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Energy efficiency and sustainable development goals (SDGs)
Abstract
This study attempts to connect Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with energy efficiency for 20 Asian and Pacific (AP) countries using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) from 2000 to 2018. The Panel Correction Standard Error (PCSE) estimates found that sustainable economic development and energy efficiency are positively related, suggesting that sustainable economic development is associated with increased energy efficiency. Similarly, we found that sustainable financial development is also positive, indicating that sustainable financial development increases energy efficiency. In further analyses, we confirmed a positive impact of green innovation on energy efficiency. The S-GMM estimator confirmed similar findings, showing robust to alternative econometric model. Based on these findings, we recommend policies that tend to promote sustainable economic and financial development.
... It is also a key focus of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as it supports poverty alleviation, education, health, industrialization, and water supply (Santika et al., 2019;United Nations, 2016). However, most global energy production and consumption remains unsustainable, causing increases in energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (Ibrahim et al., 2023;Miškinis et al., 2014;Zakari et al., 2022). ...
... The concept of energy efficiency is increasingly emphasized as a crucial aspect of achieving sustainable development (Di Foggia, 2018;Soltangazinov et al., 2020;Zakari et al., 2022). Energy efficiency is a measure of how effectively and efficiently energy is used to produce the desired output. ...
... Our predictive results align with various statements in global studies stating that energy demand or consumption can be reduced by up to 50% before 2050 by improving energy efficiency and promoting energy-saving behaviors (Min et al., 2022;Svenfelt et al., 2011;Ürge-Vorsatz et al., 2012). The concept of energy efficiency has been widely promoted as one of the indicators for achieving sustainable development (Di Foggia, 2018;Soltangazinov et al., 2020;Zakari et al., 2022). The International Renewable Energy Agency has also emphasized that, in response to climate change, many countries have developed ambitious renewable energy plans to achieve zero net emissions goals by 2050 (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2018), including Indonesia. ...
In the sophisticated realm of big data, analyzing energy efficiency in Indonesia has become crucial for identifying savings opportunities. This study analyzes and forecasts energy efficiency across various Indonesian provinces by using advanced regression techniques in machine learning-Support Vector Regression, Artificial Neural Network, and Random Forest. We utilize large-scale raster data, including carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) GEOS satellite, nocturnal satellite images from the Visible Independent Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and demographic and infrastructural data from WorldPOP and EsriWorld Cover. The analysis results highlight a notable increase in CO2 emissions from 2019 to 2023, with a significant reduction in night-time light emissions in 2020 due to the pandemic, which temporarily decreased human activities. Despite these fluctuations, the continuous increase in population density and built-up areas underscores the persistent influence of urbanization on emissions. The Random Forest model, which provided the most accurate predictions, showed a 65% increase in total CO2 emissions by 2030, driven by urbanization and economic growth, followed by a decline by 2045 due to targeted government policies. These insights contribute significantly to understanding the distribution of energy efficiency and support the development of sustainable energy policies in Indonesia. The study not only enriches scientific literature but also guides policy-making, offering a framework for tailored energy efficiency improvements. This research marks a pivotal advancement in utilizing big data and satellite technology to optimize energy use in a context that was previously underexplored.
... Although the literature contains numerous studies examining the environmental impacts of energy efficiency and renewable energy, most of these works focus on general trends without delving into the specific relationships between different countries' energy profiles and environmental impacts (Hanley et al., 2008, p. 700). For instance, the effects of energy efficiency policies in low-emission countries differ significantly when compared to high-emission counterparts (Zakari et al., 2022(Zakari et al., , p. 1166. Additionally, the extent to which renewable energy impacts emissions remains underexplored in terms of how factors like economic structure, energy consumption patterns, and technological innovation influence outcomes (Rahman & Alam, 2022, p. 205). ...
... These theories are further supported by global collaborations and policy frameworks. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, highlighted the priority of investing in renewable energy and adapting to climate change (Zakari et al., 2022(Zakari et al., , p. 1166. Masoudi et al. (2020) assert that renewable energy usage supports economic growth and reduces carbon emissions. ...
... Furthermore, Wang et al. (2019) assessed industrial energy consumption and emission reduction policies in China, emphasizing the positive effects of renewable energy investments on carbon reduction. Zakari et al. (2022) examined the link between sustainable development goals and energy efficiency in 20 Asia-Pacific countries, demonstrating that green innovation enhances energy efficiency and contributes to economic sustainability. Rahman and Alam (2022) investigated the effects of industrialization, renewable energy use, and financial development on environmental pollution in Australia, underlining the importance of renewable energy policies. ...
This study aims to review the connections between Turkey's energy industry, carbon emissions, renewable energy consumption, energy efficiency, and the provision of policy recommendations for environmental sustainability. The research looks at data from 2000 to 2022 using econometric tools including the Toda-Yamamoto causality test and the DF-GLS unit root test. The results demonstrate a one-way causal relationship between energy efficiency and carbon emissions at the 5% significant level, making it a potent tool for reducing emissions. However, the adoption of renewable energy sources did not appear to be associated with an increase in carbon emissions. The need of strengthening renewable energy policies and infrastructure is underscored by this finding. Results from renewable energy and efficiency programs vary across nation, according to the study. Carbon taxes, increased investment in renewable energy, and the promotion of energy-saving technologies are some of the environmentally friendly policies proposed for Turkey's energy infrastructure. The report also emphasizes regional growth in renewable energy initiatives and international cooperation. Turkey can achieve its sustainable development goals with the help of these proposals. The findings, which contribute significantly to the current literature, provide new insight into the operation of renewable energy programs and the relationship between energy efficiency and carbon emissions.
... Moreover, the assessment of climate change in rural communities has been carried out for processes of examining and the modernisation of technical approaches supported by the project's partners, as stated by Danielsen et al. (2022) [16] and Zakari et al. (2022) [17]. What hangs in the balance is the question of whether conservation agriculture addresses the needs of communities concerning climate change. ...
... The average annual temperature ranges between 14 • C and 29 • C. Rainfall is mainly received in summer, averaging between 300 mm and 400 mm per annum [17,19,29]. However, extreme temperatures are experienced in summer, with temperatures reaching highs of 40 • C. Due to climate change, the Vhembe district has been experiencing natural disasters such as floods and fires. ...
The Vhembe district of South Africa is dominantly rural, with agricultural practice being the main major livelihood activity. Furthermore, many of the rural subsistence farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, making them highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly high temperatures. Changes in climate cause extreme losses in agricultural productivity, increasing the level of vulnerability among rural subsistence farmers. The study examines the livelihood options adopted by rural communities in response to climate change dynamics in the Vhembe district. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, both primary and secondary data from 365 rural community members were employed. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were administered using purposive sampling and employed statistical analysis techniques. The results revealed that livestock production was the most dominant livelihood-resilient activity at 30%, while vendor activity is common in Ṱhohoyanḓou at 29%. The findings indicated that the highest establishment of water tanks was in the Madimbo area, with 51% as a form of livelihood resilience. Further, 70% of respondents demonstrated livelihood sustainability activities such as agricultural forums, conferences, and the practice of indigenous activities. The proposed strategies can be used by policymakers to effectively consider the most vulnerable groups and articulate unique local vulnerabilities.
... From the perspective of factors influencing energy efficiency, existing literature has explored this topic from various dimensions. Zakari et al (2022) investigated the positive influence of social sustainability on energy efficiency [6]. Chen et al (2022), Yu and Tang (2023), and Wu et al (2024) asserted that financial inclusion exerts a consistently positive effect on energy efficiency [7][8][9]. ...
... From the perspective of factors influencing energy efficiency, existing literature has explored this topic from various dimensions. Zakari et al (2022) investigated the positive influence of social sustainability on energy efficiency [6]. Chen et al (2022), Yu and Tang (2023), and Wu et al (2024) asserted that financial inclusion exerts a consistently positive effect on energy efficiency [7][8][9]. ...
Energy resource misallocation is a vital factor inhibiting energy efficiency improvement. This study uses city panel data from China and employs a theoretical and empirical research method to examine the impact of urban green development attention on energy resource misallocation. The study finds that urban green development attention has improved energy resource misallocation in Chinese cities. Urban green development attention improves energy resource misallocation through strengthening environmental regulation, promoting green technology innovation, and driving the greening of industrial structures. The impact of urban green development attention on energy resource misallocation exhibits significant heterogeneity, with more prominent improvement effects in central-western cities, resource-based cities, cities with low economic development levels, and high green finance development cities. The development of the digital economy is conducive to enhancing the energy resource misallocation improvement effect of urban green development attention. The conclusions of this study have strong implications for alleviating energy resource misallocation in cities, thereby improving urban energy efficiency.
... Regarding research on energy and green development, scholars are more focused on energy efficiency and sustainable development, and some scholars believe that sustainable development is equivalent to green development. Zakari et al. [22] studied the relationship between sustainable development and energy efficiency in Asian countries, and found that sustainable economic development has a positive impact on energy efficiency. ...
... Regional green development promotes the improvement of energy efficiency. Research has shown that sustainable economic development significantly promotes energy efficiency in the Asia-Pacific region [22]. The growth of an economy increases energy demand, and more developed regions often have the economic ability to adopt advanced energysaving technologies to improve energy utilization efficiency. ...
