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The deterioration of environmental quality spurred on by rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is the main threat to reducing carbon footprint. Africa has recently been identified as having experienced excessive temperatures above pre-industrial standards. Despite its lower GHG emissions, Africa continues to be among the most impacted areas of the world by global warming. However, this research scrutinizes the effect of human capital and trade openness on the ecological footprint (ECF) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using data from West Africa from 1995 to 2016. The research used dynamic ordinary least squares, fully modified ordinary least squares, and paired Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality tests for its assessment. The study's findings are as follows: (1) The study found that human capital and trade openness decrease the ecological footprint in West Africa; (2) globalization reduces CO2 emissions while also increasing the ecological footprint; (3) the analysis reveals that natural resources and the population improve environmental quality in West Africa, while biocapacity reduces the ecological footprint and improves CO2 emissions in the region; and (4) the study revealed the bidirectional causality between biocapacity, the population, and ECF. The study also revealed the bidirectional causality between biocapacity, population, human capital, natural resources, and CO2 emissions, while ecological footprint is unidirectionally causally related to globalization, human capital, and trade capital. Unidirectional causality runs from the ecological footprint, globalization, and trade openness to CO2 emissions. To ensure their countries have a long-term future, policymakers in West Africa should take action to limit overexploitation of natural resources and encourage people to live more sustainably. The study suggested that West African countries adopt "green growth" policies and improve technology to help their economies and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of ecological footprint (ECF) and its antecedents has been a popular point of deliberation among experts in recent times. However, a West African perspective is scarce. Therefore, this study analyzes the impact of tourism, renewable energy, and biocapacity in fostering or constraining the impact of ecological footprint (ECF) in West African countries. The study adopted the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimation, and Granger causality test for its analysis over 1995–2016. The study found that human capital, natural resources rents, tourism, and real income positively correlates with ECF. Also, biocapacity increases the ecological footprints of the region. In the short-run, the study found a unidirectional causality from ecological footprints to renewable energy consumption, human capital, urbanization but a bidirectional relationship with biocapacity and real income. The study also found a bidirectional causality from ecological footprints to all the variables in the long-run. The study recommends that countries undertake pragmatic policies and actions to prevent rising ECF per capita by minimizing overexploitation of indigenous natural resources and eco-services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been rising global concern regarding the importance of achieving environmental sustainability. Consequently, researchers and policymakers have focused on identifying and evaluating the various elements that contribute to an individual's ecological footprint and environmental consequences. Therefore, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the roles of green technology, research and development (R&D), and environmental policies that help attain environmental sustainability in Ghana. The present study utilized both the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) techniques to evaluate the long and short-run relationships between explanatory variables from 1990 to 2022. The study compares the results of NARDL and ARDL techniques. The findings reveal that the NARDL (0.999) analysis had a greater impact on the ecological footprint in Ghana than the ARDL (0.996) analysis. Under the ARDL technique, green technology has a negative impact on ECF in both the short and long run, and R&D also decreases ecological footprint (ECF) in the long run. Environmental policies had a negative impact on ECF in both the short and long run. Based on the NARDL approach, an adverse change in GT had a negative impact (0.004) on the ECF in both the short and long run. In contrast, a negative change in R&D has a negative impact (0.007) on the ECF in the short run, and a positive change in R&D negatively affects the ecological footprint in the long run. Notably, a positive change in environmental policies had a significant negative impact (0.040) on the ECF in the short and long run. This study suggests that policymakers should encourage and support the adoption and application of green technology and the development of robust environmental policies, as these measures can significantly contribute to decreasing the ecological footprint and fostering environmental sustainability. • This research assesses factors for attaining environmental sustainability in Ghana. • This study utilizes the ARDL and NARDL methodologies. • Research and development decrease ecological footprint. • Green technology can contribute to reducing ecological footprint in the long run. • Environmental policies decrease ecological footprint in the short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tremendous increase of greenhouse gases puts adverse effects on environmental degradation, unemployment, and economic growth. Against this backdrop, and implementing the more recent estimation approach, the present study investigates the validity of the novel environmental Phillips curve (i.e., inverse relationship between unemployment and environmental degradation) carried by Kashem and Rahman (2020). The unique contribution of this research is to examine the three environmental indicators (CO2, CH4, and ecological footprint) as a dependent variable with the same independent variables, i.e., unemployment rate, energy consumption, economic growth, foreign direct investment, and globalization, from 1975 to 2014 in Pakistan. The results validate a negative relationship of unemployment rate with CO2, CH4, and ecological footprint in the long run that proves the existence of environment Philips curve for Pakistan. However, a positive association is observed for energy consumption and CO2, CH4, and ecological footprint. The positive connection of energy consumption and environmental indicators determined that not only CO2 emissions rather CH4 and ecological footprint play an equal role in environmental degradation. Furthermore, in the long run foreign direct investment improves environmental sustainability for CO2, and ecological footprint thus proved the pollution halo hypothesis for Pakistan. Probing the effects of globalization that badly pollutes environmental sustainability. Therefore, the policymakers should focus on innovations and technological improvements to contemplate both environmental degradation and unemployment. There is a need for sudden actions for energy consumption plans in Pakistan for the nation's health, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of global climate change and environmental degradation, an urgent action on a global scale is required to decarbonize the energy sector. From fossil fuel to renewables, energy efficiency and technological advancement are the most important factors responsible for an effective energy transformation. The present study investigates the magnitude of mitigating role of energy efficiency (EE), renewable energy (REC), technological advancement (ENVTECH) on Ecological footprint (ECFP) for the sixteen high-income economies of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) over the period of 1990–2020 by employing various econometric estimations such as panel co-integration, Augmented Mean Group, Common Correlated Mean Group, Random effect, Fixed effect and Mean Group estimation techniques. Moreover, the role of gross domestic product (GDPP) is also observed as a proxy for economic growth. The empirical findings reveal that EE, REC, and ENVTECH improve environmental quality, whereas GDPP is a carrier of environmental degradation in the selected economies. Interestingly, energy efficiency holds the leading position among all observed factors to decarbonize and effectually transform the energy sector to greener production and consumption in the presence of environmentally friendly advancements in technology. The robustness tests results also support the findings of our basic empirical output. Furthermore, a unidirectional causality running from REC, GDPP, and ENVTECH to ECFP, whereas, a bi-directional causality between EE and ECFP is also validated. Any change in these factors will granger cause ECFP. The findings are of significant consequences as the selected OECD economies are expected to gain from energy transition to renewables enabled by energy efficiency and enhancement of environment-friendly technology in the near future. • The role of energy efficiency is evaluated for ecological footprints. • Updated data from 1990 to 2020 is employed via panel methods. • Energy efficiency and renewable energy curb emissions. • Environmental technology also promotes less emissions. • Transition to renewable energy with efficiency is encourage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]