Towards mitigating ecological degradation in G-7 countries: accounting for economic effect dynamics, renewable energy consumption, and innovation

Beyond the barrels: The impact of resource wealth on the energy-economy-climate targets in oil-rich economies

This study models the Kaya identity equation for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in a panel of 20 oil-rich countries from 1994 to 2019. The estimators used are robust to cross-sectional dependence and allow for heterogeneous slope coefficients. The results indicate that natural resource extraction hinders environmental sustainability in oil-rich countries by altering the structural composition of their consumption mix towards energy- and carbon-intensive technologies. However, this relationship is only significant after reaching a turning point level of resource extraction. This suggests that the carbon curse is only triggered at higher levels of resource dependence, supporting a U-shaped relationship between natural resource extraction and CO2 emissions. The threshold for the natural rents to GDP ratio, beyond which natural resource extraction triggers the carbon curse, is found to be 12.18 %. The vulnerability assessment reveals that 17 countries in the panel, including Algeria, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Congo Republic, and Libya, are already within the carbon curse zone. From a policy perspective, promoting sustainable development in oil-rich economies requires a shift towards renewable energy sources, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and widespread adoption of energy efficiency and conservation mechanisms.

Modelling the air pollution induced health effects of energy consumption across varied spaces in OECD countries: An asymmetric analysis

The air pollution-induced health effects of energy consumption remain a grey area in the extant literature. As of yet, there are very limited studies on the subject matter for countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). To this end, we employ panel data from 1990 to 2019 for 37 OECD countries and panel estimation techniques that control for distributional asymmetry. We also utilize a composite variable of mortality and morbidity to capture the full spectrum of air pollution-induced health burdens. Our findings reveal that renewable energy ameliorates the health burden of air pollution in indoor spaces, evidence for the ameliorating effects of renewable energy in outdoor and occupational spaces was however weak. We also show that income has an ameliorating effect on air pollution-induced health burdens across all spaces and that the effect of non-renewable energy is asymmetric and disparate across all spaces. Furthermore, while technological innovation ameliorates the health burden of air pollution in indoor spaces, it exacerbates the health burden of air pollution in both occupational and outdoor spaces. These findings thus show that the positive health implications of renewable energy policy interventions have more traction in indoor spaces. Capacity needs to be built in the renewable energy sector to reduce the pollution-inducing health burdens emanating from ambient and occupational spaces.

Exploring sustainable energy consumption and social conflict risks in Turkey: Insights from a novel multiresolution ARDL approach

Nonrenewable energy sources have been shown to be a cause of conflict and terrorism, highlighting the global conflict aspect, but little is known about the causal relationship between the energy system and terrorism in Turkey. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the causal links among renewable energy consumption, fossil fuels, terrorist attacks, education, trade opening, and geopolitical risks in Turkey from 1980 to 2016. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach and Granger causality tests, the study analyzes the short and long-term relationships between the variables. Additionally, robustness tests are conducted using a powerful multiresolution ARDL approach to ensure the stability of the statistical findings. The results reveal the existence of long-term relationships between all the variables, particularly among terrorism, renewable energy, and education. In the short term, a one-way relationship exists between terrorism and education to renewable energies and from trade openness to terrorism. The study demonstrates that nonrenewable energy increases terrorism in the long term, whereas renewable energy and trade openness reduce terrorism, highlighting the potential impact of global conflicts on Turkey's sustainable development. Therefore, renewable energy is a powerful tool to fight against terrorism, and Turkey has encouraged its use and deployment of diplomatic efforts to resolve political and military conflicts, particularly in the Middle East. This study provides insights into the complex relationship among sustainable energy consumption, terrorism, education, and trade opening, contributing to the understanding of the geopolitical risks and economics in Turkey. It has implications for policymakers in the region, highlighting the importance of renewable energy and trade openness as tools for conflict resolution and sustainable development in the face of global conflicts.

Moving towards the path of environmental sustainability in Developing-8 countries: investigating the role of country's reputation in mitigating environmental externalities

A country's reputation plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions, attracting investment and promoting economic development. At the same time, good governance is essential for promoting environmental sustainability and addressing pressing environmental issues such as climate change, pollution and natural resource depletion. This study examines the impact of a country's reputation on environmental sustainability in Developing-8 countries using panel data obtained from the Worldwide Governance Indicators and World Development Indicators for the duration from 1996 to 2020. This panel study adopted the Method of Moment Quantile Regression with fixed effects and mean-based regressions. The results demonstrated that the impact of the country's reputation index on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is negative, yet significant. Also, all the country's reputation indicators negatively affect CO2 emissions, but the case of political stability is only significant in the mid-quantiles, while government effectiveness is albeit insignificant across quantiles. Furthermore, economic growth is observed to stimulate CO2 emissions, while renewable energy consumption decreases CO2 emissions. These results have an inherent heterogeneity, culminating in an asymmetric pattern of the distribution of CO2 emissions. The novelty of this study is, firstly, the construction of a country's composite reputation index for Developing-8 countries; and secondly, assessing the impact of this index in mitigating environmental externalities measured by CO2 emissions. Based on these findings, it is recommended, among other things, the need for the D-8 countries to improve their reputation policy to be able to attain the desired environmental sustainability.

