Carbon dioxide emissions and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: evidence from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

We examined the relationship of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with real per capita GDP and energy consumption in the ASEAN region using panel data from 1960 to 2021. We employed various panel unit root tests (IPS, Fisher-ADF, Fisher-PP) and panel cointegration tests (Kao and Pedroni). We find robust empirical evidence supporting the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, suggesting the existence of a per capita income turning point (approximately USD 4,808.85) where CO2 emissions and real income begin to decouple. This suggests the presence of an environmentally sustainable economic growth path beyond this threshold. The study highlights the importance of a reduction of fossil fuel use and the adoption of coordinated strategic plans among ASEAN member states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

How do logistics and financial ındicators contribute to carbon emissions in Turkiye?

Increasing carbon emissions (CO2) due to factors such as energy consumption (enco), industrialization, increase in world population, and decrease in green areas with the industrial revolution is one of the main causes of both climate change and global warming. In this context, due to the increasing commercial activities in Turkiye, the rapid growth of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the logistics sector alert the government. However, there is a lack of standard measures for evaluating GHG emissions generated from freight transport operations. To improve this situation, Turkiye's policymakers need to evaluate GHG emissions for energy saving and pollution reduction. This background leads us to examine the GHG emission trajectories and features of Turkiye's freight transport patterns in the last three decades. In this context, it is aimed to determine the impacts of financial development (findev), GDP per capita, energy consumption, and amount of freight carried by rail and road on CO2 emissions within the framework of 1990-2021 time-series data for Turkiye. By doing so, the ARDL bound testing cointegration test is employed and observes that independent variables have similar and different effects on CO2 emissions. Energy consumption, findev, and per capita income variables have a positive effect on CO2 emissions in Turkiye. According to these results, it is seen that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) is valid in Turkiye. However, the effect of rail and road freight transport (FT) on CO2 emissions is negative. The unexpected finding is related to road FT. The amount of freight transported by road has a decreasing effect on CO2 emissions in Turkiye. This paradoxical situation in Turkiye may be due to the developments in the transportation infrastructure, which has enabled the convergence of space and time in recent years, young and modern vehicle fleets, and the efficiency provided through logistics companies. The findings will assist in formulating specific and effective policies for Turkiye's transport sector.

The environmental influence of national savings in D-8 countries: Empirical evidence using an ARDL model

Extensive theoretical and empirical evidence supports the crucial role of savings in driving a nation's economic growth and development. However, previous studies have not considered their potential environmental implications. This study aims to explore the influence of savings and remittances on the Developing-8 countries (D-8) from 1989 to 2019, using the panel autoregressive distributed (ARDL) model. The findings reveal that national savings and remittances, in the long run, help mitigate environmental degradation in the D-8 countries but energy use and population growth stimulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In contrast, economic growth does not significantly affect these countries' environmental quality in the long run. However, none of the explanatory variables have any significant relationship with CO2 emissions in the short run. Therefore, policymakers in the D-8 countries are strongly encouraged to prioritize the enhancement of national savings across the three economic agents to maximize the positive effects of savings on environmental quality. Government savings can be increased by reducing deficits and borrowings, while corporate savings can be encouraged by implementing investment tax credits and promoting research and development. Additionally, governments can embark on public enlightenment campaigns on financial education and provide incentives to encourage household savings.

Exposing the environmental impacts of air transportation on the ecological system: empirical evidence from APEC countries

In the trend of globalization, economic and social benefits of air transportation (AIR) are not indisputable. However, AIR's environmental impacts are still a controversial issue. While previous studies had shown that air transportation contributed to air pollution by emitting CO2, lack of studies consider the effects of air transportation on ecological system. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between air transportation and ecological footprint as well as CO2 emissions in the case of APEC countries, which is leading in the growth rate of air transport activities. Applying regression with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors for a data set from 1992 to 2015, our research provides evidence that: (i) air transportation increases CO2 emissions but this impact is negligible; (ii) air transportation contributes significantly in reducing ecological footprint of APEC countries; and (iii) globalization reduces both CO2 emissions and ecological footprint. In addition, Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test helps to confirm the bidirectional causality relationship between air transportation and ecological footprint. Meanwhile, unidirectional causality runs from air transportation to carbon emissions. Based on these conclusions, some policy suggestions are given for APEC countries.

