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Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 33540

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. José Alberto Fuinhas

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, and Centre for Business and Economics Research (CeBER), Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: energy transition; sustainable energy consumption and economic growth nexus; environmental economics; sustainable energy economics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Matheus Koengkan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Legal Research (ILeR), Faculty of Law, University of Coimbra, 3000-018 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: energy economics; environmental economics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Mr. Renato Filipe de Barros Santiago

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management and Economics, University of Beira Interior, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal
Interests: development economics; economic policy; energy economics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, because of the environmental problems that our world faces, there is a need to change the energy production/consumption paradigm and to accelerate the worldwide energy transition process. Although it is true that it is becoming imperative to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, we should not neglect the impact that this transition can have on countries’ macroeconomic stability, namely on their economic output. Bearing this in mind, this Special Issue from Sustainability will be primarily focused on the identification and analysis of the effects that the consumption of renewable energy has on economic growth. In fact, although the studies that have been produced centered on renewable energy–economic growth nexus, there are still a considerable number of questions and implications that need further assessment. Overall, there is the need to increase the theoretical and empirical evidence on the effects of the development and deployment of renewable energy on economic growth, especially given that the economic results from the energy transition could be very different if we consider, for example, the countries’ development stages, the countries’ capacity to absorb new technologies or the dependence of the countries on the fossil fuel exportation/importation. In summary, the results from these types of studies are important in order to help policymakers with the development of measures focused on fostering green growth, so that countries will be economically compensated by their investments in the energy transition. In this sense, for this Special Issue, we seek papers that are able to address the renewable energy consumption and economic growth relationship, and that can shed some light on the strategies that should be followed in order to ensure sustainable development.

Dr. José Alberto Fuinhas
Dr. Matheus Koengkan
Mr. Renato Filipe de Barros Santiago
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy economics
  • energy consumption
  • economic growth
  • economic development
  • developing countries
  • developed countries
  • renewable energy
  • fossil fuels

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 187 KiB  
Editorial
Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth—Special Issue
by José Alberto Fuinhas, Matheus Koengkan and Renato Filipe de Barros Santiago
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5260; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15065260 - 16 Mar 2023
Viewed by 780
Abstract
The world is currently facing a critical environmental crisis, and the shift toward renewable energy sources has become increasingly urgent [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

29 pages, 5425 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Energy Efficiency Regulations on Energy Poverty in Residential Dwellings in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area: An Empirical Investigation
by Matheus Koengkan, José Alberto Fuinhas, Anna Auza and Uğur Ursavaş
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4214; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15054214 - 26 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1779
Abstract
This research examines the effect of energy efficiency regulations on reducing energy poverty in residential dwellings in 18 municipalities of the Lisbon metropolitan area from 2014 to 2020. In its empirical investigation, this study uses Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) with fixed effects and [...] Read more.
This research examines the effect of energy efficiency regulations on reducing energy poverty in residential dwellings in 18 municipalities of the Lisbon metropolitan area from 2014 to 2020. In its empirical investigation, this study uses Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) with fixed effects and Moments Quantile Regression (MM-QR) methodologies. The results of the OLS and MM-QR models suggest that energy efficiency regulations for the residential sector positively impact energy poverty (101.9252). However, this result may suggest that the current regulations are not effectively mitigating energy poverty in Lisbon’s metropolitan area and Portugal. This ineffectiveness could be due to economic, institutional, and behavioural barriers that impede the achievement of regulation policy goals. In maximising economic and social benefits, policymakers should consider implementing policies that link energy efficiency with clean energy generation in dwellings, promote economies of scale by recycling residuals from dwelling renovations, and provide clear guidance for materialising the energy strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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15 pages, 301 KiB  
Article
How Renewable Energy and CO2 Emissions Contribute to Economic Growth, and Sustainability—An Extensive Analysis
by Mara Madaleno and Manuel Carlos Nogueira
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4089; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15054089 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 1978
Abstract
Using energy efficiently is crucial for economic development and sustainability. However, excessive use of fossil fuels impedes sustainable economic growth, and the released emissions have a negative impact on the environment. Still, there is no consensus in the literature as to the side [...] Read more.