Green technologies, government stability, and green energy transition in a globalized world: evidence from E-7 nations

Unsustainable development and rising environmental degradation are major challenges for emerging nations that tend to promote human welfare by expanding economic development. Green energy transition (GETR) can help these nations to continue their development, reduce fossil fuel utilization, and achieve environmental sustainability. However, previous literature overlooks the importance of green technologies, government stability, and economic globalization in the GETR process. Accordingly, this research takes a step forward and assesses the impacts of green technologies (GT), government stability (GOV), and economic globalization (EGL) on green energy transition including population density (POP) and economic growth (GDP) in emerging seven (E-7) countries from 1992 to 2020. The research applied the "continuously updated fully modified (CuP-FM)" methodology to acquire the long-run findings robust to endogeneity stationary regressors, autocorrelation, and cross-sectional dependence (CD). The results highlighted that green technologies can be enhanced to accelerate the energy transition process since GETR and green technologies are positively connected. Also, government stability and economic globalization support the green energy transition. However, both population density and economic growth obstruct the energy transition process. The Emirmahmutoğlu and Kose test unveiled that green technologies, economic globalization, and government stability Granger cause the green energy transition. Based on these findings, policies are directed to promote the GETR by enhancing green technologies, economic globalization, and government stability for achieving ecological sustainability.

Dynamics of social influence on consumption choices: A social network representation

In this work, through employing Friedkin Johnsen's model, we provide a valuable tool for understanding the complex dynamics of social influence and informational inducements in shaping consumption behaviour and highlight the need for governments, businesses, and individuals to address environmental concerns proactively. People mostly derive anticipation utility from consuming commodities through online shopping. Results suggest that in an information-loving society, people tend to follow the opinion of their groups, which can lead to inefficient choices. On the other hand, in a completely information-averse society, people tend to make inconsistent choices, leading to a lack of consensus. However, in a responsible society, individuals prioritise their own opinions and preferences while still taking into account the information and opinions of others. This results in a slow convergence of opinions, which can lead to responsible consumption and decision-making. People should be encouraged to form their own opinions based on their own experiences and preferences while still considering the information and opinions of others. It can lead to a more efficient and responsible society. Individuals with high self-confidence and self-control are more likely to resist peer pressure and make decisions that align with their values and goals. So, it is essential to consider the context and nature of the social influence when evaluating its impact on people's decision-making. Consumers are not the only players who can shape the world's future. Consumers, governments, corporations, and the media all have important roles to play, and their efforts must be coordinated and complementary to create a more sustainable future.

The impact of democracy and income on CO2 emissions in MINT countries: evidence from quantile regression model

This study analyses the relationship between democracy and environmental pollution in the MINT countries using a panel data spanning 1971-2016. It also investigates the interactive effect of income and democracy on CO2 emissions. We used various estimation techniques for the analysis, ranging from the quantile regression, OLS-fixed effect and GLS-random effect regressions with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors to control for cross-sectional dependence while a panel threshold regression is used for robustness check. The results showed existence of long-run relationship between CO2 emissions and the explanatory variables. The quantile regression results for interaction model indicate that economic growth, democracy and trade openness promote environmental pollution via their positive effects on CO2 emissions. Primary energy however reduces pollution across the lower and middle quantiles but enhances it in higher quantiles. The interaction effect is negative and statistically significant across all quantiles. This implies that democracy has a significant role in moderating the impact of income on CO2 emission in the MINT countries. It thus follows that if the MINT countries radically strengthen democracy and enhance income, it would be possible for them to achieve greater economic development and reduce CO2. In addition, a single threshold model is used to identify the asymmetry in response to CO2 emissions at lower and upper levels of democratic regimes. The results showed that once the degree of democracy is above the threshold level, an increase in income would reduce CO2 emissions but once it is below the threshold level, the effect of income becomes insignificant. Based on these results, the MINT countries need to strengthen democracy, enhance income level and relax trade barriers.

Ecological risks and innovative-investment projects

Market competition is becoming fiercer all around the world and countries pay considerable attention to their innovative-investment environment. Rapid global economic development and infinite resource extraction have damaged the environment and the harmful environmental effect has become increasingly significant. Thus, technological innovation occupies an important place in the discussion of developmental issues. Previous studies on innovative projects were focused largely on how technological innovations allow us to prevent financial risks and enter the market. However, it is necessary to pay attention to environmental risks arising from successful technological innovations. Thus, this study focused on the nexus between ecological risks and innovative investment. Specifically, the study considers the environmental risks of innovation. The findings reveal that investment in innovations and environmental protection measures can be carried out simultaneously for both ecological and economic targets. To control and prevent environmental risks of technological innovations, there should be a shift from industrial technological innovations to environmental technological innovations to achieve the unity of economic benefits and environmental interests. Such an approach preserves social and public interests and ensures sustainable development.

