growth, energy consumption, and environmental conservation (i.e., the "3E" system) in China, thus establishing a basis to improve coordinated development and minimize regional differences. This study evaluated 30 Chinese provinces using mathematical models. Between 2000 and 2019, the coordinated development level of the components of the 3E system in China increased steadily but remained generally low. Clear spatial agglomeration was also identified at the provincial scale, with the highest values occurring on the east coast and lower values occurring in the west and middle provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the relationships among renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and financial development in five sub-Saharan African nations utilizing panel data from 2000 to 2020. Econometric methods are used to ascertain the existence or absence of cross-sectional dependence and the short-run and long-run connections between the following factors: Pesaran cross-sectional dependence (CD) and cross-sectionally augmented IPS (CIPS) unit root tests, pooled mean group (PMG), and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) estimations. The presence of cross-sectional dependence is found and represented with the CIPS unit root test. No significant short-run relationship is found between the variables of the study, yet a significant long-run relationship is present among them. A positive relationship exists between CO2 emissions and financial development, while financial development and renewable energy consumption are found to have negative relationships with CO2 emissions. The study also supports the scale effect of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Additionally, no causality is found among the variables, and impulse response and variance decomposition estimation are carried out to recommend future effects. Policy implications of findings are discussed, with accompanying suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and assesses India's energy policy in the context of its commitment to achieve the target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. It emphasizes the central role of green electrification, particularly through the expansion of solar power capacity. It discusses policies outside the energy sector that need to be part of a strategy of achieving this target, including the use of information technology, infrastructure development, and transportation. Furthermore, it examines possible policy options for accelerating the target date to 2050, especially with the use of carbon capture to manage the transition from the current heavy use of coal. The paper also discusses the possible financial and growth implications of various strategy options, arguing that feasible external financing commitments can allow India to achieve net-zero goals without sacrificing economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates whether natural gas exploitation is a blessing or a curse for provincial and prefecture economic growth. This study employs regression models and synthetic control methods (SCM) to investigate the research question based on hybrid panel and time-series data from 1993 to 2015 from 14 prefecture cities in Sichuan province in China. Based on the provincial data of Sichuan, the regression results show that natural gas exploitation is a curse for the provincial economic development of Sichuan because of the negative associations between gas resources and economic performance, for which the increasing rent-seeking in the province may partially account. However, the SCM results find that the local economy of Dazhou city may benefit from its sufficient natural gas resources in the short run, but it is not sustainable. Meanwhile, the gas resource has no significant contributions to the regional economic growth of Sichuan overall, which is partially attributed to the fact that resource exploitation has no significant spillover effects on some sustainable contributors, such as education, innovation, and others. The practical implication for the economic governors is that the resource-consumed economic route is not sustainable, although it may drive local economic growth in the short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of digital finance has delivered significant benefits, such as sustainable development and economic growth. We explore the relationship between digital finance and green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) for the first time, filling a gap in the existing literature. This paper uses dynamic panel models to explore digital finance's impact on GTFEE at the Chinese city-level panel data from 2011 to 2018. The results show that digital finance can significantly improve urban GTFEE, and the findings remain robust with various tests. Second, the mechanism analysis indicates that digital finance can improve GTFEE by promoting urban green technology innovation and industrial structure upgrading. Further study shows that digital finance has a better effect on the improvement of GTFEE in central and western cities, small cities and non-resource-based cities, but has no significant or small impact on GTFEE in eastern cities, large cities and resource-based cities, reflecting the inclusiveness of digital finance. [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 oil and gas industry is a major economic driver in many regions and countries, providing workers with well-paid jobs and spurring investments and economic growth. The need to transition these industries in order to meet climate commitments presents a major challenge. How can the costs and risks to workers and communities of the transition be mitigated? How can stakeholders be included in decisions that impact them? How do transitions impact the broader economy of these regions and what are they transitioning to? Importantly, how can regional development policies support this process? This comparative policy review explores just transition management in three oil and gas dependent regions that have signified the need to transition away from the oil and gas sector, i.e., Taranaki (New Zealand), the northeast of Scotland, and the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark, drawing out key lessons and leading practices. These cases are positioned within an empirically grounded, conceptual framework of national and regional just transition policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threat of the negative consequences of global warming makes the discussion about the relationship between economic growth, productivity, and increasing renewable energy involvement an important topic. Hence, the aim of this study is to analyze the impact of renewable energy and energy supply on economic growth and productivity at the national level using stochastic frontier analysis and the aggregate production function framework. In doing so, we analyzed a panel of annual data from 133 countries from 2008 to 2014. We apply a generalized stochastic frontier model, which allows us to differentiate between persistent and transient inefficiency, as well as individual effects. Our results indicate a threshold level in terms of a country's