Using energy efficiently is crucial for economic development and sustainability. However, excessive use of fossil fuels impedes sustainable economic growth, and the released emissions have a negative impact on the environment. Still, there is no consensus in the literature as to the side effects or even regarding the determinants used to assess this relationship. As such, this article explores the effects that CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions and renewable energy consumption have on economic growth, using fixed assets, human capital, research and development, foreign direct investment, labor force, and international trade as controls, on a sample of 27 EU (European Union) countries between 1994 and 2019. Four different methodologies were applied to the sample, namely ordinary least squares, fixed effects, random effects, and the generalized method of moments in first differences, allowing endogeneity to be accounted for. Results show that gross fixed capital, human development, and trade contribute positively to economic growth; however, even though these contributions increase due to renewable energy consumption, that increase occurs at the expense of more CO2 emissions. This expense may be justified by the high dependency on fossil fuels in the EU 27 group. Policy implications are presented for policymakers, namely governments, in light of sustainability and climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
18 pages, 735 KiB  
Article
Moderating Impacts of Education Levels in the Energy–Growth–Environment Nexus
by Busayo Victor Osuntuyi and Hooi Hooi Lean
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2659; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032659 - 01 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1283
Abstract
The world’s environment has deteriorated significantly over the years. Pollution’s impact on the ecosystem is undeniably alarming. Many factors have been found in the literature to impact environmental pollution. However, there is a dearth of literature on the impacts of education levels on [...] Read more.
The world’s environment has deteriorated significantly over the years. Pollution’s impact on the ecosystem is undeniably alarming. Many factors have been found in the literature to impact environmental pollution. However, there is a dearth of literature on the impacts of education levels on environmental pollution. This study, therefore, examines the effects of education levels and their moderating impacts on the energy–growth–environment nexus. Fundamentally, the study investigates the effects of economic growth, natural resources, and the marginal effects of energy consumption on environmental pollution at various levels of education in Africa from 1990 to 2017. The cross-sectional dependence test, unit root test, cointegration test, fixed effect estimation, Driscoll–Kraay standard errors, fully modified least ordinary least square estimator and dynamic ordinary least square estimator are employed for the analyses. The findings reveal that education increases environmental pollution and that the marginal impacts of energy consumption at various education levels adversely impact environmental pollution, implying that increased school enrollments exacerbate the adverse effects of energy consumption. The findings also show that economic growth, population, and trade openness degrade the environment, whereas natural resources promote environmental sustainability. We deduce several policy implications to improve environmental quality in Africa based on the findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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23 pages, 5192 KiB  
Article
Analyzing the Influence of Philanthropy on Eco-Efficiency in 108 Countries
by Matheus Belucio and Giulio Guarini
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1085; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15021085 - 06 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1288
Abstract
This paper analyzes philanthropy’s influence on countries’ eco-efficiency. The hypothesis to be verified is that philanthropy can favour the eco-efficiency. A data panel was built with statistical information from 2009 to 2018. Two methods were applied. First, a Data Envelopment Analysis model output [...] Read more.
This paper analyzes philanthropy’s influence on countries’ eco-efficiency. The hypothesis to be verified is that philanthropy can favour the eco-efficiency. A data panel was built with statistical information from 2009 to 2018. Two methods were applied. First, a Data Envelopment Analysis model output oriented was estimated to identify the situation of overall efficiency in countries. We consider the relationship between Gross Domestic Product per capita and carbon dioxide per capita as our desirable and undesirable products, respectively. The second estimated method was a Stochastic Frontier, through which it was possible to assess the impact of philanthropy on eco-efficiency (rank of overall efficiency from DEA). Assessing the average eco-efficiency of countries around the world, it is possible to state that the results are worrying, since they reveal a fall in the average eco-efficiency of the countries over the years. Moreover, according to the second econometric model, the philanthropy index positively impacts on eco-efficiency. These empirical results fill a gap in the literature on donations’ effect on countries’ eco-efficiency. They allow policymakers to see how philanthropy can be one more tool to help countries improve their eco-efficiency. However, there is a warning that some attention is needed (control and regulation) for the best use of donations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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19 pages, 673 KiB  
Article
Quantifying the Competitiveness of Cultural Industry and Its Impacts on Chinese Economic Growth
by Linlin Yao, Paravee Maneejuk, Woraphon Yamaka and Jianxu Liu
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 79; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15010079 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2097
Abstract
One potential way to promote China’s economic growth is to develop a cultural industry and enhance its competitiveness. To confirm this hypothesis, this study first utilizes the five-element diamond model, principal component analysis, and factor analysis to evaluate the competitiveness of the cultural [...] Read more.