In order to achieve China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (double carbon) targets and to advance ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, it is essential that China reduces its energy intensity and increases its energy efficiency. This research developed an evaluation index system for energy efficiency and green development in the Yellow River Basin based on panel data collected from 64 of its prefecture-level cities and covering the period from 2011 to 2020. Each city’s energy efficiency and green development level index was calculated, and was analyzed together with the characteristics of its spatial pattern progression. The STIRPAT model was then used to investigate the influence mechanism of energy efficiency on green development. The final step in the analysis was to assess the process by which technical innovation influences the rise in energy efficiency from a green development point of view. The findings of this study indicate that: (1) There was a marked improvement in energy efficiency and green development levels across the Yellow River Basin over the study period of 2011 to 2020, but there are notable disparities among prefecture-level cities, with higher levels found in capital cities and cities in the lower reaches of the basin. (2) The improvement in energy efficiency has had a positive impact on the transition to green development, with factors such as human capital, urbanization levels, and the upgrading of industrial structures contributing significantly, while the level of foreign direct investment has had a limited impact. (3) Technological innovation plays a partial role in mediating the relationship between energy efficiency and green development in the Yellow River Basin, and passes the single-threshold test. When technological innovation surpasses the threshold value, the effect of energy efficiency on green development is significantly strengthened. This study indicates that improving energy efficiency, stimulating emerging industries, and enhancing technological innovation capabilities can significantly promote transformative green and high quality development in the Yellow River Basin of China.
... The statistics of countries' quantity of researched works is observed in Figure 13, where China recorded 422, accounting for 25.23% of the total, and this is followed by the United States, which published 330 researched papers representing a share of 19.76 % and India recording 277 articles accounting for 16.59% of the total articles. The increasing trend of article publications in the top ten countries can be attributed to the constant government support to alleviate energy poverty and meet the sustainable development goals projected that global sector energy applications will rise to about 30% by 2050 (Zakari et al., 2022). To describe more on the research in energy outlooks, it is also necessary to analyze the top journal publications in this area of study. ...
Photovoltaic systems have shown significant attention in energy systems due to the recent machine learning approach to addressing photovoltaic technical failures and energy crises. A precise power production analysis is utilized for failure identification and detection. Therefore, detecting faults in photovoltaic systems produces a considerable challenge, as it needs to determine the fault type and location rapidly and economically while ensuring continuous system operation. Thus, applying an effective fault detection system becomes necessary to moderate damages caused by faulty photovoltaic devices and protect the system against possible losses. The contribution of this study is in two folds: firstly, the paper presents several categories of photovoltaic systems faults in literature, including line-to-line, degradation, partial shading effect, open/close circuits and bypass diode faults and explores fault discovery approaches with specific importance on detecting intricate faults earlier unexplored to address this issue; secondly, VOSviewer software is presented to assess and review the utilization of machine learning within the solar photovoltaic system sector. To achieve the aims, 2258 articles retrieved from Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were examined across different machine learning and energy-related keywords from 1990 to the most recent research papers on 14 January 2025. The results emphasise the efficiency of the established methods in attaining fault detection with a high accuracy of over 98%. It is also observed that considering their effortlessness and performance accuracy, artificial neural networks are the most promising technique in finding a central photovoltaic system fault detection. In this regard, an extensive application of machine learning to solar photovoltaic systems could thus clinch a quicker route through sustainable energy production.
... The United Nations (UN) is using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to encourage sustainable business practices in the world's economy, which has led to radical changes in business models and methods. It has challenged the economies and businesses and created many opportunities as integrating SDGs into business has become mandatory [Zakari et al. (2022)]. ...
The relevance of sustainable practices in businesses is indispensable due to the rising global concerns over climate threats and carbon emissions. Integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into business models and operations has become the need of the hour. This radical shift in business operations is propelled by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set up by the United Nations (UN). The advent of newer technologies, especially Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL), has aided firms in data assimilation and evaluating their sustainable practices. However, a notable research gap remains in examining ESG integration in the processes and procedures of corporations through AI algorithms. This is due to the challenges of gathering comprehensive ESG-related data and the need for detailed comparative sectoral analysis. The impact and correlation of ESG scores on a firm’s financial performance have been studied, but a sectoral analysis across the globe needs to be done. The use of ML models for the textual and numerical data accumulation analysis is pertinent. The present study aims to provide a data-driven comparative analysis of three chosen sectors with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This research paper focuses on the environmental domain, as the climate threats and opportunities need an appropriate policy for implementation. This study utilizes the vast repository of ESG disclosure data from the Bloomberg database for the energy, consumer durables, and pharmaceutical sectors, covering global and Indian perspectives for comparative analysis. These three sectors provide pivotal data for addressing sustainability challenges regarding the Climate and Emission categories. The research and interpretation of numerical data are done with the help of the DL model and language model Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), which analyzes the textual data from social media. The study highlights the challenges associated with ESG integration among the chosen sectors on a global platform. The findings from this study can contribute significantly to the ongoing sustainability dialogue and policy formulation.
... However, in the short term, the effects of population growth on economic growth are only temporary. Zakari et al. (2022) investigated the relationship between energy efficiency and sustainable development in Asian and Pacific (AP) countries using ordinary least square with panel corrected standard error (OLS-PCSE) and system generalized moment of method (S-GMM). The results showed that sustainable financial development increases energy efficiency, and sustainable economic development is associated with increased energy efficiency. ...
Purpose
Despite the criticality of financial inclusion, population growth and energy intensity in shaping production and consumption, economic and environmental sustainability, less attention has been directed to their collective and integrating role as pathways to sustainable development. This study therefore examines the critical link between financial inclusion and sustainable development in Nigeria, taking into account the role of population growth and energy intensity.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs the Kernelized regularized least squares (KRLS) machine learning approach and Granger causality test to investigate the pathways of financial inclusion, population growth and energy intensity on sustainable development.
Findings
Financial inclusion path to sustainable development is not statistically significant. This is because the potential of financial inclusion are eclipsed by broader economic problems Population growth and energy intensity have significant dampening effects on sustainable development. These results have broad ramifications for environmental sustainability and macroeconomic strategies to Nigeria’s quest for achieving sustainable development.
Practical implications
Policies such as improvement of financial literacy and development of responsible financial behavior among the underserved populations can enhance the role of financial inclusion in sustainable development. Similarly, investment in education and human capital development, and adoption of renewable energy technologies can mitigate the effects of population growth and energy intensity.
Originality/value
The present study focuses on the pathway of financial inclusion to sustainable development, taking into account key variables of population growth and energy intensity.
... In response to the dual-carbon strategic goals, an increasing number of studies are focusing on the development and utilization of green, efficient, and sustainable energy sources, making energy storage an indispensable task in achieving these objectives [1][2][3][4][5]. Among various energy storage devices, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have dominated the power supply for portable electronic products over the past decades due to their high energy density, environmental friendliness, and lack of memory effect [6][7][8]. ...
Li3VO4, characterized by its high theoretical capacity and minimal volume expansion, emerges as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, challenges such as poor electrical conductivity and morphological control hinder its practical application. In this study, we synthesized a homogeneous Li3VO4 precursor via a hydrothermal method, ensuring uniform complexation of lithium and vanadium sources. During subsequent spray pyrolysis, the Li3VO4 precursor templated the directional adsorption of Ni, facilitating the in situ transformation of the Ni source into nanoparticles and yielding Li3VO4-0.50Ni porous microspheres. These microspheres possess an exceptionally large specific surface area of 130.0 m² g⁻¹, enhancing electrolyte contact and reaction kinetics. The incorporation of Ni improves the electrical conductivity of Li3VO4 and, in conjunction with dispersed Ni and carbon, mitigates Li3VO4 particle aggregation. As a result, Li3VO4-0.50Ni demonstrates a discharge capacity of 433.8 mAh g⁻¹ after 3000 cycles at a high current density of 4.0 A g⁻¹, with a capacity retention of approximately 93.3%. This work underscores the potential of Li3VO4-0.50Ni as a robust anode material for high-performance LIBs.
... International organizations, including the World Bank, recognize energy efficiency "as one of the three pillars for ending energy poverty and securing access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy" [61]. The better achievements in energy efficiency, the better access to energy required for sustainable development [62]. ...
By 2050, Europe will become the first climate-neutral continent according to the vision of the European Union (EU). To tackle this challenge, the EU has scheduled the accomplishment of the 17 goals of the United Nations’s 2030 Agenda, with Goal 7 addressing the energy sector. The role of public policies is fundamental in this case; however, it is insufficient in some areas, e.g., when adopting green energy technologies. The purpose of this article is to identify the economic factors that are necessary to achieve Goal 7 of Agenda 2030. To realize the aim of this study and identify economic factors that are significant for implementing the targets of Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda, two statistical methods were used: the Pearson linear correlation coefficient and linear regression modeling with a scatter plot to present the relationships. The results of this study confirm that in the EU, the possibility of achieving Goal 7 is dependent on the three economic determinants analyzed, i.e., GDP per capita, unemployment rate, and gross domestic spending on research and development. The analysis revealed that the impact of single economic factors on the realization of all SDG 7 targets is small because no economic factor correlates with even half of SDG 7 indicators.
... Energy efficiency (EE) is an important factor for sustainable development and welfare in nations and regions because of its diverse environmental, economic, and social benefits [1,2]. It reduces dependence on fossil fuels by optimizing energy resource utilization for higher or equivalent output, thereby aiding in the reduction of greenhouse gases and carbon footprints [3]. ...
Achieving environmental sustainability has become a global priority, with energy efficiency (EE) emerging as a critical pathway. This study examines the influence of information and communication technology service exports (ICT) on EE by integrating the moderating role of regulatory quality. We employ a super-slack-based measure (Super-SBM) and generalized least squares models in G20 economies throughout 2001–2023. The findings show that the average EE is 0.855, which indicates a potential for further improvement of 14.50%. The findings further show that ICT is positively related to EE, and regulatory quality delivers a conducive environment for the adoption of technologies to optimize energy usage. The findings also indicate a synergistic effect between ICT and regulatory quality, which can lead to substantial improvements in EE, emphasizing the importance of governance in facilitating technological advancements. The findings highlight the role of renewable energy and economic openness in shaping EE. Furthermore, Argentina and South Africa achieved the highest EE, reflecting their proximity to the efficient frontier. In robust tests, this study verifies its results using the generalized method of moments, panel-corrected standard error, and feasible generalized least squares models. The findings suggest that ICT and governance perspectives can provide valuable insights for policymakers aiming to enhance energy sustainability through digital transformation and institutional reforms.
