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Emissions from several emerging economies currently constitute the largest contributions to the global carbon emissions levels thereby triggering concerns on the prospects for achieving global environmental sustainability‐related goals (SGDs‐13 and 11). Thus, this research examines whether technological innovation and renewables pose any moderating roles in the environmental quality advancements of rapidly emerging economies using the bloc of the emerging seven (E7) economies. The empirical framework of the study capitalizes on the strengths of the novel CS‐ARDL technique in addressing the pitfalls of cross‐sectional dependence (CD) from common factors that marred the understudied panel observations for the bloc between 1992 and 2018. The long‐run estimations provide crucial insights into the environmental sustainability dynamics of the E7 bloc. First, the observed impacts of the rapid economic expansion alongside the fast‐growing energy consumption were significantly detrimental to environmental sustainability over the period of study (1992–2018). Second, the duo of technological innovations and renewables place the E7 on an environmental sustainability path as they significantly dampen the CO2 emissions level in the bloc. Third, the inverted U‐shape growth‐emission conjecture of the EKC was confirmed for these groups of emerging economies within the innovation‐environment nexus exploration. Fourthly, although both innovations and renewable energy consumption enhance sustainability, however, the magnitude of their desirable environmental impacts is quite low compared to the observed impacts of the pollution damages created by the observed energy consumption‐driven economic growth expansion in the bloc over the years. Overall, the results are indicative that the E7 needs to do more in terms of investments in environmental‐related technological innovations and the expansion of renewables in overall energy portfolios to harness the inherent benefits of the duo to position the bloc on a sustainability path. More recommendations for environmental sustainability enhancement from technological innovation and renewable perspectives were further enunciated for the E7 bloc in the main text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the energy-environment literature, a handful of the advanced economies, mostly the European Union countries, have met some of the national environmental sustainability targets. Consequently, most of these countries are renewing their policies for 2040, while the African bloc largely seems to have a longer path to emerge from the woods. Giving this insight, we are compelled to draw inferences from the role of major energy sources (conventional and renewable) in the sub-Saharan Africa's drive for environmental sustainability target. To achieve this objective, we examine the validity of an N-shaped hypothesis for sub-Saharan region which has received less documentation in the extant literature. Thus, this study employed the pooled mean group autoregressive distributed lag (PMG-ARDL) and Dumitrescu and Hurlin panel causality approaches as estimation techniques. Our empirical results show that conventional and renewable energy aspects respectively worsen and improve environmental quality in both short and long run. Importantly, the study establishes the validity of the N-shaped hypothesis in the two periods (short and long run) as reported by the study regression with 17.830% for GDP growth, −2.241 % for quadratic form of GDP, and 0.094% for cubic form of GDP growth, respectively, in the long run. Moreso, renewable energy shows a magnitude of −1.306% and −0.157% for short- and long-run period, respectively, on carbon dioxide emission. The implication is that environmental quality in the sub-Saharan region is potentially characterized in cycles of worse (decreased quality), improvement (better quality), and again worse (deceased quality) resulting from the significant change in the region's economic prosperity. In addition to the ARDL approach, the causality analysis further reiterates that there is significant causality from the energy forms and economic expansion to carbon emission at least in one direction. While examining the validity of N-shaped hypothesis for the first time for Africa, the study offers policy perspective to the governments and environmental stakeholders in the panel countries, especially to re-engineer the region's economic dynamics if the region must meet the anticipated Sustainable Development Goals 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the prevailing wave of global warming and other environmental challenges, which can be attributed to increasing environmental pollution as a result of economic activity, thus, it is essential to understand the effect of economic progress on the environment. More importantly, this endeavor is especially suited for the European Union (EU) member states, which account for a sizable portion of the world economy. However, by considering the open border or trade policy approach of the bloc, this study applies a battery of econometrics analysis that consists of mean group, augmented mean group, common correlated effect mean group estimators, and Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality analysis for direction of causality. These techniques are superior to first-generation methods