RESUMEN

Environmental degradation poses a significant challenge in many developing countries, as they heavily rely on fossil fuels to drive economic activities. The transition towards renewable energy is crucial to mitigate ecological depletion, yet numerous Asian developing countries may struggle to achieve the desired levels of renewable energy adoption due to financial constraints. Foreign aid in the energy sector can expedite this transition process. This study aims to examine the impact of foreign aid on the energy decarbonization transition in 22 Asian developing countries from 2003 to 2022 to analyze its contributions and challenges to promote renewable energy adoption. This paper incorporates the two types of foreign aid in the energy sector (nonrenewable and renewable energy aid) provided by the OECD to developing economies. Utilizing the System-Generalized Method of Moments (Sys-GMM), the findings reveal that energy aid significantly contributes to the transition towards energy decarbonization by providing financial support for embracing renewable energy technologies. Specifically, the analysis indicates that a 1% increase in energy aid leads to approximately 3% enhancement in the decarbonization transition process. Moreover, this study adds to the existing body of knowledge by examining the mediating impact of human capital and financial development as well as the moderating effect of institutional quality and demand for clean fuel. These factors play a pivotal role in energy decarbonization transition by fostering financial development and enhancing human capital through capacity-building initiatives and facilitating the adoption of renewable energy technologies.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The Connect 2030 initiative, launched by the International Telecommunication Union, is in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda 2030. Its main objective is to achieve universal connectivity, a goal that is closely related to environmental issues. This topic currently receives attention from researchers and policymakers. Given these considerations, our study investigates the impact of information and communication technologies on carbon dioxide emissions for a panel of 84 countries spanning the years 2009 to 2020. Using principal component analysis, we construct an ICT index that encompasses international bandwidth, reflecting the universal connectivity, and participation in international data exchanges. The empirical analysis applies the pooled mean group-panel autoregressive distributive lag (PMG-ARDL) approach to estimate both the long-run and short-run coefficients of CO2 emissions' determinants. Our findings show that ICT and renewable energy mitigate CO2 emissions, unlike financial development, GDP, and non-renewable energy, which contribute significantly to emissions for the full sample. These outcomes suggest that promoting ICTs in general and international bandwidth in particular, as part of universal connectivity, improves the quality of the global environment.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A major challenge for humans in the twenty-first century is devising a way to minimize environmental pollution while fostering economic growth that will not deplete the planet's resources. Despite increased awareness of climate change and efforts to combat it, the amount of pollution emissions on the Earth continues to drop significantly. This study employs cutting-edge econometric methods to examine the long- and short-term asymmetric and causal impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and financial development on CO2 emissions in India at both aggregate and disaggregated levels. Thus, this work fills a significant gap in research. A time series from 1965 to 2020 was used for this study. Wavelet coherence was employed to investigate causal effects among the variables, while the NARDL model addressed long-run and short-run asymmetry effects. Our findings indicate that (i) REC, NREC, FD, and CO2 emissions are all interconnected in the long run, (ii) NREC and FD significantly trigger CO2 emissions in India in the long run, and (iii) the results of a wavelet coherence-based causality test support the long-term estimates of this study.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The key objective of this study is to explore the relationship between economic growth, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, exchange rate variation, and environmental pollution by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 19 coastline Mediterranean countries over the period 1995-2020. We suggest the application of two different approaches, namely, the symmetric autoregressive-distributed lag (ARDL) and the non-linear ARDL (NARDL) model. These methods distinguished from traditional ones by the fact that they assess both the long and short run dynamics among variables. More importantly, the NARDL method is the only technique enabling us to test the asymmetric effects of a shock in independent variables on dependent ones. Our results indicate that the long-term pollution is positively correlated with exchange rate for developed countries and negatively correlated for developing ones. Since environmental degradation in developing countries is more vulnerable to any fluctuation in exchange rate, we suggest that policymakers in Mediterranean developing countries must pay more attention to exchange rate variation as well as boosting renewable energy consumption in order to decrease CO2 emissions.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