... Environmental Sustainability: Significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are consistent with broader green development goals (Zakari et al., 2022). These findings suggest that ITLS, when integrated into a city's sustainability agenda, can make a tangible contribution toward mitigating environmental impacts. ...
This study explores the potential for the implementation of an advanced Intelligent Traffic Light System (ITLS) in Chinese urban landscapes, integrating Internet of Things (IoT) and digital twin technologies for sustainable urban development. Using empirical data from the Malaysia Smart Traffic Light Management (MSTLM) program, we assessed the effectiveness of the system on multiple dimensions critical to sustainability. Statistical analysis of eight cities showed significant improvements in vehicle safety programs: average travel time was reduced by 37.7%, congestion index by 38.5%, fuel consumption by 27.3%, and CO2 emissions by 18.4%. In addition, system reliability was significantly improved with 98.3% uptime and 280.5% increase in signal conditioning frequency. The study presents a comprehensive framework tailored to China's urban environment, emphasizing technical architectures, deployment strategies, and policy recommendations aligned with the SDGs. Our findings contribute to the debate on smart city infrastructure management, providing actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders committed to resilient and sustainable urban growth providing an adaptable roadmap for large-scale deployment in rapidly urbanizing Chinese cities. Our findings bridge Malaysian empirical insights to China’s distinct infrastructure and governance structures.
... ESG performance serves as a comprehensive measure of corporate responsibility, encompassing environmental protection, social equity, and robust governance practices. These factors are crucial in the fight against climate change, particularly in reducing carbon emissions, which are a significant contributor to global warming (Zakari et al., 2022;Christensen et al., 2021). However, the effectiveness of ESG initiatives in achieving lower carbon emissions is not uniform across all regions and is influenced by various external factors. ...
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations and the general direction of global green and low-carbon transformation, China has formulated a dual-carbon target. It aims to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and strive for carbon neutrality by 2060. Therefore, carbon emission intensity (CEI) has gradually become a research focus. This study investigates the effect of ESG performance on CEI, and explores the moderating effect of climate policy uncertainty (CPU) and the digital economy (DE) on ESG performance and CEI. Provincial-level data in China from 2011 to 2020 was used under the panel data analysis method. The analysis reveals that ESG performance significantly alleviates CEI. In addition, CPU weakens the efficiency of ESG initiatives in decreasing CEI due to regulatory unpredictability, while the digital economy’s expansion, although innovative, may exacerbate CEI in regions dependent on fossil fuels. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the need for integrated policies that harmonize digital growth with sustainability goals. Additionally, it underscores the significance of considering CPU and DE as critical moderating factors in ESG-CEI dynamics, offering insights for policymakers aiming to balance technological advancement with environmental responsibility.
... Thus, many scholars (Delgado et al., 2023;Hussain et al., 2023) have recently proposed solutions for the industry's negative issues, including sustainable tourism and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Especially in SDGs 11, "make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable" (Jaramillo, 2020, p. 99), sustainable community, sustainable development, and social sustainability have been employed to achieve these SDGs goals (Zakari et al., 2022;Moriarty and Honnery, 2020;Salvia et al., 2019). ...
Purpose
This study aims to examine the role of mindful consumption in promoting rural sustainability, particularly in the context of tourism in Muang Kaen Community, Chiang Mai, Thailand, by establishing a robust circular economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 28 informants who are tourism stakeholders regarding sustainable development, i.e. government officers, business owners, community leaders and community members in Muang Kaen, to achieve the data triangulation. A thematic analysis of the interview data was employed in this data set.
Findings
The findings demonstrate three key themes for driving sustainable community development: a sense of community, leadership and embodiment. At an individual level, local community members co-create a sense of community through Thainess, which gradually forms the social commitment to caring for neighbors, the community, and the environment. Carefulness also relates to another theme, “leadership” – social capital, which drives mindful behavior among the community members. Both situational and official leaders are key persons in forming a culture of sustainability within the community. Finally, the community can achieve sustainable goals by driving from the individual to the collective level through the embodiment.
Research limitations/implications
This single-case study warrants further examination across different communities to generalize the findings to broader circumstances.
Originality/value
This study has shed light on how rural tourism can drive sustainable development through a circular economy and mindful consumption.
... Moreover, the Renewable Energy Consumption (REC) to meet global climate and sustainability goals could help achieve the SDG. In any economy, the energy sector could serve as an indicator of how efficiently energy resources are utilized (Zakari et al 2022). Thus, it is important to distinguish between REC and non-REC. ...
Environmental degradation is among one of the most critical issues of recent times. To address this critical challenge in highly pollutant nations, this research inquires about the role of Energy Intensity (EI) along with Renewable Energy Consumption (REC) and non-REC as controlling indicators in the carbon emissions’ model. The research is significant because it provides potential information to energy policymakers for mitigating the adverse effects of environmental degradation. The Cross-Sectional Dependent (CSD) test is utilized to authenticate the CSD in the variables and the Slope Heterogeneity (SH) test is applied to verify the heterogeneous relationships across the polluted economies. Moreover, CSD-based unit root tests are applied to confirm the stationarity of the series. The CSD-based cointegration test is applied, which cares for both CSD and SH in analysis. Lastly, CSD-based regressions are applied to find the long and short relationships. A period of 1990–2021 is utilized for data analyses as per data availability of all analyzed countries. The results demonstrate significantly increasing effects of EI on emissions leading to mitigated environmental quality. A 1% increase in EI increases emissions by 0.6227%. However, renewable energy significantly mitigates carbon emissions while non-REC is found to significantly escalate carbon emissions. A 1% increase in REC mitigates emissions by 0.2458% and a 1% increase in non-REC raises emissions by 0.65%. This research further confirms the evidence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) with an income elasticity of 13.1393 and income square elasticity of -0.6209. The results of EI, REC, and non-REC are similar in all estimations while the validity of the EKC is witnessed in two out of three models. The causal relation suggests feedback between emissions and economic progress, EI, REC, and non-REC, which highlights the interdependence of the energy sector and environmental outcomes. This research suggests that governments of the investigated polluted economies should impose taxes on non-renewable energy consumption. The revenues from these taxes should be utilized to subsidize renewable energy consumption. Both initiatives would help reduce energy intensity in these polluted economies to condense the environmental consequences of the energy sector.
... Zengin et al. (2021) examined how Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0 affected the achievement of sustainable development. Zakari et al. (2022) discovered a connection between energy conservation and long-term sustainable growth in 20 countries in Asia and the Pacific. Peng (2023) concentrated on the TBL facets of sustainable manufacturing industry. ...
... The urgency to mitigate the impacts of extreme climate events due to emission of greenhouse gases, has led to a global commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular emphasis on SDG-13, which addresses climate action [1], [2]. As part of these efforts, both developed and developing nations are increasingly transitioning from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. ...
The growth of Electric Vehicle (EV) technologies necessitates adequate charging infrastructure and energy storage systems for reliable operation. Conversely, vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-home, and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technologies are being researched to enhance EV usage. V2V technology can assist EV users with convenient power sharing during emergencies. However, the conventional plug-in approach limits safety and human intervention aspects. Recent advancements in wireless power transfer (WPT) offer both convenience and reliable power exchange, making them the most suitable approach for V2V technology. WPT is a loosely coupled system, and the air gap increases leakage inductance, which weakens the coupling factor (K) and affects power transfer efficiency (PTE). In this article, the enhancement of the coupling factor is achieved by employing a reconfigurable coil between the Transmitter (Tx) coil and the Receiver (Rx) coil. This reconfigurable coil functions as a resonator, enhancing the flux generated by the Tx coil and improving PTE. Furthermore, the proposed system facilitates bidirectional power flow between two EVs. The phase shift control technique regulates the power flow between the two EVs. Improved efficient WPT conserves energy and reduces the reliance on energy storage devices. The proposed WPT system is validated with a 500W prototype model and realized efficiency of 92.6 % in aligned condition and 86.6% at 40% lateral misaligned condition.
... Addressing these challenges aligns with Indonesia's broader commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 (Ardiansyah & Ekadewi, 2022;Permana et al., 2022). This ambitious target requires a multifaceted approach that not only focuses on reducing emissions but also integrates renewable energy efficiency improvements, and the promotion of sustainable practices across various sectors (Zakari et al., 2022), including the vital tourism industry. Given its status as a premier tourist destination, Nusa Penida offers a unique opportunity to pilot and showcase effective emission reduction strategies. ...
... In this section, we investigated alternative estimation methods to analyse the conclusions. While the ordinary least squares method excelled under classical assumptions, the generalized method of moments (GMM) remained valid even without exact distribution information of random perturbations (Hashmi and Alam, 2019;Zakari et al., 2022). It was also robust to heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation, violating classical assumptions. ...
The rapid growth of the Chinese economy has significantly escalated energy consumption and carbon emissions. The imperative to achieve synergies in energy conservation and carbon reduction has never been more pressing. Digital development presents promising avenues for addressing these challenges, making it crucial to investigate its impact on energy intensity (EI) and carbon emission performance (CEP). This study integrates the super efficiency epsilon-based measure (SE-EBM), mediation effect, and threshold effect models to assess the influence of digital development on EI and CEP using data from 267 cities across China from 2011 to 2019. Our findings demonstrate a notable 23.1% reduction in EI and an 18.5% improvement in CEP attributable to digital development. Moreover, our analysis underscores the pivotal role of technological innovation as a transformative conduit. Importantly, we identify significant threshold effects linked to economic development stages. This study not only enriches our understanding of pathways to energy conservation and carbon reduction but also provides compelling evidence supporting policies aimed at fostering and accelerating digital development initiatives.