to substantiate the relationship between real income, energy intensity, and carbon emission between annual frequency data from 1990 to 2017. Empirical results from series of cointegration tests reveal the long-run equilibrium relationship between the highlighted variables in the EU. Our study validates the existence of EKC phenomenon where emphasis is based on GDP growth at the expense of environmental quality. This implies that EU growth trajectory comes with an environmental trade-off and consequences. However, few countries in the region have made substantial strides of carbon reduction but not as a bloc. This position is resonated by the regression from all estimators in harmony where energy intensity dampens environmental quality in the blocs investigated. On the direction of causality, feedback Granger causality is observed running from GDP growth and carbon emission. A similar direction of causality is seen between energy intensity and carbon emission. These outcomes have far-reaching consequences on the environment. This study recommends the need for energy transition to cleaner and friendlier energy technologies by EU officials. That is, the need for a paradigm shift from conventional energy based on fossil fuel to renewable energy should be pursued in the region. More policy directions are outlined in the concluding section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for improved environmental quality through low-carbon emission has been explored in this study in the wake of the growing call for a transition to renewable energy use amidst widening trade relations between Turkey and the countries in the Caspian region including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. This study draws strength from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and their impact by 2030. These SDGs encompass pertinent targets on responsible energy consumption (SDG-12), access to clean and affordable energy (SDG-7), and climate change action (SDG-13). Empirical evidence from the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) technique corroborated by the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) technique shows that a percent rise in renewable energy consumption level significantly abates carbon emission among these countries by about 0.26% while growing globalization vis-à-vis a percent increase in openness to trade significantly hampers environmental quality via inducement of carbon emission level by 0.32%. Extended findings from the Granger causality analysis corroborate the significance of the long-run coefficients with regard to the double-edged benefits of renewable energy consumption in enhancing both environmental quality and income levels through lower carbon emission and sustainable economic growth stimulations among the countries. The study confirmed the inverted U-shape relation between income growth and environmental deterioration, thus validating the EKC hypothesis for Turkey and the Caspian countries. This suggests that both blocs are still at the scale stage of their growth trajectory, where the emphasis is focused on increasing income level relative to environmental sustainability. As such, important policy measures were provided in the concluding section of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthropogenic consequences of renewable and non‐renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and air transport have been assessed enormously in the literature. However, given the complexities in many economies of the world today, it is important to reassess the ecological concerns of these factors in light of the Environmental Kuznets Curve framework. Therefore, this current study investigates the global assessment using data from World Bank Development database from 1995 to 2016. Evidence from the method employed, sys‐GMM, revealed that the economic complexities index increases the carbon emission in low‐income groups while it significantly decreases the carbon emission for upper‐middle and high‐income groups. For the combined group, the EKC hypothesis holds, and ECI significantly hampers carbon emissions. For the other variables, it is worthy of note that (1) economic growth contributes to the high carbon contents across the income group especially for low‐income, upper‐middle‐income and high‐income group; (2) the effects of air transport on carbon emission is positive for lower‐middle‐income and high‐income group and negative for the upper‐middle‐income group; (3) the use of coal rents and energy use leads to high release of carbon contents across all the income groups; and (4) a significant increase in the utilization of energy leads to increase in carbon contents except for lower‐income group, it leads to a decrease. From this empirical assessment, vital energy policy directions are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic advancement has tended to affect the processes of industrialization, which has increased the value of exploited natural resources via the application of technology. Intensive use of natural resources via total reserves, technological innovation, foreign direct investment (FDI), and renewable energy can have an impact on the environment. Considering this, the present study investigates the nexus between industrialization, total reserves, inflows of FDI, technical innovation, renewable and natural resources, and CO 2 emissions in