Exploring the nonlinear relationship among financial development, human capital and CO2 emissions: a comparative study of South and East Asian emerging economies

Despite worldwide commitments to reduce fossil fuel consumption in favour of alternative energies, several countries still rely on carbon-intensive sources to meet their energy demands. The previous studies show inconsistent results on the association between financial development and CO2 emissions. As a result, the impact of financial development, human capital, economic growth and energy efficiency on CO2 emission is evaluated here. Empirical research on a panel of 13 South and East Asian (SEA) nations between 1995 and 2021 using the CS-ARDL. Estimates from the empirical analysis considering energy efficiency, human capital, economic growth and overall energy use yield different findings. Financial development has a negative effect on CO2 emission, while economic growth positively impacts CO2 emission. The data also show that improving human capital and energy efficiency has a positive, though statistically insignificant, impact on CO2 emission. According to the causes and effects analysis, CO2 emission will be influenced by policies that aim to improve financial development, human capital, and energy efficiency, but not vice versa. Policy considerations that can be implemented in light of these findings and sustainable development goals can be accomplished by promoting financial resources and human capital.

Asymmetric effect of educational expenditure, knowledge spillover, and energy consumption on sustainable development: Nuts and Bolts for policy empirics

Climate change is raising widespread anxiety, especially in countries that are more vulnerable to environmental disasters. Energy use leads to an increase in Greenhouse gases, especially carbon emissions, which is responsible for environmental degradation. Identifying cultural and economic factors that impact sustainability courses is critical in this context for dealing with ecologically demanding challenges. Education and knowledge spillover in the form of foreign direct investment has long been seen as an effective method of disseminating knowledge, ideas, and behaviors that aid in environmental protection and improve ecological consciousness. This study investigates how energy consumption (LEC), educational expenditure (EDEXP), and knowledge spillover (KNO) affect sustainable development (SD) in the case of Pakistan. This study employs the Non-linear Autoregressive Distributive Lag Model (NARDL) over a data span of 41 years i.e., from 1980 to 2021. The estimations unveil that shocks in educational expenditure pose different results. EDEXP_POSE increases sustainability (0.807 units) while EDEXP-NEG decreases sustainability (0.931 units) while KPO_POS and KPO_NEG positively (0.200 units and 0.011 units respectively) affect environmental sustainability. On the other hand, LEC_POS negatively (1.685 units) affects sustainability while LEC_NEG positively (0.867 units) affects Sustainable growth. Energy consumption has a negative impact on sustainability; thus, the government should prioritize the production of renewable energy sources and support the spread of knowledge that is good for the environment. The government may think about putting tariffs on businesses who import non-green technology since it has a significant and advantageous impact on the environment.

Green finance, energy consumption, urbanization, and economic growth: Quantile based evidence from China

This study investigates the relationships between energy consumption, urbanization, green finance, and economic growth in China. By utilizing the quantile ARDL model and considering labor and capital as input factors, we analyze the period from 1999 to 2022. Our findings reveal that green finance and urbanization have negative effects on economic growth across different quantiles, in both the short and long run. Conversely, energy consumption exhibits a significantly positive impact on growth in various quantiles. Policymakers are encouraged to implement sustainable energy measures, promote eco-friendly urban planning, and embrace green technology to achieve both economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Exploring the asymmetric effects of urbanization and trade on CO2 emissions: fresh evidence from Pakistan

Over the past few decades, rapid or unplanned urbanization has been a major problem for developing countries, affecting the environment very badly. Pakistan is also the fifth most vulnerable country in terms of environmental impact from socio-economic activities. Mostly, this type of research has been conducted across countries. So, this study intends to analyze the role of urbanization in energy consumption, economic growth, trade, and technology in carbon emissions by evaluating data from 1985 to 2021 in the context of Pakistan. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) with Granger causality assessment are employed to experimentally examine the variables' short and long-term associations. The ARDL result demonstrates that carbon dioxide (LCO2) emissions are increased by energy consumption (LEC) and technology (LTech), while they are decreased by economic growth (LEG) and trade (LT). In NARDL, rising and falling urbanization (LU) lead to increased carbon emissions, but insignificantly. Ascending LEC leads to increased emissions, whereas descending LEC leads to reduced emissions in the context of short and long-term asymmetry. Yet, the opposite is true in the case of trade: a rise in LT decreases emissions significantly, whereas a fall in LT increases emissions insignificantly. This paper highlights the importance of international trade for a country facing these challenges. This means that LT is at the forefront of emission-reducing technology. A Granger causality analysis results show that LU and LTech are two critical determinants of LCO2 emissions. Diagnostic tests ensure the model's reliability, ensuring that it could potentially be used without adverse intent. The research concludes that in order to minimize carbon dioxide emissions, the government should encourage the adoption of low-carbon technology through international trade (the exchange or import of low-carbon products) and implement policies tailored to urbanization and energy demand.