One potential way to promote China’s economic growth is to develop a cultural industry and enhance its competitiveness. To confirm this hypothesis, this study first utilizes the five-element diamond model, principal component analysis, and factor analysis to evaluate the competitiveness of the cultural industry in the 31 Chinese provinces during the period 2013–2019. The results reveal that the competitiveness of cultural industry in the eastern region is the strongest, followed in descending order by the central, northeastern, and western regions of China. Then, the panel regression is employed to explore the impact of the cultural industry’s competitiveness index on economic growth. The results indicate that the cultural industry’s competitiveness is positively associated with China’s economic growth. We also conduct another panel regression analysis by examining the impact of cultural industry factors on China’s economic growth to gain insight into the influence of the cultural industry components on growth. In this analysis, our results indicate that cultural industry factors, including fixed asset investment and labor, significantly play an important role in Chinese growth. This study also finds that total patent applications, the total profit of cultural enterprises, and government expenditure positively impact economic growth, but the evidence is weak. Thus, these three variables could be considered potential future driver factors. The empirical findings offer insights into strategies that the national government could implement to strengthen the cultural industry’s competitiveness as China’s new powerful driver of economic development. Compared with previous empirical studies, this research deepens the competitive cultural analysis, increases the number of observations, and lengthens the period studied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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15 pages, 670 KiB  
Article
Improving Energy Efficiency in China Based on Qualitative Comparative Analysis
by Cong Liu, Zhendong Tian, Bingyue Sun and Guoli Qu
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16103; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142316103 - 02 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1192
Abstract
Currently, in China, the influence of energy efficiency problems on economic and social development is increasingly prominent. The factors influencing energy efficiency and improving them have become the focus of academics. In this study, the effects of allocation on technical progress, industrial structure, [...] Read more.
Currently, in China, the influence of energy efficiency problems on economic and social development is increasingly prominent. The factors influencing energy efficiency and improving them have become the focus of academics. In this study, the effects of allocation on technical progress, industrial structure, energy consumption structure, and economic levels of energy efficiency are discussed based on a sample of 30 provinces in China using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). The results show that three paths could simulate high energy efficiency. The first path is dominated by economic level and energy consumption structure, with the assistance of industrial structure. The second path is dominated by economic level and energy consumption structure, with the assistance of technical progress. The third path is dominated by technical progress and industrial structure, with the assistance of economic level. None of the proposed four factors were required for high energy efficiency. Path 1 and path 2 formed the second-order equivalent configuration. In most provinces, high energy efficiency is stimulated through the path dominated by technical progress and industrial structure, assisted by economic level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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21 pages, 2366 KiB  
Article
The Role of Intra-Industry Trade, Foreign Direct Investment, and Renewable Energy on Portuguese Carbon Dioxide Emissions
by Nuno Carlos Leitão, Matheus Koengkan and José Alberto Fuinhas
Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15131; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142215131 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2339
Abstract
This paper revisited the link between intra-industry trade (IIT) between Portugal and Spain and Portuguese carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The research also considers the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on CO2 emissions, pondering the arguments of the pollution haven [...] Read more.
