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This paper analyzes the nexus between energy consumption, financial development, and economic growth in twenty-one (21) sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations by using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) framework from 1990Q1 to 2014Q4. First, the study reveals that energy consumption and financial development have asymmetrical impacts on economic growth in most countries in the short and long term. Second, positive shocks to financial development favor economic growth in only a few nations compared to the negative shocks in the short term, whereas they have mixed effects in the long term. Third, we found that adverse shocks to energy consumption boost economic growth in several nations in the short term, unlike the positive shocks, but the scenario has reversed in the long term. We also found that gross fixed capital formation and labor force remain key factors promoting economic growth in many SSA countries, in contrast to the mixed effects of trade openness over time. Accordingly, our study recommends implementing energy-saving policies in specific SSA countries to stimulate sustainable development. Policymakers must embrace an effective credit allocation to the private sector supporting productive investments. Governments should also optimize domestic investments in physical capital, upgrade the labor force, and implement efficient strategies in international trade. These policy recommendations need to be implemented according to the unique socio-economic characteristics of each SSA country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon neutrality is an important policy in the current global response to climate change and has been widely recognized by various industries. In the process of promoting carbon neutrality, new energy plays a pivotal role. In this study, the definition and connotation of new energy and its role and specific operation in the energy transition of carbon neutrality are firstly explained. Promoting new energy development requires significant green and low-carbon investments. Taking China as an example, this paper analyzes the opportunities brought by the carbon neutral process to the field of green finance and analyzes the main features and development trends of green finance in China at present. Then this paper proposes policy recommendations to strengthen the development of green finance in China in terms of improving the green financial policy system, enhancing the supply capacity of green financial services, and optimizing the supporting environment for green financial development. Finally, this paper analyzes the measures and experiences of the United States in promoting low-carbon development and proposes countermeasures for China's low-carbon development on the basis of the five major relationships that need attention in China's carbon-neutral process. That is, strengthen the top-level design and improve the regulatory policy system; optimize the energy structure and increase the proportion of clean energy; optimize the industrial structure and reduce energy consumption in key industries; build a complete low-carbon technology system and promote low-carbon technology research and development and demonstration applications, and encourage local conditions to explore low-carbon development paths. The development of green finance can contribute to the advancement of new energy technologies, thus contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the dual goals of achieving carbon peak and carbon neutralization, it is of great practical significance to explore the impact of product information labeling on technological innovation. As an essential element in improving energy performance in consumer products, energy-efficiency labels (EEL) have played a vital role in the government's portfolio of energy-efficiency improvement, technological progress, and carbon emission mitigation. We estimate the extent of the inductive effects of varying patent types on the relationship between the EEL system and technological innovation in a panel differences-indifferences framework based on the panel data of energy-saving patents and electricity-saving patents from 1998 to 2013 in China. Results indicate that the EEL system helps firms improve the ratio of energy-saving and electricity-saving patents to water-saving patents, and the rate of energy-saving and electricity-saving patents to all patents in the region. In another word, the EEL has a significant directed technological inducing effect. As for the role of the heterogeneity of patent types, the positive effects of the EEL system on invention patents are significantly suppressed in patent-for-utility models. Thus, it is suggested to improve the existing EEL system, gradually expand the product coverage of the EEL system, and increase the protection scope of utility model patents for achieving technological progress and sustainable development of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study inspects the seven sectors of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economies to explore the impact of consumption of clean energy, green bonds, and green economic advancement on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices to attain sustainable development goals (SDGs). The ESG aspects are individually explored from 2011 to 2020. It is observed that the key determinants of ESG practices are green economic advancement, clean energy, and green financing. Moreover, these determinants positively and significantly track the ASEAN economies toward attaining SDGs. The determinants play a vital role in sustainable advancement even when explored individually using different regression models. The linkages between the explanatory and outcome variables remain consistent after controlling other variables like climate regulatory quality, foreign direct investment, and gross domestic product. The study provides solid implications for stakeholders, environmental activists, and governments of ASEAN economies. The findings also infer sustainable business practices via creating an association between ESG practices, green economy, clean energy, and green financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable economic development involves both improving the socio-economic quality of life in the present and improving environmental conditions for future generations. The main objective of the study was to investigate the impact of the determinant macroeconomic variables, including economic complexity, construction, energy consumption, and housing sector expenditures, on environmental changes in Iran over the period 1991 to 2019; using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. The results show that at the macro level, an increase in the economic complexity index can reduce pollution in both the short and long term. The effects of further expansion of the housing sector and household energy consumption on pollution are positive and significant in both the short and long run. The error correction model (ECM = 0.65) shows that 65% of the imbalances in each period are corrected in the next period. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended to take serious measures to improve the structure of production and increase the country's economic complexity index; in other words, to produce goods with higher knowledge and technology and apply policies to improve the level of household energy consumption leading to air pollution reduction. Jel: Q40, Q48, Q50, Q52 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]