... Due to the aforementioned reasons, there is an increasing emphasis on the need to implement the concept of sustainable development, which advocates for the prudent use of resources [3]. Achieving this goal requires wise energy management, including reducing consumption and improving efficiency [4,5]. One method to minimize energy losses is the use of structures that provide high insulation efficiency. ...
This article describes an innovative thermal insulation barrier in the form of a sandwich panel manufactured using 3D FDM printing technology. The internal structure (core structure) of the barrier is based on the Kelvin foam model. This paper presents the influence of the parameters (the height h and the porosity P of a single core cell) of the barrier on its properties (thermal conductivity, thermal resistance, compressive strength, and quasi-static indentation strength). The dominant influence of the porosity of the structure on the determined physical properties of the fabricated samples was demonstrated. The best insulation results were obtained for single-layer composites with a cell height of 4 mm and a porosity of 90%, where the thermal conductivity coefficient was 0.038 W/(m·K) and the thermal resistance 0.537 (m 2 ·K)/W. In contrast, the best compressive strength properties were obtained for the 50% porosity samples and amounted to about 350 MPa, while the moduli for the 90% porosity samples were 14 times lower and amounted to about 26 MPa. The porosity (P) of the composite structure also had a significant effect on the punch shear strength of the samples produced, and the values obtained for the 90% porosity samples did not exceed 1 MPa. In conclusion, the test showed that the resulting 3D cellular composites offer an innovative and environmentally friendly approach to thermal insulation.
This study examines the relationship amid energy poverty, public debt, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and CO₂ emissions in BRICS economies from 2000 to 2023, using the Dynamic Common Correlated Effects (DCCE) methodology. The findings reveal that energy poverty and public debt significantly increase CO₂ emissions in the long run, reflecting the environmental consequences of limited energy access and debt-driven economic activities. Energy efficiency plays a crucial role in reducing emissions by promoting cleaner energy consumption and minimizing waste. However, renewable energy does not exhibit a momentous long-run impact on CO₂, suggesting that its current integration is insufficient for substantial CO₂ reduction. In the short run, public debt remains a key driver of emissions, while renewable energy and energy efficiency contribute to moderate reductions. These findings underscore the complex interplay between economic and environmental factors in BRICS economies. Addressing energy poverty, ensuring sustainable debt management, and enhancing energy efficiency are critical for mitigating emissions. Additionally, stronger policy support is needed to improve the effectiveness of renewable energy adoption. A balanced approach integrating clean energy access, fiscal responsibility, and sustainable policies is essential to achieving long-term environmental sustainability and economic resilience in BRICS nations.
The transformation of the world into a complex system through global exposure to artificial intelligence, digitalization, and other technological advancements may affect the environment, including energy markets. This study investigates the role of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR) on clean and dirty energy markets using daily time series data from December 19, 2017, to March 21, 2024. The empirical results based on the newly developed Quantile-on-Quantile Granger Causality test suggest the following: (i) returns of assets related to the FIR under bearish market conditions induce market oscillations in both clean and dirty energy markets; (ii) the predictive power of assets related to the FIR for dirty energy assets is stronger compared to its predictive power for clean energy assets when markets for the FIR assets are neutral. This implies that clean energy assets can act as diversifiers for FIR assets; (iii) market oscillations occur at both bullish and bearish states of FIR asset returns but are more pronounced at bearish states; (iv) the use of alternative energy market proxies tell a somewhat similar story. Overall, the implication of our findings is that assets related to the FIR have stronger predictive content for dirty energy markets. Policy implications are outlined.
This chapter explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing green banking and investments. It delves into the integration of AI technologies to drive sustainability in the financial sector by enhancing green banking practices, optimizing investment strategies, and supporting environmental goals. Key applications of AI, such as predictive analytics for sustainable investments, AI-driven risk management, and automation of compliance and reporting, are discussed. The chapter also addresses the challenges and opportunities AI presents, including data privacy concerns and technological barriers. Future trends highlight the potential of emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT in complementing AI to further green finance initiatives. The chapter concludes with insights into how AI can shape a sustainable financial future, contributing to global environmental targets and economic growth.
The subject of this study is the process of assessing the economic efficiency of implementing an investment project aimed at ensuring the energy security of enterprises within the power sector at the microeconomic level. The task considered was to devise a comprehensive and adaptive approach to assessing the economic efficiency of investments, enabling effective planning, implementation, and adjustment of the investment project for ensuring energy security at enterprises under uncertainty. The research revealed that conventional approaches, such as cost-benefit analysis, do not adequately account for risks and potential threats that arise during the implementation of investment projects. An improved comprehensive method for assessing economic efficiency has been proposed, consisting of eight key stages that are interconnected based on calculations and analysis of the economic efficiency indicators of the investment project for the enterprise. A distinctive feature of this method is the integration of quantitative and qualitative indicators of investment projects, which allows for evaluating their effectiveness and ensuring real-time adaptation to justify management decisions under uncertainty. The choice of criteria for evaluating investment objects for forming a system of energy security indicators for enterprises has been substantiated. A computational algorithm was developed to monitor the dynamics of indicator changes, which helps make timely management decisions to minimize energy security risks. The practical significance of this study is that it provides enterprises with methodological foundations for optimizing investment strategies. It has been shown that maximum energy security and financial benefits for enterprises are achieved through the complete prevention of accidents, ensuring profitability at the level of 41 %
The aim of this study is to analyze Saudi Arabia's economic transformation, emphasizing the period from 1990 to 2022 and considering the implementation of Vision 2030. Land use, energy consumption, and economic growth are evaluated through the use of a nonlinear ARDL model. Based on the findings, the Saudi economy has shifted from relieving heavily on oil revenues to diversification and sustainability. The economy has been positively impacted by sustainable land use practices and a reduction in nonrenewable energy consumption since Vision 2030, which highlights the early successes of diversification efforts. The study demonstrates a strong link between energy efficiency enhancements and economic performance, highlighting the economic benefits of ongoing energy reforms. However, the Saudi economy's sensitivity to oil prices persists, albeit with a diminished impact post‐Vision 2030. The research emphasizes the importance of strategic land management and investment in energy‐efficient technologies to foster a resilient and diversified economic structure.
The construction industry is negatively impacted by inefficient energy practices; therefore, sustainable home development requires energy efficiency which is crucial for a sustainable future. Despite previous research in Pakistan looked at each aspect separately, for optimal efficiency benefits, an integrated analysis is required. The objective of this study is to investigate how orientation, glass, HVAC systems, and Smart Composite Insulated Panels (SCIP) work together to maximize residential energy performance. The study builds verified energy models of a case study house in Pakistan using Autodesk Revit and Insight 360. Improvements in efficiency are measured by statistical analysis of design combinations. As compared to baseline, a 45° northeast orientation lowers annual energy costs by 2.35%, according to the results. Windows with triple glazing have a 42.5% lower U-value than those with double glazing. The energy cost of high-efficiency heat pumps is 50.7, whereas that of regular systems is 61.9. Brick walls have a U-value that is 64.2% higher than that of SCIP wall panels. The combined strategy allows for a 20.4% increase in efficiency. Renewable integration, data unique to climates, tenant behavior, governmental incentives, and life cycle sustainability should all be evaluated in future research. The use of multi-parameter energy modelling facilitates the adoption of integrated technology solutions by architects, engineers, and regulators by offering reliable statistical data to guide residential building design and enhance energy efficiency.
Purpose: Climate change and the effect of global warming is being felt across the world, Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions to the impacts of climate change. African women entrepreneurs face the triple jeopardy of dealing with the aftereffects of Covid-19, climate change and lack of electricity for their business ventures. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a qualitative research method approach 20 small businesses owned by women entrepreneurs from South Africa and Nigeria, the two largest economies in Africa are sampled to understand the impact of the energy crises on their business ventures and livelihoods. Findings: Findings from the study indicate that for Africa to meet the SDGs as well the AU agenda 2063. There is a need for the government to provide legal backing and incentives for green energy development to promote a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem for women entrepreneurs. Practical Implications: The study provides an insight into the challenges faced by African women entrepreneurs as a result of the lack of sustainable energy. The study could assist policy makers in regulating and developing a legal framework for green energy on the African continent using a gender sensitive perspective. Social Implications: Africa’s energy crises significantly impact on women on the continent, from contributing to their business failures to impacting on women's personal security and socio-economic survival. Originality and Value: The study contributes to extant literature on African women entrepreneurship challenges and prospects. It also contributes to literature on green energy regulations in Africa from a gender sensitive perspective.
This study aims to explore the impacts of sustainable development, energy productivity, financial inclusion, and
clean energy electricity output on environmental poverty for fourteen OECD countries using data from 2004 to
2020. This study employed a novel indicator for sustainable development and constructed a nonparametric index
for financial inclusion to cover the COP28 perspective. This study used nonparametric tests, i.e., the method of
moments quantile regression (MMQREG) and found that sustainable development, green finance, energy productivity, and eco-innovation coefficients are negative and decrease environmental poverty in the OECD countries. The effects of financial inclusion and environment-related taxes are positive for the linear term and negative for the nonlinear term effects on environmental poverty. The impacts of environmental regulation and clean electricity do not help reduce environmental poverty. In terms of policy implications, this study recommends increasing investment in green finance, encouraging financial inclusion, and promoting all the key dimensions of sustainable development that could be crucial for alleviating environmental poverty in these
economies.