This paper revisited the link between intra-industry trade (IIT) between Portugal and Spain and Portuguese carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The research also considers the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on CO2 emissions, pondering the arguments of the pollution haven hypothesis and the halo hypothesis. As an econometric strategy, this investigation has applied panel data, namely a Pooled Mean Group of an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and Panel Quantile Regression (PQR). The preliminary unit root tests indicated that IIT, Portuguese and Spanish renewable energy, and Portuguese FDI are integrated into the first differences and stationary with the second generation test (Pesaran methodology). In the next step, this study applied the multicollinearity test and cross-dependence between the variables. The variance inflation factor test demonstrated that FDI and IIT have no multicollinear problems. However, as expected, collinearity exists between Portuguese and Spanish renewable energy. Regarding the cross-sectional dependence test, this investigation concluded that the variables have a dependence between them. The cointegration test revealed that the variables are overall cointegrated. In the econometric results with the ARDL estimator, this investigation has found that IIT between Portugal and Spain is negatively correlated with Portuguese CO2 emissions, showing that this type of trade encourages environmental improvements. However, the PQR demonstrates that there is an opposite relationship. According to this, Portuguese and Spanish renewable energy is negatively impacted by CO2 emissions, revealing that renewable energy aims to decrease pollution. Finally, Portuguese FDI reduces CO2 emissions, which is explained by product differentiation, innovation, and monopolistic competition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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20 pages, 1891 KiB  
Article
The Race to Zero Emissions in MINT Economies: Can Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Disintegrated Trade Be the Path to Carbon Neutrality?
by Tomiwa Sunday Adebayo and Mehmet Ağa
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14178; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142114178 - 30 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1581
Abstract
The current paper evaluates the role of disintegrated trade, financial development, and renewable energy on consumption-based carbon emissions (CCO2) in MINT nations between 1990Q1 and 2019Q4. This paper utilizes the novel Bootstrap Fourier Granger causality in quantiles (BFGC-Q) to evaluate this [...] Read more.
The current paper evaluates the role of disintegrated trade, financial development, and renewable energy on consumption-based carbon emissions (CCO2) in MINT nations between 1990Q1 and 2019Q4. This paper utilizes the novel Bootstrap Fourier Granger causality in quantiles (BFGC-Q) to evaluate this connection. This approach produces tail-causal and asymmetric causal connections between the indicators within the Fourier approximation, contrary to the Toda–Yamamoto causality and other conventional Granger tests. The outcomes uncover a unidirectional causality from economic growth and renewable energy to CCO2 emissions in each MINT nation. Moreover, unidirectional causality emerged from financial development to CCO2 for Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey. Moreover, exports have predictive power over CCO2 in Indonesia, Turkey, and Mexico, while imports only have predictive power over CCO2 emissions in Turkey. Lastly, financial development causes CCO2 in Indonesia, Nigeria, and Mexico. In summary, green energy and exports are essential factors that decrease CCO2 emissions and therefore decrease ecological deterioration in Mexico, Indonesia, and Turkey. On the flip side, imports only trigger CCO2 emissions in Turkey and Mexico. Lastly, the financial development effect on CCO2 emissions is positive in Mexico, Indonesia, and Nigeria, while an insignificant impact is found in Turkey. Based on these findings, policy ramifications are initiated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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25 pages, 2258 KiB  
Article
How Do Institutional Quality, Natural Resources, Renewable Energy, and Financial Development Reduce Ecological Footprint without Hindering Economic Growth Trajectory? Evidence from China
by Muhammad Sohail Amjad Makhdum, Muhammad Usman, Rakhshanda Kousar, Javier Cifuentes-Faura, Magdalena Radulescu and Daniel Balsalobre-Lorente
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13910; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142113910 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 56 | Viewed by 3068
Abstract
Institutional quality, financial development, and natural resources primarily determine how economic representatives support their operational and production behaviors towards escalating the renewable energy share in the whole energy mix and protecting ecological quality. In this way, this paper is the first to investigate [...] Read more.