This study examines how renewable and non-renewable energy generation interacts with both to affect the ecological footprint in China during 1990-2019 by using FMOLS, DOLS, and CCR estimation techniques and ARDL simulation models to assess the impact of industrialization and urbanization on environmental sustainability based on the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis model framework. Firstly, the findings verify the applicability and validity of the EKC hypothesis in China. Secondly, renewable energy generation, industrialization, and urbanization facilitate the reduction of ecological footprint and the improvement of environmental quality in the long run, while non-renewable energy generation increases the ecological footprint and leads to the intensification of ecological pollution. However, the short-term estimates give evidence that industrialization, urbanization, and renewable and non-renewable energy generation can all increase the ecological footprint, which is not conducive to ecological sustainability. Thus, from the perspective of ecological sustainability in China, our findings are important in that they provide clear directions for ecological policy formulation, and we also provide some targeted policy recommendations for them to promote sustainable development as a goal.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 has alerted governments around the world, including Australia, to think seriously about the health issues. Life expectancy is one of such issues. Therefore, this study tries to reveal the effects of globalization, energy consumption, information and communication technology, financial development, education rate, and economic growth on life expectancy at birth in Australia. METHODS: Using the data period of 1990-2018, a series of econometric techniques: the Dickey-Fuller generalized least square test, Autoregressive Distributive Lag bounds test, fully modified ordinary least square method and the pairwise Granger causality test, are applied. RESULTS: The findings disclose that globalization, renewable energy use, information and communication technology, per capita gross domestic product, education rate, and financial development increased during this period but non-renewable energy use reduced life expectancy at birth. Unidirectional causal associations of the studied variables with life expectancy at birth are also revealed. CONCLUSIONS: All the outcomes are relevant and useful for articulating an innovative policy in the health sector. The prime policy implication of this work is: the effective, efficient, and inclusive policies considering globalization, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, information and communication technology, financial development, education rate, and economic growth should be formulated and executed for guaranteeing health status.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Empirical studies on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis have not reached a consensus on their findings because different environmental indicators are used, among other reasons. So, this study proposes using a composite index encompassing all dimensions of environmental pollution, using the composite environmental quality index (CEQI) which is introduced by Fakher et al. (Environ Sci Pollut Res 28(43): 61096-61114, 2021b). To do so, continuously updated fully modified (CUP-FM) and continuously updated bias-corrected (CUP-BC) techniques are used for the panel of selected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and Organization in the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 2000 to 2019. The findings show that the EKC hypothesis is confirmed in the inverted N-patterned relationship for the OPEC countries and an inverted U-patterned relationship for the OECD countries. Our findings also declare that consumption of renewable energies (REC) significantly increases environmental quality (EQ) while consumption of non-renewable energies (NREC) adds to environmental degradation (ED). Further, the role of financial development (FD) in our composite index is respectively negative and positive for sampled OPEC and OECD economies. The positive coefficient of combined trade share (CTS) in both groups of studied countries indicates that this variable works to reduce ED. Lastly, the implications of these findings for economic-environmental policies are discussed.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

This paper explores the impacts of informal economic activities and institutional capacity, particularly, corruption control on the environmental quality degradation of emerging economies under the prevailing socio-economic conditions and energy use patterns of the countries. The study utilizes key environmental degradation indicators: Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, ecological footprints (EFs), and Nitrous Oxide (NO) emissions, and a panel dataset of 15 emerging countries for the period 2002-2019 to undertake an empirical investigation. The pooled mean group (PMG)-ARDL estimator, Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS), Dynamic OLS (DOLS) and Augmented Mean Group (AMG) methods have been applied as empirical investigation techniques. The empirical findings reveal that in the long-run informal economic activities positively affect the environmental quality with fewer recorded emissions of CO2 and EFs while these activities affect negatively to NO emissions. This study has also found that corruption control improves environmental quality by reducing EFs and NO emissions but works to the opposite by increasing recorded CO2 emissions. An increase in economic growth and renewable energy consumption improves environmental quality in emerging countries, while consumption of non-renewable energy degrades the environmental quality. The robust empirical findings advocate policy initiatives for intense monitoring of informal activities and implementation of indirect tax policy to regulate informal activities and the pollution they cause. Careful measures of corruption control and initiatives to bring the informal economic activities into a formal framework are suggested to reduce CO2 and NO emissions. An increase in economic growth with more focus on renewables and phasing out non-renewables can ensure green growth in emerging countries.

RESUMEN

The deployment of energy sources is considered the compassion of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Countries should keep balance with the three major proportions of the global energy trilemma: energy security, affordability, energy access, and ecological balance to construct a solid basis for competitiveness and prosperity. In this regard, this study examines the influence of nuclear energy, technological innovations, renewable energy, non-renewable energy, and natural resources on carbon footprint in the highest nuclear energy-producing countries from 1990 to 2019. To do this, we developed an inclusive and comprehensive empirical investigation and applied modern econometric approaches. Panel second-generation long-run cointegration advocates long-run associations among the series. The findings reveal that nuclear and renewable energy consumption extensively improve environmental excellence. Conversely, technological innovations and non-renewable energy significantly reduce environmental sustainability. Moreover, natural resources play an adverse role in long-run. The findings of the panel causality test discovered unidirectional causality is running from carbon footprint to nuclear energy. Additionally, bidirectional causality exists between technological innovations, renewables, non-renewables, and natural resources with carbon footprint. This recommends that these nations should integrate energy policy activities and develop energy strategy consistency by harmonizing the vital global nuclear energy aspects to assist a well-calibrated energy structure.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