Latar belakang mengingat pentingnya pembangunan berkelanjutan dan kontribusi potensial sektor konstruksi, penelitian ini memegang janji untuk menghasilkan temuan yang dapat memperkaya literatur akademik, menginformasikan diskusi kebijakan, dan membimbing praktik industri dalam upaya mencapai tujuan pembangunan berkelanjutan global. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis potensi dan tantangan kewirausahaan sosial dalam memberdayakan masyarakat marginal di Kabupaten Bone Bolango. Dengan menggunakan metode kualitatif, penelitian ini melibatkan wawancara dengan pelaku usaha, tokoh masyarakat, dan stakeholder terkait untuk memahami dinamika yang terjadi dalam pelaksanaan kewirausahaan sosial. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa meskipun terdapat program pelatihan dan pendidikan yang dirancang untuk meningkatkan keterampilan masyarakat, banyak pelaku usaha yang mengalami kesulitan dalam menerapkan pengetahuan yang diperoleh, sehingga menciptakan kesenjangan antara teori dan praktik. Lebih lanjut, penelitian ini menemukan bahwa penciptaan lapangan kerja melalui kewirausahaan sosial tidak berjalan sesuai harapan. Meskipun setiap usaha sosial diperkirakan dapat menyerap 3-5 tenaga kerja, banyak yang tidak berhasil bertahan lama dan tutup dalam waktu singkat. Faktor-faktor seperti ketidakstabilan akses modal, pasar yang tidak terjamin, dan resistensi terhadap inovasi menjadi hambatan utama dalam mencapai tujuan pemberdayaan ekonomi. Temuan ini menyoroti perlunya pendekatan yang lebih komprehensif untuk mendorong keberhasilan kewirausahaan sosial. Sebagai langkah rekomendasi, penelitian ini mengusulkan peningkatan kualitas pelatihan, monitoring dan evaluasi berkelanjutan, serta kolaborasi antara pemerintah, masyarakat, dan sektor swasta. Reformasi kebijakan yang lebih inklusif dan berorientasi pada kebutuhan lokal juga diperlukan untuk menciptakan ekosistem yang mendukung kewirausahaan sosial. Dengan demikian, penelitian ini diharapkan dapat memberikan kontribusi bagi pengembangan kebijakan dan praktik kewirausahaan sosial yang lebih efektif di Kabupaten Bone Bolango, serta meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat marginal.
The article presents the results of a study of the sustainable energy development of the European Union (EU) countries between 2013 and 2022. The study was conducted according to a two-level research methodology developed specifically for this purpose, using 19 selected indicators that characterize development across four dimensions: energy security, economic, environmental, and social. Their goal was to provide a comprehensive and multidimensional assessment of this development in the years under study. The result of the essential two-stage research process was the determination of the index values of the individual dimensions included in the study, as well as the total sustainable energy development index (SEDI). The COPRAS method was used to determine the values of the dimensional indices, and the CRITIC and Entropy methods and Laplaceʼs criterion were used to determine the index weights. Based on these results, an assessment of the level of sustainable energy development in the EU-27 countries was conducted. The rankings determined for each dimension and the comprehensive assessment reveal that Sweden and Finland achieved the best results in sustainable energy development, whereas Malta and Cyprus scored the lowest. Moreover, the efficiency of sustainable energy development in the EU-27 countries was also evaluated based on the indices of change dynamics of the selected indicators. These results, which more specifically assess individual sub-areas between 2013 and 2022, indicate that Malta and Latvia showed the greatest progress in energy sustainability efficiency, while Spain showed the least. The two research approaches to assessing the energy sustainability of the EU-27 countries presented in this paper offer a broad and multidimensional perspective on the energy transition. The results obtained have significant potential applications and should be utilized in the development and implementation of energy policies and strategies for sustainable energy development in the EU.
Purpose
This study aims to explore the spatio-temporal dynamic characteristics and influencing factors of the coordination degree of the three systems of digital economy, energy and human habitat in Western China and to provide academic research support for promoting coordinated and sustainable development in similar regions of the world.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on system theory and sustainable development theory, this study primarily uses the coupled coordination degree model to assess the degree of coordination between the three systems.
Findings
The findings of this study indicate that: The three systems’ overall coordination is low. The distribution of the degree of coordination has spatial differences and its coefficient of variation is small. The probability of the coordination type changing for the better is greater than that of the opposite, and neighboring provinces interact with one another. The old-age dependence ratio, the resident population’s urbanization rate and public budget expenditure have the strongest gray association with the degree of coordination.
Practical implications
This study’s findings will be valuable for policymakers in developing policies to promote the coordinated and sustainable growth of the region’s digital economy, energy and human habitat. Additionally, the findings will aid in facilitating regional exchanges and cooperation to enhance the level of sustainable development.
Social implications
This study’s findings will contribute to increased social interest in coordinating sustainable growth in the digital economy, energy and human habitat.
Originality/value
This study examines the digital economy, energy and human habitat within the same framework and investigates spatial spillover effects using spatial Markov chains.
This study investigates the synergistic effects of energy alternatives, financial technology (FinTech), natural resources, and climate action within the BRICS nations, with a focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG13), which centers on climate action. The integration of system theory with panel Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and econometric methods enables a deeper exploration of how these factors interact to influence climate outcomes. The investigation is significant because BRICS countries—representing major emerging economies—are pivotal in global energy consumption, natural resource extraction, and financial systems, making them key players in the global transition towards sustainability. Identifying the configurational patterns of these variables and their impacts on climate action provides critical insights for policymakers aiming to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. The findings reveal intricate configurations of conditions influencing climate action within the BRICS nations, highlighting the significance of factors such as renewable energy consumption, financial technology integration, and natural resources abundance. Econometric analyses further underscore the negative effects of fossil fuel energy consumption, positive effects of renewable energy consumption, financial technology, and natural resources abundance on climate action. This study contributes to the literature by integrating system theory into panel QCA and econometric analyses to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of climate action within the BRICS nations.
The relationship between the concepts of sustainable development and ecological theory has become two issues of increasing importance on a global scale (Majeed & Abaas, 2023; Liang & Li, 2020; Ruggerio, 2021). Goals such as adaptation to environmental factors, increasing social welfare, economic growth, and protection of natural resources are considered stages realized in sustainable development and ecological theory (Alves et al., 2022; Gui-rui et al., 2022). The present study has two purposes. The first purpose is to contribute to the literature by examining studies discussing the concepts of sustainable development and ecological theory within the scope of international literature. The second purpose is to identify the gaps in the field and to reveal academic trends over the years, through visual network maps, by performing a bibliometric analysis with quantitative data on the studies on both sustainable development and ecological theory.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created under 17 important headings announced by the United Nations (UN) in 2015. Three interconnected principles of sustainable development – Social, Environmental, and Economic- form the fundamental pillars of SDGs. No study has attempted to measure SDGs performances of countries in a single network model using these basic dimensions. To fill this gap, this study uses three-stage additive network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to monitor the performance of 29 Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD) countries from 2015 to 2018. Our analysis reveals that the performance of OECD member countries in the environmental
balance division is much lower than in the social progress and socio-economic divisions. Each country should identify its weaknesses in specific divisions and allocate more effort accordingly. We find none of the countries are overall efficient but a few are efficient in one or two divisions such as Latvia, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, Finland, and USA. Based on the findings we recommend that the OECD countries should primarily focus on environmental issues to promote their overall performance in achieving SDGs. Our results underscore the notion that economic strength does not invariably equate to the achievement of SDGs as well.
The logging curve is the most basic and important part of the petroleum industry. It plays an incomparable role in identifying of rock and oil-gas layers, and analyzing the geological structure of the formation. It also can be used to calculate porosity, permeability, and saturation. The quality of logging curve is the premise to ensure the reliability of logging interpretation results. However, in the actual application of logging data, it is often occurred that the logging curve is distorted or missing in some well segments due to tool measurement or wellbore reasons, which affects the accuracy of logging results. At present, the conventional linear fitting and statistical analysis has been difficult to satisfy the requirements for ultra-fine reservoir analysis and evaluation. Kernel ridge regression is a multivariate nonlinear regression analysis method. It combines kernel function and least square regression analysis. This method is used to reconstruct the acoustic curve of 20 wells in the study area and explain it finely. The results show that the kernel ridge regression method can be used for multivariate nonlinear regression analysis. The curve predicted by this method has high accuracy and is worthy of popularization and use in oil fields.
Afforestation plays an important role in soil carbon storage and water balance. However, there is a lack of information on deep soil carbon and water storage. The study investigates the effect of returning farmland to the forest on soil carbon accumulation and soil water consumption in 20-m deep soil profile in the hilly and gully region of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Four sampling sites were selected: Platycladus orientalis (Linn.) Franco forest (PO: oriental arborvitae), Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. Forest (PT: southern Chinese pine), apple orchard (AO) and farmland (FL, as a control). Soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) content were measured in 50-cm sampling intervals of 20-m soil profiles, as well as the associated factors (e.g. soil water content). The mean SOC content of PT was the highest in the 1–5 m layer and that of FL was the lowest (p < 0.05). Compared with FL, the SOC storages of PO, PT and AO increased by 2.20, 6.33 and 0.90 kg m⁻² (p > 0.05), respectively, in the whole profile. The SIC content was relatively uniform throughout the profile at all land-use types and SIC storage was 9–10 times higher than SOC storage. The soil water storage of PO, PT and AO was significantly different from that of FL with a decrease of 1169.32, 1161.60 and 1139.63 mm, respectively. After the 36-yrs implementation of the “Grain for Green” Project, SOC in 20 m soil profiles increased as a water depletion cost compared with FL. Further investigation is still needed to understand the deep soil water and carbon interactions regarding ecological restoration sustainability in the Northern Loess Plateau.
Companies are subject to both formal regulation pressure from government and informal regulation pressure from other stakeholders to adopt green innovations for sustainability. Using a sample of 4924 private Chinese companies, our empirical study indicates that both formal and informal regulation pressures have a positive effect on green innovation. We also find that political connections positively moderate the effect of formal regulation pressure on green innovation, but negatively moderate the effect of informal regulation pressure on green innovation.