Institutional quality, financial development, and natural resources primarily determine how economic representatives support their operational and production behaviors towards escalating the renewable energy share in the whole energy mix and protecting ecological quality. In this way, this paper is the first to investigate the influence of institutional quality, natural resources, financial development, and renewable energy on economic growth and the environment simultaneously in China from 1996 to 2020. The cointegration approaches verify the presence of a long-run association between the selected variables. The autoregressive distributed lag model outcomes reveal that institutional quality and renewable energy utilization greatly diminish ecological footprint. At the same time, other prospective indicators such as financial expansion and natural resources significantly enhance ecological footprint levels in the short- and long-run. Furthermore, institutional quality, financial expansion, renewable energy, and natural resources significantly trigger economic growth. Besides this, this study has revealed the unidirectional causal association from institutional quality and financial expansion to ecological footprint. In contrast, bidirectional causality occurs between renewable energy, natural resources, ecological footprint, and economic growth. The current research results offer some policy implications that will help to reduce the detrimental influence of environmental deprivation, without hindering the economic growth trajectory in the case of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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11 pages, 264 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Energy Supply, Finance, and Domestic Investment Nexus in West Africa
by Kayode David Kolawole, Micheal Adebayo Ajayi, Abdulkareem Alhassan, Festus Victor Bekun and Gizem Uzuner
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11882; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141911882 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1217
Abstract
This study examines the impact of financial deepening and sustainable energy supply on domestic investment in West African countries. The data for the study range from 1990 to 2020 and were sourced from the World Development Indicator database. We used the cross-sectional autoregressive [...] Read more.
This study examines the impact of financial deepening and sustainable energy supply on domestic investment in West African countries. The data for the study range from 1990 to 2020 and were sourced from the World Development Indicator database. We used the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) estimator for the analysis. Empirical findings showed that credit to the private sector significantly impacts domestic investment in West Africa. It was also revealed that access to electricity significantly impacts domestic investment in West Africa. This demonstrates that funding for the private sector and adequate power generation improve the investment in any economy. The study concludes that financial deepening has a significant impact on domestic investment. The study therefore recommends that the management of banks should be encouraged to pursue policies that will deepen the efficient allocation of financial services for domestic investment in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
15 pages, 314 KiB  
Article
Examining the Interaction Effect of Control of Corruption and Income Level on Environmental Quality in Africa
by Ojonugwa Usman, Paul Terhemba Iorember, Ilhan Ozturk and Festus Victor Bekun
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11391; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811391 - 10 Sep 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 1892
Abstract
The effects of corruption and income on environmental degradation is well established in the literature. However, little attention has been given to how the control of corruption affects the environmental quality at different levels of income. This study examines the interaction effect of [...] Read more.
The effects of corruption and income on environmental degradation is well established in the literature. However, little attention has been given to how the control of corruption affects the environmental quality at different levels of income. This study examines the interaction effect of the control of corruption and income on environmental quality in Africa over the period from 1996 to 2017. Using a Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) with fixed effects, the results revealed that both the control of corruption and income level increase CO2 emissions while their interaction term reduces CO2 emissions. This implies that the interaction effect of the control of corruption and income level mitigates carbon emissions. Particularly, the marginal effect of the control of corruption on CO2 emissions decreases as income level increases. Furthermore, renewable energy consumption has a negative and significant effect on CO2 emissions. The effect of foreign direct investment on CO2 emissions is positive and significant, which validates the pollution haven hypothesis. These results are heterogeneous across the quantile distribution of CO2 emissions. Based on these findings, our study suggests the need for the government and policymakers to stimulate income levels as a prerequisite for achieving sound and effective environmental policies in Africa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
24 pages, 4254 KiB  
Article
The Heterogeneous Effect of Economic Complexity and Export Quality on the Ecological Footprint: A Two-Step Club Convergence and Panel Quantile Regression Approach
by Emad Kazemzadeh, José Alberto Fuinhas, Matheus Koengkan and Fariba Osmani
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11153; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811153 - 06 Sep 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 1653
Abstract
This research aims to answer two fundamental questions of the present time: First, what is the impact of the increasing complexity of economic structures and the production of complex goods on the environment? Second, can increasing export quality lead to the improvement of [...] Read more.