the case of BRICS. To this end, annual frequency data for BRICS from 1990 to 2019 are employed in panel framework. The study employs a battery of econometric techniques, namely the Augmented Mean Group (AMG), Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG), and Driscoll-Kraay estimators to explore the underlined relationship. The cointegration results based on Westerlund, J. (2007) show that there exists a long-run equilibrium relationship between the study outlined variables over the investigated period. From the empirical analysis, technological innovation and renewable energy both reduce CO 2 emissions while industrial value-added, natural resources, FDI and total reserves contribute to the degradation of the environment. Additionally, the interaction between industrial value-added and technological innovation also has negative impact on the BRICS countries' environment. Based on these outcomes, the BRICS economies are enjoined to pursue green technology growth without compromise for environmental quality in the bloc. Finally, numerous significant policy ramifications for protecting environmental quality in BRICS economies have been proposed in the concluding section. • We explore the impacts ICT and industrialization on CO 2 emissions in BRICS. • We applied a battery of second-generation panel econometrics methods. • Natural resources worsens the environmental quality in the investigated bloc. • Renewables shows strong evidence to improve the quality of the environment in BRICS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) that address pertinent global issues. This study focuses on the need for access to clean and affordable energy consumption, responsible energy consumption, sustainable economic growth, and climate change mitigation. To this end, this paper evaluates the relevance of the renewable energy sector on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) framework in Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain for the period 1995–2015. As an econometric strategy, we adopt the use of panel data over the highlighted countries. In the first step, we apply the unit root test recommended by Levin, Lin, and Chu in conjunction with ADF-Fisher, and Phillips-Perron for robustness and consistency. We found that the variables used in this study are integrated I (1) in the first difference. In the second step, we apply the Pedroni cointegration test, and Kao Residual cointegration test, and we observe that the variables are cointegrated in the long run. The generalized least squares (GLS), the panel fully modified least squares (FMOLS), ordinary least squares robust (OLS), and panel quantile regression are considered in this research. The econometric results validate the assumption of the environmental Kuznets curve, i.e., and there is a positive correlation between income per capita and a negative effect of squared income per capita on carbon dioxide emissions. In contrast, we observe that renewable energy reduces CO2 emissions. Finally, we also find a direct connection between the urban population and the environmental degradation in the examined blocs. These results show that in Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain, more is required to achieve environmental sustainability in the respective countries growth trajectory. Further policy prescriptions are appended in the concluding section of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the symmetric (linear) and asymmetric (nonlinear) impact of economic growth (EG), capital formation (CF), renewable and non-renewable energy (NRE) consumption on CO 2 emissions and ecological footprint (EF) of seventeen OECD countries spanning data from 1970 to 2016. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model is used to examine the symmetric impact and the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model is employed to explore the asymmetric impact of the variables on the environment. The results indicate that economic growth and gross capital formation dampens environmental quality in the OECD region over the sampled period. Our estimation using the ARDL model shows that a 1% increase in renewable energy (RE) is projected to reduce CO 2 emission by 0.2% and a 1% increase in NRE is estimated to increase CO 2 emission by 1.08%. Similarly, a 1% rise in EG and NRE is expected to increase ecological footprint (EF) by 0.10% and 0.53%, respectively. Estimation using NARDL decomposed EG with positive (negative) shocks shows that a 1% increase (decrease) in EG is expected to reduce CO 2 emissions by 0.4% (0.16%). Similarly, 1% positive (negative) shock in RE is expected to decrease CO 2 emission by 0.5%. The findings indicate that conventional energy obtained from fossil fuels is observed to worsen the environment. Interestingly, renewable energy consumption enhances environmental quality for both fitted models with CO 2 emission and ecological footprint. This is insightful for stakeholders and government administrators in the region. This demonstrates the importance of a paradigm shift towards renewable energy consumption in the OECD countries to improve economic growth and productive capital stock. This finding also aligns with the non-linear investigation of the pivotal role of renewable energy consumption for a cleaner environment. • This study examines the symmetric (linear) and asymmetric (nonlinear) impact of Economic