Does human capital matter for energy consumption in China? Evidence from 30 Chinese provinces

The impact of human capital on energy consumption is an important economic and environmental issue, especially in a country like China with a strong energy demand and continuously improving education levels. This study uses panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2020 to explore the impact of human capital on energy consumption. Empirical research shows that human capital can not only reduce local energy consumption but also reduce energy consumption in surrounding areas, through structural, technological, and knowledge spillover effects. The impact of human capital on energy consumption exhibits a U-shaped curve, decreasing first and then increasing, when economic growth reaches a threshold level. As industrial structure and urbanization develop, the impact of human capital on energy consumption increases. This study inform policy by demonstrating the energy conservation and emission reduction effects of human capital and provide insights for investors and policymakers.

Digitalized world and carbon footprints: does digitalization really matter for sustainable environment?

There is a growing demand for energy to support economic and social development. There will be many shifts in the energy sector as a result of digitization. Hence, we aim analyzing the linkage between digitalization and environment sustainability by incorporating energy consumption as a moderating factor using data of UK from 1990 to 2020. Different dimensions of digitalization are used as explanatory variables, ecological and carbon footprints are used as outcomes and energy consumption is used as moderator. The findings of autoregressive distributed lag model show that internet users and technological advancement (fixed telephone subscription and mobile cellular) are negatively (positively) linked with ecological and carbon footprints. Energy consumption causes to enhance ecological and carbon footprints and plays an antagonistic role in the nexus of internet users, technological advancement, and ecological and carbon footprints. The effects of mobile cellular and fixed telephone subscription have increased in the presence of energy consumption as moderator which exhibits that energy consumption plays an enhancing role in the links between mobile cellular, fixed telephone subscription and ecological and carbon footprints. The results underscore the importance of taking a holistic approach to addressing the environmental impact of digital technologies. By promoting sustainable communication practices and investing in the development of more energy-efficient technologies, practitioners, managers, and society as a whole can work together to reduce the carbon and ecological footprints of digital technologies and create a more sustainable future for all.

Box-Behnken modeling to quantify the impact of control parameters on the energy and tensile efficiency of PEEK in MEX 3D-printing

Currently, energy efficiency and saving in production engineering, including Material Extrusion (MEX) Additive Manufacturing, are of key importance to ensure process sustainability and cost-effectiveness. The functionality of parts made with MEX 3D-printing remains solid, especially for expensive high-performance polymers, for biomedical, automotive, and aerospace industries. Herein, the energy and tensile strength metrics are investigated over three key process control parameters (Nozzle Temperature, Layer Thickness, and Printing Speed), with the aid of laboratory-scale PEEK filaments fabricated with melt extrusion. A double optimization is attempted for the production by consuming minimum energy, of PEEK parts with improved strength. A three-level Box-Behnken design with five replicas for each experimental run was employed. Statistical analysis of the experimental findings proved that LT is the most decisive control setting for mechanical strength. An LT of 0.1 mm maximized the tensile endurance (∼74 MPa), but at the same time, it was responsible for the worst energy (∼0.58 MJ) and printing time (∼900 s) expenditure. The experimental and statistical findings are further discussed and interpreted using fractographic SEM and optical microscopy, revealing the 3D printing quality and the fracture mechanisms in the samples. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed. The findings hold measurable engineering and industrial merit, since they may be utilized to achieve an optimum case-dependent compromise between the usually contradictory goals of productivity, energy performance, and mechanical functionality.