Environmentally sustainable development is a multidimensional concept that emphasizes the integration of economy, society and environment within a region and the realization of dynamic balance. How to objectively environmentally sustainable development has been a major concern for scholars and policy makers. To address this problem effectively, we first obtain the indicators of environmentally sustainable development based on the pressure-state-response (PSR) framework. Then, we introduce variable weight factors in the traditional analytic hierarchy process (AHP), so that the weights assigned by experts to sustainable development indicators can change with time or space. In this way, we propose a new and improved weight distribution method called variable weigh analytic hierarchy process. Finally, we employ indicators of environmentally sustainable development based on PSR and variable weigh analytic hierarchy process to evaluate the sustainable development of cities in a case country. Our study found that: (1) indicators of environmentally sustainable development should consist of three parts: pressure indicators of environmentally sustainable development, state indicators of environmentally sustainable development, and response indicators of sustainable development; (2) with the variable weigh analytic hierarchy process, our ranking hierarchy process can handle dynamic changes among indicators better than the traditional AHP method and better reflect the true states of indicators.
Energy efficiency offers longer-term benefits by enhancing sustainable competitiveness and reducing emissions. This study first applies a dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with energy stock as a carry-over indicator to measure the inter-temporal energy efficiency in finding the balance between economic growth and emission reduction in 58 Belt & Road (B&R) economies. The authors then adopt panel regression models to evaluate the non-linear impact of financial development on energy efficiency. Additionally, projection analysis is pursued to provide a viable solution to address the inefficient B&R economies. The results indicate that the overall energy efficiency of 58 B&R countries is relatively low (0.44), while only 7 countries are DEA energy efficient with West Asia & North Africa bloc being the most energy-efficient. The average energy efficiency of the B&R economies has dropped since 2013. There is a positive and significant type effect of financial development on energy efficiency, but the effect of financial development on energy efficiency is insignificant for countries at higher financial development levels. Moreover, technological progress positively influences energy efficiency, while land area and urbanization impede energy efficiency. The results of this study equip B&R economies to have an objective view-point of their energy efficiency position and concurrently offer them a way to cut energy costs thereby enhancing their sustainable competitiveness.
The growing risk of climate change caused by the emission of greenhouse gases poses new challenges to contemporary countries. The development of economies is usually related to increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the question arises whether it is possible to achieve sustainable economic and financial development and simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper assumes it is possible if energy efficiency is increased. The aim of the paper is to show the link between energy efficiency and sustainable economic and financial development in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for the period 2000–2018 by using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and regression analysis. The results show a slight upward trend of total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) in OECD countries for the analysed period; however, there is a difference in TFEE levels. Developed OECD countries have higher TFEE levels than developing OECD countries. The links between total factor energy efficiency and sustainable economic and financial development reveal different impacts depending on the variables taken into consideration.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 emphasizes the need for economies around the world to double their efforts in energy efficiency improvements. This is because improvements in energy efficiency can trigger economic growth and is considered as one of the ‘green’ growth strategies due to its carbon free content. To this
end, some empirical studies have investigated the nexus between economic growth and
energy efficiency, but the effects of the latter on financial indicators have not been
sufficiently studied in the literature, at least in developing economies like Africa. This
study examines the effect of energy efficiency improvements on commercial bank
profitability under different political regimes (i.e., autocratic and democratic political
regimes); something previous literature had neglected. The study uses panel data,
consisting of 43 African countries and the simultaneous System Generalized Method of
Moments. We found that energy efficiency improvement is more likely to induce higher
bank profitability in political institutions with the characteristics of centralization of power
compared with those with decentralization of power. Furthermore, for the banking
sector, the findings suggest that energy utilization behavior of clients should be included in the loan or credit valuation process. For the government, the agenda of energy
efficiency should be aggressively pursued while taking cognizance of creating a political
environment that weans itself from a ‘grandfathering’ behavior.
Circular economy is one effective strategy to achieve a healthy environment and efficient use of resources. In this study, the trade relationship between China and Nigeria is used to establish how circular economy ameliorates climate change. On the basis of CO2 emissions, data from 1991 to 2014 are obtained and measures for energy efficiency in the mining and extractive-related sectors from energy intensity are derived using Fisher ideal index decomposition. This study utilizes panel-corrected standard error, feasible generalized least squares, autoregressive distribute lag bound, and Bayesian VAR models. These techniques suggest that energy efficiency in the mining and extractive-related sector and the circular economy have not translated into CO2 emission reduction in both countries. However, economic growth, energy use (non-renewable energy), and clean energy substitution (renewable energy) are essential factors in mitigating CO2 emissions. Given such evidence, resource melioration for energy consumption and economic growth have indispensable roles in reducing CO2 emissions.
We examine the impact of environmental diplomacy on a country's carbon emission level. Specifically, we test if the signing of environmental treaties yielded positive responses in CO2 emission. We employ common correlated effects mean group models on panel data of 76 developed and developing countries for over 35 years. Our analysis indicates that environmental diplomacy reduces CO2 emissions for developing countries in the short run. However, the results of FMOLS in the long-run estimates indicate that developed and developing countries do not adhere to treaty requirements as CO2 emissions increases with more treaties. Overall, our results imply that the signing of environmental treaties is likely to be mere international diplomacy that yields no result on climate change. We suggest that countries should fulfill their obligation under treaties rather than engage in annual rituals of signing treaties.
The current paper investigates the gasoline demand relationship in the case of Turkey, utilizing different econometric techniques and using quarterly data spanning from 2000Q1 to 2019Q1. The estimation results revealed that income and gasoline price are the main drivers of consumption. The found long-run income, price and auto stock elasticities are 0.25, −0.27 and −0.80, respectively. In addition, it is concluded that in the short-run, gasoline demand does not respond to changes in income, price and car stock. The estimation results also showed that the contribution of commercial and public car stock on gasoline demand is higher than that for private auto stock. Based on the finding of the study it is concluded that to achieve the optimal use of gasoline in line with providing high quality transport services, firstly, policies before the 2012 period can be followed. Secondly, channels such as pricing mechanism and taxation policies can be used in this framework.
The study focuses on attaining energy efficiency practices in the housing sector of the Nigerian economy. This is essentially necessary in order to reduce the energy demand on the central power supply of the nation and as well attain energy security. Nigeria as a nation is endowed with enormous energy resources, yet beleaguered with chronic energy crisis because of inadequate power supply to the citizens. The overall goal is to seek ways of improving the energy use situation of the country; and the objectives are to determine the prevailing levels of energy efficiency practices in housing design; appliances in use; and occupant behavior. The findings reveal a low level of energy efficiency consideration in housing design practice; a very low level of appliances efficiency; and a much low level of energy
efficiency practice by the housing occupants. Thus, a strategic scheme of energy efficiency practices to be realized by the government and housing stakeholders is proffered for the housing sector of Nigeria.
Energy, which is needed for every aspect of life, plays a key role for the development of the countries. Countries need to use energy efficiently to be advantageous in the global competition and ensure the sustainable development. Countries using the energy efficiently succeed economically and have leading the field in the competition. The purpose of this study is to put forward to the role and importance of energy efficiency for the sustainable development of the countries. In this study, energy efficiency has been examined conceptually considering the studies in the literature and the role and importance of energy efficiency has been emphasized for the sustainable development of the countries. © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018.
This study investigates the effect information sharing has on financial sector development in 53 African countries for the period 2004 to 2011. Information sharing is measured with private credit bureaus and public credit registries. Hitherto unexplored dimensions of financial sector development are employed, namely: financial sector dynamics of formalization, informalization, and non-formalization. The empirical evidence is based on Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). The following findings are established. Information-sharing bureaus increase (reduce) formal (informal/non-formal) financial sector development. In order to ensure that information-sharing bureaus improve (decrease) formal (informal/non-formal) financial development, public credit registries should have between 45.45 and 50% coverage while private credit bureaus should have at least 26.25% coverage.
This study investigates the effect information sharing has on financial sector development in 53 African countries for the period 2004-2011. Information sharing is measured with private credit bureaus and public credit registries. Hitherto unexplored dimensions of financial sector development are employed, namely: financial sector dynamics of formalization, informalization and non-formalization. The empirical evidence is based on Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Generalised Method of Moments (GMM). The following findings are established. Information sharing bureaus increase (reduce) formal (informal/non-formal) financial sector development. In order to ensure that information sharing bureaus improve (decrease) formal (informal/non-formal) financial development, public credit registries should have between 45.45 and 50 percent coverage while private credit bureaus should have at least 26.25 percent coverage.
Extending Sadorsky (2010), this paper focuses on nonlinear effects of financial development and income on energy consumption. Utilizing five alternative measures of financial development, it employs a panel threshold regression approach to reexamine the effect of financial development and income on energy consumption. The analysis relies on a sample of 53 countries for the period 1999–2008, showing a single-threshold effect on energy consumption when private credit, domestic credit, value of traded stocks, and stock market turnover are used as financial development indicators. It implies that the sample can be split into two regimes: high income, and non–high income. Energy consumption increases with income in emerging market and developing economies, while in advanced economies energy consumption increases with income beyond a point at which the economy achieves a threshold level of income. In addition, in the non–high income regime, energy consumption increases with financial development when both private and domestic credit are used as financial development indicators. However, when the value of traded stocks and stock market turnover are used as financial development indicators, it slightly declines with financial development in advanced economies, especially in high-income countries, but increases in the higher income countries of emerging market and developing economies.
Access to clean modern energy services is an enormous challenge facing the African continent because energy is fundamental for socioeconomic development and poverty eradication. Today, 60% to 70% of the Nigerian population does not have access to electricity. There is no doubt that the present power crisis afflicting Nigeria will persist unless the government diversifies the energy sources in domestic, commercial, and industrial sectors and adopts new available technologies to reduce energy wastages and to save cost. This review examines a set of energy policy interventions, which can make a major contribution to the sustainable economic, environmental, and social development of Africa's most populated country, Nigeria. Energy efficiency leads to important social benefits, such as reducing the energy bills for poor households. From an economic point of view, implementing the country's renewable energy target will have significant costs, but these can partly be offset by selling carbon credits according to the rules of the ‘Clean Development Mechanism’ agreed some 10 years ago, which will result in indirect health benefits.