development that needs to be obtained to benefit from increasing renewable energy involvement over time. However, if this threshold level is obtained, productivity gains are evident. We also found that the role of the energy supply in aggregate production is nontrivial. That is, its inclusion changes the relationship between key input factors (capital and labor) by decreasing their overall elasticities and increasing the observed economies of scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between information and communication technology investment (ICT), environmental impacts, and economic growth has received increasing attention in the last 20 years. However, the relationship between ICT, energy intensity, environmental impacts, and economic growth was relatively neglected. In this paper, we aimed to contribute to the environmental literature by simultaneously analyzing the relationship between ICT, energy intensity, economic growth, Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and energy consumption for the period of 1990–2020 in G7 countries. We employed the Panel Quantile Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (PQARDL) method and Panel Quantile Granger Causality (PQGC) methods. According to the results of PQARDL method, energy consumption, ICT, CO2 emission, and energy intensity have effects on economic growth in the long and short run. According to the of PQGC methods allowing causality results for different quantiles, there is evidence of a bidirectional causality between ICT investment and economic growth for all quantiles and evidence of a unidirectional causality from ICT to energy consumption and from CO2 emissions to ICT investment and energy efficiency. Our results indicate that the governments of the G7 countries have placed energy efficiency and ICT investment at the center of their policies while determining their environmental and energy policies, since energy consumption is a continuous process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental repercussions of extensive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on the environment are crucial for policymakers and scholars. The repercussions of and connection between economic growth (ECG), tourism (TOUR), and foreign direct investment (FDI) on CO2 emission mitigation have been measured and argued from empirical and theoretical perspectives by scholars. Notwithstanding, the extant body of knowledge has failed to incorporate and investigate the function of governance in decarbonizing tourism activities and FDI from CO2 emissions to attain a healthy and quality environment in Africa. Hence, this current research investigates governance's role in the reduction processes of CO2 emissions grounded in environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) conceptual assumptions for panel data spanning 2000 through 2020 for 27 African countries. This research utilized the Westerlund panel cointegration approach for the investigation of the cointegration of the selected variables. This study applied the Driscoll–Kraay regression approach for the long-term estimation. In addition, the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) and the pooled mean group (PMG) were used for robustness checks. The findings of this research indicated that the governance (GOV) indicators employed have a statistically significant effect on the CO2 emission reduction. Besides, this study found that the appreciation of the income of the nations gives credence to the formation of the EKC theory and contributes to the decline in CO2 emissions within the selected African nations. The findings revealed that tourism, FDI, ECG, and GOV are positive and significant factors leading to increased CO2 emissions in Africa. Furthermore, the results showed that effective governance and control of FDI inflows and tourism activities can support decarbonization. These findings suggest the merits of governance in ensuring effective decarbonization policies of the environment, and policy suggestions are accordingly put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the extant literature, there are numerous discussions on China's environmental sustainability. However, few scholars have considered renewable energy consumption and trade policy simultaneously to debate environmental sustainability. Therefore, this paper attempts to examine how renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, bio-capacity, economic growth, and trade policy dynamically affect the ecological footprint (a proxy for environmental sustainability). Using the data from 1971 to 2017 and employing the auto-regressive distributed lag model to perform an empirical analysis, the results demonstrate that renewable energy consumption and trade policy are conducive to environmental sustainability because of their negative impacts on the ecological footprint. However, the results also indicate that bio-capacity, non-renewable energy consumption, and economic growth are putting increasing pressure on environmental sustainability due to their positive impacts on the ecological footprint. Moreover, to determine the direction of causality between the highlighted variables, the Yoda-Yamamoto causality test was conducted. The results suggest a two-way causal relationship between renewable energy consumption and ecological footprint, non-renewable energy consumption and ecological footprint, and economic growth and ecological footprint. Conversely, the results also suggest a one-way causal relationship running from bio-capacity and trade policy to the ecological footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy return on investment (EROI) is a ratio of the energy obtained in relation to the energy used to extract/produce it. The EROI of fossil fuels is globally decreasing. What do the declining EROIs of energy sources imply for society as a whole? We answer this question by proposing a novel EROI measure that describes, through one parameter, the efficiency of a society in managing energy resources over time. Our comprehensive societal EROI measure was developed by (1) expanding the boundaries of the analysis up to the useful stage; (2) estimating the amount of energy embodied in the energy-converting capital; (3) considering non-conventional sources such as the muscle work of humans and draught animals; and (4) considering the influence of imported and exported energy. We computed the new EROI for Portugal as a case study. We find a considerably lower EROI value, at around 3, compared to those currently available, which is stable over a long-time range (1960–2014). This suggests an independence of EROI from economic growth. When estimated at the final stage, using conventional methods (i.e., without applying the four novelties here introduced), we find a declining societal EROI. Therefore, our results imply that the production of new and more efficient final-to-useful energy converting capital has historically kept societal EROI around a stable value by offsetting the effects of the changing returns of energy sources at the primary and final stages. This will be crucial in the successful transition to renewables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]