Enhancing of pretreatment on high solids enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste: Sugar yield, trimming of substrate structure

The development of high solids enzymatic hydrolysis (HSEH) technology is a promising way to improve the efficiency of bioenergy production from solid waste. Pretreatment methods such as ultrasound (USP), freeze-thaw (FTP), hydrothermal (HTP), and dried (DRD) were carried out to evaluate the effect and mechanism of the pretreatment methods on the HSEH of FW. The reducing sugar of HTP and DRD reached 94.75% and 94.92% of the theoretical value. HTP and DRD could reduce the crystallinity of FW. DRD resulted in lower alignment and the occurrence of fractures of the substrate and exposed the α-1,4 glycosidic bond of starch. The high destructive power of HTP and DRD reduced the obstacles caused by the high solid content. Moreover, DRD consumed only 27.62% of the total energy of HTP. DRD could be a promising pretreatment methods for glucose recovery for its high product yield, significant substrate destruction, and economic feasibility.

The impact of natural resource consumption on carbon emissions: evidence of a symmetric and asymmetric effect from Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan African countries are among mineral-rich developing countries strategically competing to guarantee sustainable economic development through resource exploration. The possibility of increasing the level of carbon emission due to using low-cost fuels and high pollutants during mineral resource extraction activities leading to environmental degradation continues to draw the attention of researchers and policy makers. This research aims to analyze the response of carbon emissions in the African continent to symmetric and asymmetric shocks on resource consumption, economic growth, urbanization, and energy consumption. Following the Shin et al. (2014a) linear and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) methodology in panel form, we construct symmetric and asymmetric panel ARDL-PMG model to evaluate both short- and long-run impacts of resource consumption on carbon dioxide emissions for a panel of 44 African countries over the period 2000-2019. The symmetric results show that the effect is not statistically significant despite natural resource consumption positively impacting carbon emission in the long and short runs. Energy consumption was found to affect environmental quality in the long and short runs adversely. Interestingly, economic growth was found to improve environmental quality in the long run significantly, and no significant impact was reported in the case of urbanization. However, the asymmetric results prove that a positive and negative shock to natural resource consumption contributes significantly to carbon emission, contrary to the insignificant impact established in the linear framework. The gradual growth in the manufacturing sector and an expansion in the transportation sector in Africa led to high demand and consumption of fossil fuels. This possibly accounts for the adverse effect of energy consumption on carbon emissions. Most African countries depend mainly on exploring natural resource endowment and agricultural activities to drive the growth of their economies. Due to the weak environmental regulatory frameworks in most African countries and public corruption, multinational companies (MNCs) in the extractive sector do not adhere to environmentally friendly activities. The majority of African countries are also battling illegal mining activities and illicit felling of trees, which may account for the positive relationship between natural resource rents and environmental quality reported. In terms of policy implications of the study, governments in Africa must preserve natural resources, use environmentally friendly and technologically advanced resource extraction methods, opt for green energy, and strictly apply environmental laws to promote environmental quality on the continent.

The impact of health expenditure and economic growth on CO2 in China: a quantile regression model approach

Based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis and using Chinese provincial panel data from 2002 to 2019, this study examines how different types of healthcare expenditure and levels of economic development and energy consumption contribute to carbon emissions regionally. Considering the wide regional differences in the development levels of China, this paper uses quantile regressions and draws the following robust conclusions: (1) The EKC hypothesis was validated by all methods in eastern China. (2) The carbon emission reduction of government, private, and social health expenditure is confirmed. Furthermore, the impact of health expenditure on carbon reduction decreases from East to West. (3) Government, private, and social health expenditure all cause reductions in CO2 emissions, with private health expenditure having the largest negative effect on CO2 emissions, followed by government health expenditure and finally social health expenditure. Overall, the limited empirical work available on the impact of different kinds of health expenditure on carbon emission in the existing literature, this study greatly assists policy makers and researchers to understand the importance of health expenditure in improving environmental performance.

GHG emissions and energy consumption of residential buildings-a systematic review and meta-analysis

Residential buildings generate significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and consume energy throughout their life cycle. In recent years, research on GHG emissions and energy consumption of buildings has developed rapidly in response to the growing climate change and energy crisis. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an important method for evaluating the environmental impacts of the building sector. However, LCA studies of buildings show widely varying outcomes across the world. Besides, environmental impact assessment from a whole life cycle perspective has been undeveloped and slow. Our work presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of LCA studies on GHG emissions and energy consumption in the preuse, use, and demolition stages of residential buildings. We aim to examine the differences among the results of diverse case studies and demonstrate the spectrum of variations under contextual disparities. Results show that residential building emits about 2928 kg GHG emission and consumes about 7430 kWh of energy per m² of gross building area on average throughout the life cycle. Residential buildings have an average GHG emission of 84.81% in the use phase, followed by the preuse phase and demolition phase; the mean energy consumption in the use stage occupied the largest share of 84.52%, followed by preuse stage and demolition stage. GHG emissions and energy use vary significantly in different regions due to different building types, natural conditions, and lifestyles. Our study stresses the compelling requirement to slash GHG emissions and optimize energy consumption from residential buildings by use of low carbon building materials, energy structure adjustment, consumer behavior transformation, etc.