Estimation of economic, environmental, and social efficiency for sustainable development in G-8 and SAARC countries: a data envelopment analysis

In the recent era, economic growth is not enough to represent sustainable development. Sustainable development has three dimensions (i.e., economic, social, and environment). This study estimated the economic, social, and environmental efficiency using data from 2000 to 2021. Input-oriented data envelopment analysis shows strong heterogeneity across developed (G-8) and developing countries (SAARC). There is a potential to increase economic and environmental efficiency in the G-8 and SAARC countries. The average economic efficiencies are 0.682 and 0.414, which implies the possibility of the same output (GDP/capita) by using 31.8% and 58.6% fewer inputs in G-8 and SAARC countries, respectively. The social efficiency score is more than 0.980 in both panels. The average environmental efficiencies are 0.712 and 0.724, which implies that selected countries can obtain the same output (CO₂ emission reduction) by using 28.8% and 27.6% fewer inputs in G-8 and SAARC countries, respectively. The top three economically efficient countries are (a) the USA, the UK, and Japan in the G-8 panel and (b) Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the SAARC panel. The top three environmentally efficient countries are (a) France, the UK, and Italy in the G-8 panel and (b) Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh in the SAARC panel. It is recommended to adopt suitable policies to reduce emission, minimize waste, efficient utilization of resources, increase forest cover, and incentive for clean technologies. It is suggested to promote renewable energy through the provision of micro-credit to the poor, subsidizing renewable energy technologies, implementation of stringent environmental policies, and increasing awareness. It is essential to invest in eco-friendly and innovative technologies; thus, the government should encourage green practices in production. Human development is recommended to increase the living standard and healthy life. The government should invest in the health system and conduct seminars on general health awareness. Investment in basic infrastructure (drinking water, sanitation, and clean fuel) is essential to increase the living standard. The G-8 countries should provide financial and technological help to the SAARC countries.

Renewable energy and CO2 emissions in G7 countries: does the level of expenditure on green energy technologies matter?

Promoting green energy is generally considered a crucial way to mitigate energy-related CO₂ emissions. However, the level at which a country's expenditure on green energy technologies interacts with renewable energy consumption to save the planet has been ignored in the literature. Within the context of the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model, this study investigates the interaction effect of renewable energy and expenditure on green energy technologies in mitigating CO₂ emissions in G7 countries over the period 1990-2017. The empirical results based on the Method of Moments-Quantile Regression (MM-QR) with fixed effects suggest that renewable energy and expenditure on green energy technologies have a negative and heterogeneous effect on CO₂ emissions. The interaction term has a stronger negative and heterogeneous effect across quantiles distribution of CO₂ emissions. This suggests that the extent to which renewable energy exerts downward pressure on CO₂ emissions is dependent on countries' expenditures on green energy technologies. In addition, the effect of the interaction term is stronger in countries with lower levels of CO₂ emissions. Given these findings, the study suggests the need to promote investment in green energy technologies as a catalytic converter to mitigate CO₂ emissions.

The role of green energy deployment and economic growth in carbon dioxide emissions: evidence from the Chinese economy

After reform and opening-up, rapid industrialization and urbanization led to environmental degradation in China, including excessive energy consumption, soil contamination, and water pollution. Toward sustainable development, the Chinese government has promoted the introduction of clean energy sources such as geothermal and hydroelectric power generation, which have reduced the environmental burden. However, the impact of this energy shift on environmental improvement and economic growth is unclear. This study empirically analyzes the impact of green energy deployment and economic growth on CO₂ emissions in China. The analysis of time series data from 1980 to 2020 shows that in the long run, a 1% increase in renewable energy significantly reduces CO₂ emissions by 0.87%, and a 1% increase in GDP significantly increases CO₂ emissions by 0.26%. In contrast, in the short run, the negative effect of renewable energy on CO₂ emissions and the positive effect of GDP on it are not significant. This result was confirmed after the robustness checks. Based on the results obtained, several policy recommendations are made.

Understanding the bearable link between ecology and health outcomes: the criticality of human capital development and energy use

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries share a common context of critical ecological issues and trans border conflicts that threaten the quality of life and long-term stability of the region. The lack of water and arable land in particular has been a significant aspect of the region's history, but in more recent times, these pressures have grown in correlation with development patterns. Previous studies in this regard based on MENA countries data have failed to capture the holistic impact of the environmental risk factors on health outcomes. This study examines the bearable link between ecology and health outcomes, accounting for the criticality of human capital and energy use in the MENA region. The study employs second generation econometrics methods - system GMM, panel quantile regression via moments, and Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test on panel data covering 2008-2017. The empirical results establish a trade-off between the ecological factors and health outcomes. Specifically, ecological footprint as a measure of environmental quality is positively related to health outcomes, while biocapacity is negatively and insignificantly associated with health outcomes. Both effects of the two environmental factors are undesirable. Furthermore, the results show that human capital has the desired positive and significant effect on health outcomes, while the effect of energy use is negative. Based on the findings, the study provides several policy options that would help to deescalate the pressure on the natural resources.