Nigeria could benefit from the targeted interventions that would reduce the local air pollution and help the country to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. Many factors that need to be considered and appropriately addressed in the shift to its sustainable energy future are examined in this article. These include a full exploitation and promotion of renewable energy resources, energy efficiency practices, as well as the application of energy conservation measures in various sectors such as in the construction of industrial, residential, and office buildings, in transportation, etc.
We examine some issues in the estimation of time-series cross-section models, calling into question the conclusions of many published studies, particularly in the field of comparative political economy. We show that the generalized least squares approach of Parks produces standard errors that lead to extreme overconfidence, often underestimating variability by 50% or more. We also provide an alternative estimator of the standard errors that is correct when the error structures show complications found in this type of model. Monte Carlo analysis shows that these “panel-corrected standard errors” perform well. The utility of our approach is demonstrated via a reanalysis of one “social democratic corporatist” model.
This study used the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), The Error Correction Model (ECM), and ECM-Granger Causality to investigate the short and long-run environmental impact of renewable power and the transportation sectors in Iran over 1971 to 2015. The robustness of the results was checked by estimating three cointegration regression models. The empirical finding of this study confirmed the long-run cointegration among the variables. Indeed, the positive and significant impact of real GDP per capita, the number of vehicles, and urbanization on the CO2 emissions per capita were supported. Furthermore, the potential for renewable electricity in improving the environmental quality was proved in the long-run. Residual diagnostic tests and sensitivity analysis supported the appropriateness of the model and the robustness of the results from the ARDL. The Granger Causality supported: (1) one-way causality flowing from the share of renewable electricity to the CO2 emissions per capita (2) the complementary linkage between the number of vehicles and CO2 emissions per capita; (3) the bidirectional causality between the share of renewable electricity and the real GDP per capita. Therefore, to achieve sustainable development goals, the government and policymakers need to: increase and promote the share of renewable electricity and shift away from Internal Combustible Engine Vehicles to Alternative Fuel Vehicle.
Industrial upgrading plays a significant role in promoting eco-efficiency, but existing studies ignore this aspect. Using improved and comprehensive measures of eco-efficiency, we assess how industrial upgrading influences the eco-efficiency of a certain province with provincial panel data during the period 1998–2017. We find that industrial upgrading significantly promotes eco-efficiency and yields significantly positive spatial spillover effects. Our findings provide empirical evidence that the government should push forward industrial upgrading decisively, as well as strengthening inter-regional and central-provincial collaboration in promoting eco-efficiency.
Accurate prediction of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) can provide a scientific basis for improving water use efficiency, rational allocation of water resources, and sustainable management of ecosystems. However, conventional statistical methods have the limited application in some regions, because of the complex relationships (nonlinear, linear, exponential, etc) between ETc and its each driving factor. This paper illustrated the utility of the back-propagation neural network (BP) model for ETc prediction and compared the performance of this model with that of the multiple linear regression technique. Combined with the ETc measured by Eddy Covariance and the meteorological data, three-layer BP models, trained by the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, were developed with a 4-10-1 architecture (corresponding to four, ten, and one nodes in the input, hidden, and output layers, respectively). The BP models were trained and validated in the MATLAB environment, with three different combinations of maximum air temperature, minimum air temperature, sunshine hours, crop coefficient (Kc), and precipitation. A high correlation was observed between the values measured by Eddy Covariance and those predicted by BP, with a higher coefficient of determination (0.87) and accuracy (91.44%) than that achieved by the multiple linear regression model (0.79 and 82.96%, respectively). Furthermore, the performance of the BP models could be improved substantially by including the dynamic change of Kc and the effect of precipitation, which suggested that these two factors were crucial variables in modeling ETc by BP approaches. In testing sets, the BP model that considered the dynamic change of Kc was found to be superior to the BP model that considered the crop coefficient recommended by FAO-56, with prediction accuracy increased by 19%. Additionally, the accuracy of the BP prediction models that considered the dynamic change of Kc and the effect of precipitation were higher than 95%. Moreover, the BP prediction model in typical weather with precipitation was superior to the BP model in typical weather with no precipitation. The results obtained would be helpful for obtaining the ETc more consistent with the actual growth status of the crop, thereby providing a scientific basis for improving water management during crop production.
As an abundant and fast-growing biomass, bamboo can be used as construction materials owing to its desirable physical and mechanical properties, environmentally friendly features, and alternative to replace toxic and hazardous wastes in industrial processing. In this study, grid material made from bamboo (termed 'bamboo grid') was developed and compared to commercially used polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as packing material in cooling towers; PVC packing has drawbacks such as fouling, deposit buildup, low durability, and is harmful to environments. The cooling capacity, energy efficiency and environmental impact of bamboo grid packing were evaluated via life cycle assessment (LCA), particularly the cumulative energy demand (CED) and the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES). Although the thermal performance of the PVC packing was found higher than that of the bamboo grid packing, the bamboo grid packing showed improved resistance characteristic, recording a total saving of 529.2 tons of standard coal during a six-month field test in a real thermal power generation plant. LCA results revealed that the utilization of bamboo-grid packing to replace PVC packing in cooling towers reduced total CED from 3420 MJ to 561 MJ per functional unit, achieving 6 times reduction. A desirable reduction ranging from 1.5 to 10.5 times was also recorded for the BEES indices. This LCA comparison analysis confirmed the improvement of energy efficiency and reduction of environmental impact by using the bamboo grid to replace PVC as packing material in cooling towers. The major environmental impact (BEES) indices (e.g., the total Global warming potential, Acidification, Eutrophication and Smog) were reduced by 1.5-10.5 times via the use of bamboo grid. The results demonstrate that bamboo grid packing is a good alternative to replace existing grid packing materials such as concrete and PVC that are harmful to human health and environments.
Urbanization is an important factor affecting energy efficiency. However, the semi-urbanization of population has become an unavoidable problem in the process of urbanization in China. This article aims to investigate the impact of the semi-urbanization of population on energy efficiency and explore the changes in the relationship between urbanization and energy efficiency caused by the existence of a large-scale semi-urbanized population, by utilizing Stochastic Frontier Analysis on the provincial panel data of China during 2001-2017. The main findings can be yielded as follows. ① The formation of the semi-urbanization of population in China is mainly caused by the household registration system and its consequences. ②The nexus between the semi-urbanization of population and energy efficiency can be described as an inverted U-shaped curve. That is, maintaining a moderate number of the semi-urbanized population can help improve energy efficiency, while the growth of the semi-urbanized population is playing a role in suppressing the improvement of energy efficiency. With the growth of the semi-urbanized population, the losses of energy efficiency and the waste of energy resources continue to increase. ③ The highly complete urbanization can promote the improvement of energy efficiency. However, the existence of large-scale semi-urbanized population inhibits the positive effect of urbanization on improving energy efficiency. ④ The growth of the semi-urbanized population can restrain the improvement of energy efficiency in both Eastern Region and Western Region, while the semi-urbanization of population has slightly improved the energy efficiency of Central Region. From the empirical results, it can be concluded that promoting the complete urbanization of the semi-urbanized population can help improve energy efficiency. Based on these findings, this article further explores the policy implications.
To mitigate environmental pollution and reduce energy wastes, the Chinese central government has launched a quantitative and binding energy efficiency improvement target since the 11th Five-year-plan. Specific targets were assigned to manufacturing firms since the manufacturing industry is the largest energy user and pollutant emitter. Thus, it is of great significance for manufacturing firms that energy efficiency is improved, however, without impairing output performance. Thus, we first applied an undesirable-output-based data envelopment analysis method to evaluate the energy efficiency and the output efficiency of 269 textile and chemical firms, and then used regression models to investigate the interaction between energy efficiency and output efficiency. We find that in the case of textile firms, energy efficiency is positively correlated with output efficiency. Conversely, textile firms with high output performance usually have high energy efficiency scores. In other words, textile firms can deal with a good trade-off between energy efficiency and output efficiency. Besides, we observe that increases in tax and operating expenses for textile firms impair output and energy efficiency. Moreover, larger firms benefiting from economies of scale have higher output and energy efficiency scores. In contrast, in the case of energy-intensive chemical firms, no such trade-off is found.
This study contributes to estimate the municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling effect on environmental quality and economic growth in the United States. Few studies have been given to macro-level aggregate analysis through national scale MSW recycling, environmental, and economic indicators. This study employs boot-strapping autoregressive distributed lag modeling for investigating the cointegration relationship among MSW recycling, economic growth, carbon emissions, and energy efficiency utilized quarterly data from 1990 to 2017. The result implies that a one percent increase in MSW recycling contributes to economic growth and reduce carbon emissions by 0.317% (0.157%) and 0.209% (0.087%) in the long-run (short-run). Similarly, a one percent improvement in energy efficiency stimulates economic growth by 0.489% (0.281%) and mitigates carbon emissions by 0.285% (0.197%) in the long-run (short-run). A higher per capita income and population growth caused higher emissions by 0.197% and 0.401% in the long-run. The overall results reveal stronger impacts in the long-run than the short-run with significant convergence towards long-run equilibrium, suggesting a prominent long-run transmission of economic and environmental fallouts. This study confirms a uni-directional causality from MSW recycling to economic growth, carbon emissions, and energy efficiency. These outcomes signify that any policy intervention related to MSW recycling produces significant changes in the level of economic growth and carbon emissions. The finding provides valuable insight for policymakers to counteract carbon emissions through recyclable waste management that simultaneously create significant economic value.