Evaluating a pathway for environmental sustainability: the role of energy mix and research and development in European countries

Within the European Union (EU), the majority of countries are considered developed, and the level of economic activity is rising. As a result, carbon dioxide emissions have increased. If the European Union wants to maintain long-term, sustainable growth, it must act quickly to find solutions to pollution. Population, wealth, renewable energy, nuclear energy, and research and development (R&D) are all factored into the STIRPAT model to determine their respective environmental impacts. Slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence are explored in panel data for 30 European nations from 1990 to 2021 using a newly developed Cross Section Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) method. The study found that population growth and the continued use of fossil fuels are major causes of environmental degradation. Alternately, employing renewable and raising incomes both have the potential to significantly cut pollution over the long run. Likewise, investments in R&D assist lessen the damage done to the environment. The nuclear energy coefficients, however, are insignificant. However, fossil fuels have negative effects on the ecosystem. If the EU wishes to stop the degradation of the environment, the analysis demonstrates that renewable energy is the best way to do it. The time has come for the EU to make a gradual transition away from fossil fuels and toward more environmentally friendly alternatives. Economic growth should be matched by decreased CO₂ emissions, and increasing investment in R&D can serve as a catalyst for environmental sustainability. The results were reviewed using three different estimators: the augmented mean group (AMG), the mean group (MG), and the common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG). Important policy recommendations for a sustainable European environment are also suggested by the research.

Stability and energy consumption analysis of arctic fleet: modeling and simulation based on future motion of multi-ship

Ensuring the safety of Arctic shipping and preserving the Arctic ecological environment are emerging as key challenges in the shipping sector. Ship collisions and getting trapped in ice are frequently occurring under dynamic ice conditions due to the Arctic environment, making research on ship navigation in Arctic routes significant. Leveraging ship networking technology, we developed an intelligent microscopic model which considered factors such as the future motion trends of multi-ships in front and the influence of pack ice, and carried out a stability analysis of the model utilizing linear and nonlinear methods. Additionally, the accuracy of the theoretical results was further validated through simulation experiments with diverse scenarios. The conclusions manifest that the model can magnify the anti-disturbance ability of traffic flow. Additionally, the problem of energy consumption due to ship speed is explored, and it is determined that the model has a positive intention in reducing speed fluctuations and ship energy consumption. This paper highlights the potential of intelligent microscopic models in studying the safety and sustainability of Arctic shipping routes, providing targeted initiatives to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability in Arctic shipping.

Impact of economic variables on CO2 emissions in belt and road and OECD countries

The rebirth of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) programme have necessitated the study as it has a vast potential to promote economic growth, yet, marred with numerous energy use and ecological concerns. The article is the first to comparatively examine the impact of economic variables on consumption-based CO₂ emissions in the BRI and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries by testing the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH). The Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) estimates the results. Income (GDP) and GDP² positively and negatively impact CO₂ emissions in the three panels, validating the EKC. Foreign direct investment (FDI) significantly affects CO₂ emissions for the global and BRI panels, supporting the PHH. However, the PHH is refuted for the OECD panel as the impact of FDI on CO₂ emissions is negative and statistically significant. GDP and GDP² decline by 0.029% and 0.0446%, respectively, for BRI countries, compared to OECD countries. It is recommended that BRI countries enact new and stringent environmental laws and use more tidal energy, solar energy, wind power, bioenergy, and hydropower instead of fossil fuels, for the sustainable attainment of higher economic growth, devoid of pollution.