Growth, Capital Formation, Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy consumption on the CO 2 emissions and Ecological footprint of seventeen OECD countries spanning the data from 1970 to 2016. • The estimation of the study using the ARDL model shows that 1% increase in renewable energy (RE) is projected to reduce CO2 emission by 0.2%: and 1% increase in NRE is estimated to increase CO2 emission by 1.08%. Similarly, 1% rise in EG and NRE is expected to increase ecological footprint (EF) by 0.10% and 0.53%, respectively. • Estimation using NARDL decomposed EG with positive (negative) shocks shows that 1% increase (decrease) in EG is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 0.4% (0.16%). Similarly, 1% positive (negative) shocks in RE is expected to decrease CO 2 emission by 0.5%. • The results show that economic growth and gross capital formation dampens environmental quality in the OECD region over the sampled period. • This study suggests the need for a paradigm shift to renewable energy consumption in the OECD for a better economic growth trajectory and productive capital stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of low-carbon energy and trade on the environment has drawn several studies that have looked at issues from different perspectives, thus yielding differing conclusions. Considering the current emphasis on the COP25 conference and the commitment to cut down carbon emissions level, this study also draws strength from the United Nations Sustainable development Goals (UNSDGs) that comprises of positive strides for access to clean and responsible energy consumption (SDGs 7, 12) and climate change mitigation issues (SDG-13). To this end, this study is a timely outlook that underpins the case of the European Union (EU) countries as well as the root cause of anthropogenic activities on clean trajectory of global environment. Hence, we investigate the connection between alternative and sustainable energy source, trade, income and emissions in 27 selected European Union economies by utilizing data covering the period 1990–2017 on an annual frequency. We used second-generation panel model estimators to analyze the relationship between the variables in the long-run. Specifically, the long run results from the MG (Mean Group), AMG (Augmented Mean Group), and CCEMG (Common Correlated Effects Mean Group) estimators reveal that sustainable and alternative energy sources have a negative significant impact on pollutant emissions while trade and income have a positive impact on carbon emissions except that the impact of trade is insignificant. Although the positive impact of openness in trade on carbon emission is insignificant, the positive impact suggests that the free-trade policy that is currently in place in the EU should further incorporate sustainable development goals (SDGs) to avoid the outsourcing of carbon emissions among the member countries. Causality tests reveal a feedback hypothesis between renewable energy, income, trade, and carbon emanations. The investigation proposes expanded utilization of sustainable power source to mitigate carbon emissions in the European Union. • Outlook of EU-27 alternative energy and regional trade. • The panel techniques of common correlated effect is employed. • Alternative energy utilization in the regional bloc aids. • Regional trade policy in the EU could posit environmental hardship. • Real income growth in the region hampers environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) is one of the strongest, but most complex unions in the world with a competitive tourism industry. The aim of this study, therefore, is to account for economic complexity index (ECI), Brexit and other crisis episodes in the growth-energy-emissions nexus. Theoretically, the traditional Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model is assessed by adopting a One-step System Generalized Method of Moment (Sys GMM) on data for 26 EU member states over the period from 1995 to 2018. For the first time, an EU-macro regional analysis is conducted with and without the UK. Empirical results reveal that an increase in tourism, real GDP per capita, and energy use across the four EU macro regions leads to increase in carbon emission. In some regions, it was observed that tourism, ECI, Brexit, and the Greece bailout have no significant impact on carbon emission. This suggests that the increase in international travel, complexity of the economy, and financial crisis do not accelerate environmental crisis in such regions. However, where such factors are statistically significant, Brexit and the Greece bailout crisis both heighten emissions. Particularly, when the UK is excluded, Brexit and the Greece bailout crisis increase and reduce emissions, respectively. The EKC hypothesis, however, holds in either scenario. Based on these empirical findings, vital policy directions are suggested for a post-Brexit EU-UK energy and environmental relations. • We examined ECI, Brexit and other crisis episodes in the growth-energy-emissions nexus. • An increase in tourism, real GDP per capita, and energy use lead to increase in carbon emission. • In some regions, tourism, ECI, Brexit, and the Greece bailout have no significant impact on carbon emission. • When the UK is excluded, Brexit and the Greece bailout crisis increase and reduce emissions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]