This work investigates the associations of ecological footprints (EF), forest area (FOR), renewable energy (RE), non-renewable energy (EU), financial development (FD), and agricultural value add (AGR) in South Asian economies. The annual data of 1990-2018 is used for analysis. This work uses robust second-generation econometric methodologies. After the validation of cross-sectional dependence (CD), the stationarity test shows stationarity at the level and first difference. The co-integration test shows strong co-integration among the panel data, and the results of cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) show that renewable energy, forest area, and FD are environmentally friendly in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India. The use and promotion of renewable energy in the agricultural sector are suggested. Moreover, agricultural policies need to revise in these countries. FD and forest areas are helpful to mitigate environmental degradation. Therefore, the preservation of forest areas is compulsory for South Asian countries.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The economic complexity index, which indicates the level of knowledge and skills needed in the production of the exported goods, is a measure of economic development. Some researchers have investigated the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis by considering the effect of economic complexity on environmental pollution. This study, for the first time, examines the impact of economic complexity, globalization, and renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on both CO2 emissions and ecological footprint within the framework of the EKC hypothesis in the USA. To this end, the combined cointegration test and three different estimators are utilized for the period from 1980 to 2016. The main finding of the study indicates that the inverted U-shaped EKC relationship between economic complexity and environmental pollution holds for the USA. In addition to this finding, globalization and renewable energy consumption play a dominant role in reducing environmental pollution, while non-renewable energy consumption contributing factor to environmental pressure. Overall, the outcomes indicate that increasing economic complexity helps to minimize environmental degradation after a threshold, and the US government can provide a better environment by using renewable energy sources and globalization. Graphical abstract.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

It is known that the transition to renewable energy can be a lever for the growth of both developed and developing countries. Thus, the whole world starts to become aware of the importance of the development of renewable energies, which became a priority for the future. In this context, Morocco belongs to the countries that set up some development policies for renewable energies in the short and medium term. Furthermore, this article investigates and analyzes the nexus and the relationship between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and economic growth for Morocco over the period going from 1990 to 2014 using the auto-regressive distributed lag model approach and the Granger causality test. The empirical results support that renewable energies in Morocco start to give their positive effects on the economic dimension of sustainable development and it is found that there is causality from renewable energy consumption to economic growth and from economic growth to CO2 emissions. However, the Moroccan government and private companies must look for innovative methods to finance renewable energy projects. In addition, these technologies can be the best substitute for fossil fuels: firstly, in order to reduce the burden of energy costs on the Moroccan economy (the energy bill in Morocco continues to rise, more than 100 billion DH in 2012); secondly, to strengthen its competitiveness without affecting the economic growth of the country.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In recent years, financial development, trade policies, and energy performance have attracted attention due to their behavior on environmental quality. Therefore, the current study examines the impact of financial development, trade openness, primary and renewable energy utilization, and economic growth on the ecological footprint in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries from 1990 to 2017. This article progresses the proficiency of financial development by utilizing the comprehensive and multidimensional index of financial sector development based on their depth, access, and efficiency of their financial institutions and markets. In order to estimate the robust results, this study employed the cross-sectional dependency tests that allow the second-generation unit root, Westerlund cointegration, augmented mean group (AMG), error correction model (ECM), and Dumitrescu-Hurlin (D-H) panel non-causality tests. The results revealed a very weak effect of financial development in a panel of SAARC countries, while country-specific results reveal that financial development significantly enhances the pollution level in the case of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, it improves the environmental quality in Nepal. Furthermore, trade openness only improves the environmental quality in the case of Nepal. Additionally, the findings explore that primary energy consumption enhances the ecological footprint in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and reduces in case of Bhutan. On the contrary, renewable energy consumption significantly improves the environmental quality in all countries except Bangladesh. Finally, consistent with these findings, a number of suitable policy implications are expressed in the angle of SAARC economies.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Development of more sustainable biofuel production processes is ongoing, and technology to run these processes at a high dry matter content, also called high-gravity conditions, is one option. This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) of such a technology currently in development for the production of bio-ethanol from spruce wood chips. RESULTS: The cradle-to-gate LCA used lab results from a set of 30 experiments (or process configurations) in which the main process variable was the detoxification strategy applied to the pretreated feedstock material. The results of the assessment show that a process configuration, in which washing of the pretreated slurry is the detoxification strategy, leads to the lowest environmental impact of the process. Enzyme production and use are the main contributors to the environmental impact in all process configurations, and strategies to significantly reduce this contribution are enzyme recycling and on-site enzyme production. Furthermore, a strong linear correlation between the ethanol yield of a configuration and its environmental impact is demonstrated, and the selected environmental impacts show a very strong cross-correlation ([Formula: see text] in all cases) which may be used to reduce the number of impact categories considered from four to one (in this case, global warming potential). Lastly, a comparison with results of an LCA of ethanol production under high-gravity conditions using wheat straw shows that the environmental performance does not significantly differ when using spruce wood chips. For this comparison, it is shown that eutrophication potential also needs to be considered due to the fertilizer use in wheat cultivation. CONCLUSIONS: The LCA points out the environmental hotspots in the ethanol production process, and thus provides input to the further development of the high-gravity technology. Reducing the number of impact categories based only on cross-correlations should be done with caution. Knowledge of the analyzed system provides further input to the choice of impact categories.