A continental and global assessment of the role of energy consumption, total natural resource rent, and economic growth as determinants of carbon emissions

To limit the effects of carbon emissions and realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries worldwide seek efficient energy usage, economic sustainability, and natural resource blessing. Studies at the continental level mostly neglected the differences between the continents, while this study explores the long-run effect of natural resource rents, economic development, and energy consumption on carbon emissions and their interactions across the global panel of 159 countries divided into six continents from 2000 to 2019. Recently proposed panel estimators, causality tests, variance decomposition, and impulse response techniques were adopted. Findings from the panel estimator revealed that economic development contributed to environmental sustainability. At the same time, energy consumption increases ecological pollution globally and on most continents. The interaction between economic development and energy consumption positively impacted ecological pollution. Natural resources' rent was found to promote environmental pollution in Asia. The causality test results were mixed across continents and globally. However, findings from the impulse response and variance decomposition confirmed that economic development and energy consumption counted higher variations of carbon emissions than natural resource rents within the 10-year forecast. This study provides a valuable baseline for formulating policies related to the economy-energy-resources‑carbon nexus.

A hybrid approach for low-carbon transportation system analysis: integrating CRITIC-DEMATEL and deep learning features

As supply chains, logistics, and transportation activities continue to play a significant role in China's economic and social developments, concerns around energy consumption and carbon emissions are becoming increasingly prevalent. In light of sustainable development goals and the trend toward sustainable or green transportation, there is a need to minimize the environmental impact of these activities. To address this need, the government of China has made efforts to promote low-carbon transportation systems. This study aims to assess the development of low-carbon transportation systems in a case study in China using a hybrid approach based on the Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC), Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and deep learning features. The proposed method provides an accurate quantitative assessment of low-carbon transportation development levels, identifies the key influencing factors, and sorts out the inner connection among the factors. The CRITIC weight matrix is used to obtain the weight ratio, reducing the subjective color of the DEMATEL method. The weighting results are then corrected using an artificial neural network to make the weighting more accurate and objective. To validate our hybrid method, a numerical example in China is applied, and sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the impact of our main parameters and analyze the efficiency of our hybrid method. Overall, the proposed approach offers a novel method for assessing low-carbon transportation development and identifying key factors in China. The results of this study can be used to inform policy and decision-making to promote sustainable transportation systems in China and beyond.

Impact of technology on the relation between disaggregated energy consumption and CO2 emission in populous countries of Asia

All around the world, but particularly in developing nations, carbon dioxide emissions are on the rise, and climate change and global warming are brought on by an increase in CO₂ emissions. This article provides an overview of the technological effect on energy consumption in the residential, transport, and industrial sector and its ultimate effect on the environment. Using the STIRPAT-Kaya-EKC model for the years 1990 to 2020, this study looked at the threshold impact of technological advancements on the link between disaggregated energy use and CO₂ emissions for a panel of 10 Asian countries using the panel threshold regression. Findings demonstrate that the EKC phenomenon is present in the chosen Asian region. Findings also suggest that technology has a threshold influence on the relationship between energy use and carbon emissions; however, this effect varies across sectors.

Towards environmental degradation mitigation: The role of regulatory quality, technological innovation and government effectiveness in the CEMAC countries

The study explores the interaction between regulatory quality, economic growth, technological innovation, energy consumption, government spending on research and development, and environmental degradation (EVD) in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) region. The study applied the econometric approach CS-ARDL to estimate the short and long-term interaction between the regressors and the explanatory variable. The study period covers from 1990 to 2020. To summarize the findings of this research, (1) the study discovered a positive relationship between energy consumption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and environmental degradation. (2) Economic growth, government spending on research and development, and technological innovation, on the other hand, extensively dissipates EVD in the CEMAC economies. (3) The causality analysis espoused a bidirectional connection between energy consumption, technological innovation, and EVD. (4) Lastly, a unidirectional interplay exists between economic growth, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and EVD. This study also serves as a reference point for policymakers and governmental institutions to invest in cleaner technologies and increase government research and development spending to mitigate environmental degradation in these areas.