This research aims to answer two fundamental questions of the present time: First, what is the impact of the increasing complexity of economic structures and the production of complex goods on the environment? Second, can increasing export quality lead to the improvement of the environment? Given that the relationship of the ecological footprint and its determinants has been revealed to be nonlinear, the use of the quantile approach is supported. This finding led us to the central hypothesis of this research: economic complexity and export quality first deteriorate the ecological footprint (i.e., in lower quantiles), and the middle and higher quantiles contribute to reducing or mitigating environmental damage. The effect of economic complexity and export quality on the ecological footprint was researched using a two-step approach. First, club convergence was applied to identify the countries that follow a similar convergence path. After this, panel quantile regression was used to determine the explanatory power of economic complexity and export quality on the ecological footprint of 98 countries from 1990 to 2014. The club convergence revealed four convergent groups. Panel quantile regression was used because the relationship between the ecological footprint and its explanatory variables was shown to be nonlinear for the group of countries identified by the club convergence approach. GDP, nonrenewable energy consumption, and the population damage the environment. Urbanisation contributes to reducing the ecological footprint. Export quality and trade openness reduce the ecological footprint, but not at all quantiles. The effect of trade openness mitigating the ecological footprint is lost at the 90th quantile. Export quality becomes a reducer of the ecological footprint in the 50th quantile or above, and in the higher quantiles, its contribution to reducing the footprint is vast. Economic complexity aggravates the ecological footprint in low quantiles (10th), becomes non-statistically significant in the 25th quantile, and reduces the ecological footprint in higher quantiles. Policymakers must identify the impact of the ecological footprint and consider the demand and supply side of economics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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26 pages, 3139 KiB  
Article
Effect of Battery Electric Vehicles on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 29 European Union Countries
by José Alberto Fuinhas, Matheus Koengkan, Nuno Carlos Leitão, Chinazaekpere Nwani, Gizem Uzuner, Fatemeh Dehdar, Stefania Relva and Drielli Peyerl
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13611; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132413611 - 09 Dec 2021
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 6608
Abstract
This analysis explored the effect of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in a panel of twenty-nine countries from the European Union (EU) from 2010 to 2020. The method of moments quantile regression (MM-QR) was used, and the ordinary least [...] Read more.
This analysis explored the effect of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in a panel of twenty-nine countries from the European Union (EU) from 2010 to 2020. The method of moments quantile regression (MM-QR) was used, and the ordinary least squares with fixed effects (OLSfe) was used to verify the robustness of the results. The MM-QR support that in all three quantiles, economic growth causes a positive impact on GHGs. In the 50th and 75th quantiles, energy consumption causes a positive effect on GHGs. BEVs in the 25th, 50th, and 75th quantiles have a negative impact on GHGs. The OLSfe reveals that economic growth has a negative effect on GHGs, which contradicts the results from MM-QR. Energy consumption positively impacts GHGs. BEVs negatively impacts GHGs. Although the EU has supported a more sustainable transport system, accelerating the adoption of BEVs still requires effective political planning to achieve net-zero emissions. Thus, BEVs are an important technology to reduce GHGs to achieve the EU targets of decarbonising the energy sector. This research topic can open policy discussion between industry, government, and researchers, towards ensuring that BEVs provide a climate change mitigation pathway in the EU region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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15 pages, 1034 KiB  
Article
Industry Leaders’ Perceptions of Residential Wood Pellet Technology Diffusion in the Northeastern U.S.
by Casey Olechnowicz, Jessica Leahy, Tian Guo, Emily Silver Huff, Cecilia Danks and Maura Adams
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4178; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13084178 - 09 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
Within a shifting climate of renewable energy options, technology innovations in the energy sector are vital in combating fossil-fuel-driven climate change and economic growth. To enter this market dominated by fossil fuels, renewable energy innovations need to overcome significant barriers related to cost, [...] Read more.
Within a shifting climate of renewable energy options, technology innovations in the energy sector are vital in combating fossil-fuel-driven climate change and economic growth. To enter this market dominated by fossil fuels, renewable energy innovations need to overcome significant barriers related to cost, relative advantages compared to fossil fuels, and policy incentive programs. A better understanding of the innovation diffusion of new technologies in establishing the renewable energy industry can aid policy makers in designing and implementing other renewable energy support programs and improving adoption rates within existing programs. This study assessed industry leaders’ perceptions through semi-structured interviews. We explored the innovation diffusion process of wood pellet residential heating technology, as well as policy needs and barriers within this industry that are hindering successful long-term diffusion and sustainability. We show that while there is high potential to the wood pellet industry in terms of local resources and overall advantages to fossil fuels, it can be difficult to achieve sustainable economic growth with current cost barriers and further policy programs and incentives are needed in addition to improved communication to reduce adoption barriers for wood pellet technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth)
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