Application of different Trombe wall solutions on the reduction of energy load and sustainable development in an eco-resort residential building in Binalood region with a cold and dry climate

Trombe wall is a passive strategy that reduces the energy consumption in buildings and helps for sustainable development of the residential sector. Applying these walls is very important in areas that need heating load in winter. This study evaluates a set of Trombe walls for the energy management of a residential building under real conditions in Binalood region with a cold and dry climate. In order to study the potentials of the Trombe wall, four different designs, including cubic Trombe wall with rectangular structure and three-sided glass, Trombe wall with trapezoidal structure and three-sided glass, Trombe wall with trapezoidal structure and four-sided glass, and Trombe wall with thicker storage wall, trapezoidal structure, and three-sided glass, for Trombe wall are considered. Trombe walls of all four suggested designs are exposed to outdoor conditions and installed at 17 places on the southern walls of the residential building. The results show that the most optimal design, i.e., Trombe wall with thicker storage wall, trapezoidal structure, and three-sided glass, leads to the greatest decrease (1637 kWh) in heating load in January. In addition, this design of the Trombe wall has the greatest effect in increasing the indoor air temperature among other Trombe walls investigated in this study. The Trombe wall with thicker storage wall, trapezoidal structure, and three-sided glass with a storage wall thickness of 40 cm is able to reduce the heating load of the building by 5.59 MWh in 5 months. This plan reduces the energy demand of the building by 8% more than the conventional structure of Trombe wall.

Hydrochar synthesis from waste corncob using subcritical water and microwave-assisted carbonization methods and ammonium enrichment of synthesized hydrochars

Corncob (CC) is an industrial biological waste that is generated in significant quantities, and converting such biological wastes into value-added hydrochars through a viable process such as hydrothermal carbonization can provide significant benefits. It is of great importance to ensure eco-friendly and appropriate methods that are suitable for the area where the hydrochar will be used. This study aimed to synthesize hydrochars from a solid food waste, CC, using two different hydrothermal carbonization methods based on microwave-assisted (MHC) and subcritical water (SHC) using them as a biosorbent for NH₄⁺ adsorption from water and characterizing their specific features. Hydrochars were synthesized in 1 h at 180 °C and 240 °C by MHC and SHC methods, respectively. Hydrochars synthesized by MHC and SHC methods were characterized by SEM-EDX, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms, and FT-IR analyses. According to the EDX results, the C/O ratio (atomic %) in MHC and SHC was determined to be 0.55 and 0.35, respectively. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms revealed that hydrochars obtained by both methods have three distinct pore types, namely, micro, meso, and macro. In the energy consumption per unit adsorbent, a lower value was obtained for MHC than SHC. NH₄⁺ adsorption using MHC and SHC was found to be compatible with the Langmuir isotherm model and the NH₄⁺ adsorption capacities were 13.09 and 10.54 mg/g, respectively. pH was the most effective variable on hydrochars in the NH₄⁺ adsorption based on the response surface method (RSM), and the highest adsorption occurred at pH 6.5 and 40 mg/L of initial NH₄⁺ concentration, using 1.5 g/L of adsorbent at 35 °C. The results revealed that MHC is a unique method that can be used for hydrochars derived from CC in NH₄⁺ adsorption, and MHC is more cost-effective than SHC in hydrochar production.

Exploring the nexus link of environmental technology innovation, urbanization, financial development, and energy consumption on environmental pollution: Evidence from 27 emerging economies

The core intent of the present study seeks to probe the connection linking environmental technology innovation (ENVTI), economic growth (ECG), financial development (FID), trade openness (TROP), urbanization (URB) and energy consumption (ENC) on environmental pollution (ENVP) by employing 27 chosen African economies panel data. These variables merit critical attention when implementing decarbonization policies and significantly safeguarding a country's well-being in pursuit of massive industrialization and economic expansion. The fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), the dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), and the pooled mean group (PMG) estimation techniques were utilized to analyze the series from 2000 through 2020. This research used the FMOLS for long-run connections interaction of the variables, while the DOLS and PMG were used for robustness checks. Further, the Pedroni, Kao, and Westerlund cointegration approaches were employed to determine cointegration in the series. Also, the cross-sectional Im, Pesaran, and Shin (CIPS) and the cross-sectional augmented Dickey-Fuller (CADF) unit root testing approaches were utilized to check the stationarity of the series. Again, the stochastic impact on regression, population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) model, and the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) was used as the theoretical framework supporting this research. The findings of the long-run analysis give credence to the EKC assumption demonstrating that a significant long-term ECG will support the decrease in ENVP when nations experience increases in the level of income. Further, this study found that ENVTI and URB are conducive to reducing ENVP in the long run. The current research finding is sensitive to the respective nations' income levels. This empirical research furnishes prudent policies tailored for the respective countries' pursuit of ECG and reducing ENVP.