Energy efficiency in China has been the cause for increasing concern for national and local sustainable development due to rapid economic development and large-scale energy consumption. Using panel data of 30 provinces between 1997 and 2016 in China, the measurement of energy efficiency is disentangled, and the effects of urbanization on different types of energy efficiency are explored. First, the measurement of energy efficiency is disentangled, with long-run and short-run efficiencies derived. Results of energy efficiency scores highlight the predominant status of long-run inefficiency is low and that disparate energy efficiency is present between provinces. Second, the effects of urbanization were found to be significantly negative on short-run, long-run and overall energy efficiency. Comparatively, the effect of urbanization on long-run efficiency was shown to have recently grown, implying an urgent call for energy conservation during rapid urbanization. Finally, this study outlines broader implications and suggests policies to improve energy efficiency. Here, application of energy conservation technology, industrial structure upgrading and efficiency information disclosure to urban residents are thought to be smart ways to improve energy efficiency.
This study scrutinised the symmetric/asymmetric impact of energy consumption on the economic growth (RGDP) of Iran in the framework of the extended Cobb-Douglas production function from 1970 to 2017. The linear and nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) confirmed that a positive and negative shock on energy consumption had the same impact on RGDP. The empirically obtained outcomes supported confirmed the positive impact of energy consumption and capital stock on GDP in both the short and long terms. The opposite was true for CO 2 emissions and labour force. The results of a Toda Yamamato (T-Y) test showed bidirectional causality between CO 2 emissions and energy consumption. Moreover, CO 2 emissions and energy consumption exhibited a causality effect on economic growth. Furthermore, residual diagnostic/model stability tests and sensitivity analyses based on Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FM-OLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) verified the perfectness and robustness of the results obtained from the ARDL model, respectively. Based on the growth-enhancing and environment-degrading effects of energy consumption, switching from conventional energy to renewable energy must be considered in national energy policies. Appropriate policy implications were recommended under two categories: market-based interventions (both directly and indirectly) and non-market-based interventions.
In this paper, we study the role of Confucius Institute in supporting internationalization of Chinese enterprises. Employing a panel dataset containing 66 Belt-Road countries and 75 non Belt-Road countries from 2006 to 2017, we find that Confucius Institute has had a positive effect on Chinese CMA in general and such an effect is stronger in Belt-Road countries, especially after the Belt and Road Initiative was launched in 2013. Our results suggest that the earlier the host country joins the Belt and Road Initiative, the stronger is the interactive effect of CI and Belt and Road Initiative. Moreover, we show that Confucius Classroom, a related program also positively affects the Chinese CMA in the context of Belt and Road Initiative. These findings are robust to controlling for the endogeneity of reverse causality and sample selection bias.
Agriculture being the dominant economic activity of the West African economies is responsible for the most greenhouse gasses emitted in the region. Are there heterogeneous determinants of environmental degradation across low, intermediate, and high CO2 emitters in West Africa? Considering the significance of agriculture, industrial activities, renewable energy consumption and economic growth in West-Africa, this paper investigates the conditional determinants of environmental degradation from two sources (per-capita CO2 emission and CO2 emission from liquid sources) using panel data from 15 ECOWAS countries for the period 1990–2015. The study adopts a panel quantile regression technique with non-additive fixed effects as well as quintile decomposition techniques to explore if the relationship between agricultural and economic factors differs across low, intermediate, and high CO2 emitters and the extent of CO2 emission gap between Low Income Group (LIG) and Lower-Middle Income Groups (LmIG). Results from the mean estimators show that while agricultural production impedes CO2 emissions from liquid sources, it however increases total emissions implying a shift from mechanized farming to more traditional farming methods and the burning and use of biomass from agricultural produce as an energy source. Estimates of the conditional determinants of environmental degradation vary along the quantiles signifying heterogeneity of the determinants of environmental degradation across, low, intermediate, and high CO2 emitters. Additionally, results emanating from the quantile decomposition procedure show that lower-income West African economies have superseded their lower-middle income counterparts at higher quantiles of CO2 emissions.
Energy use and the resulting environmental impacts are interrelated with socioeconomic development of a certain region. What is more, the residential sector plays an important role as a major consumer of the energy. Thus, it is important to identify the underlying patterns of energy consumption and the resulting CO 2 emission amidst the external shocks. This paper focuses on the case of residential energy consumption and CO 2 emission in Lithuania over 2004-2016. This example is important given the context of shifts in the size and structure of population, economy and energy transformation in Lithuania that occurred over the period covered. The analysis relies on the index decomposition analysis and factorizes the changes in CO 2 emission into the effects of population size, household size, dwelling area, energy intensity and carbon factor. The results indicate that decline in energy intensity and population played the most important role in pushing the CO 2 emission down, yet these effects were offset by the changes in the lifestyle of the population (i.e. household size and dwelling area) along with increasing carbon factor. These findings are contrasted to the corresponding findings form the earlier studies around the world and the resulting policy implications are delivered.
Most energy policies principal objective is energy efficiency hence energy consumption is a cornerstone for sustainable
growth and advancement. The main purpose of this current paper involves determining the role of energy efficiency on
sustainable development. Thus, the paper adopts a conceptual approach by using current literature on energy efficiency
in evaluating its purpose in sustainable growth. The paper finds that energy efficiency plays multiple roles towards
sustainable economic development. For that reason, it contributes to carbon reduction which results in minimized climate change. It also results in employment creation thereby reducing poverty which enhances sustainable livelihoods.
The paper also introduces an additional approach that support energy efficiency termed “energy efficient strategy for
urban residential setting sustainability” which further enhances sustainable growth.
With the rapid development of China's economy, energy efficiency and pollutant emissions have also entered our horizons and become two big issues. To explore the impacts that these three factors have on the promotion probability of municipal party secretaries, we have collected the data of 810 municipal party secretaries with position changes in the period of 2005–2015 and mainly adopted the probit model to conduct our empirical tests. Our results are as follows: (1) Higher economic performance, higher energy efficiency and lower pollution emissions can significantly increase the promotion probability of municipal party secretaries; (2) these three correlations evolve differently, the impact of economic performance declines slightly but always predominates, the impact of pollutant emission tends to grow while that of energy efficiency continues to decrease. This research provides a dynamic understanding of Chinese local officials’ promotion incentive and their trade-off among economy, energy and environment, which would be a valuable supplement for Institution Change Theory and an important reference for other countries with similar developing dilemma.
The use of fossil fuels for electricity generation is primarily responsible for global greenhouse gas emissions. The increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in recent years is believed to have been driven by economic and population growth. Consequently, many countries have been looking for ways to reduce their pollution. This study aims to verify the impact of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), population growth and the generation of renewable energies on CO2 emissions in the 50 largest world economies over the years 1990 to 2015. To do so, a hierarchical regression modeling was performed, considering "country" as the most comprehensive level and "year" as the most specific one. The results confirmed the positive impact of GDP and population on CO2 emissions and renewable energy generation as a way to reduce emissions. China and Denmark stood out in the analysis. The former has become the largest emitter of CO2 on the planet, while the latter has increased its share of renewable energy in its electrical matrix by more than twenty times and displayed a tendency to reduce CO2 emissions.
Technological innovation and energy efficiency are important indicators used to measure the success of the sustainable development strategy in China. This paper aims to explore the total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) at the city level in China and to evaluate the impact of technological innovation on TFEE. Therefore, a two-stage analysis was conducted for the period from 2001 to 2013. The first stage includes an estimation of TFEE scores using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology and Malmquist-Luenberger index, while the second stage includes an exploration of the impact of technological innovation on the TFEE scores obtained in the first stage using a system Generalised Method of Moment (GMM) regression analysis. Based on the results of the Malmquist-DEA, the TFEE of cities in China shows an upward trend overall, but obvious differences in the TFEE are observed among the four regions, with the highest TFEE observed in the eastern region, the second highest TFEE in the central region, a lower TFEE in the northeastern region and the lowest TFEE in the western region. The system GMM regression results reveal a significant positive impact of technological innovation on TFEE at the national level. According to the regional characteristics, the technological innovation in the eastern, western and northeastern regions is particularly important for improving TFEE, but technological innovation in the central region has inhibited the improvement of the TFEE. A logical response to these findings would be to develop different policies for different regions.
This paper examines the energy efficiency performance of a sample of 71 developed and developing countries between 1990 and 2014. In most current energy literature, the transition to green technology is seen as a sustainable way to achieve a low-carbon or carbon-free environment. Bearing this in mind, we argue further that adopting green technology needs a strong backing and funding of reliable government institutions to shift the country's paradigm. Considering this issue, we adopt the parametric stochastic frontier approach built on the shepherd distance function to evaluate the effects of both governmental institutions and green technologies on energy efficiency. We find evidence of a significant positive influence of both green innovation and institutional quality on energy efficiency enhancement having controlled for some variables. Regarding energy efficiency levels of the individual countries- USA, Japan, Germany and Australia lead the chart while Belize, Panama, Singapore, Malta, Sierra Leone, Iceland, Jamaica, Bahrain and Ghana are the least energy efficient countries. Policy implications are further discussed.
This study investigates the role of information and communication technology (ICT) on income inequality through financial development dynamics of depth (money supply and liquid liabilities), efficiency (at banking and financial system levels), activity (from banking and financial system perspectives) and size, in 48 African countries for the period 1996 to 2014. The empirical evidence is based on Generalised Method of Moments. While both financial depth and size are established to reduce inequality contingent on ICT, only the effect of financial depth in reducing inequality is robust to the inclusion of time invariant variables to the set of strictly exogenous variables. We extend the analysis by decomposing financial depth into its components, namely: formal, informal, semi-formal and non-formal financial sectors. The findings based on this extension show that ICT reduces income inequality through formal financial sector development and financial sector formalization as opposed to informal financial sector development and financial sector informalization. The study contributes at the same time to the macroeconomic literature on measuring financial development and responds to the growing field of addressing post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) inequality challenges by means of ICT and financial access.
This paper investigates the impact of urbanization on provincial energy efficiency in China. Using panel data of 30 Chinese provinces between 2003 and 2014, we adopt a stochastic frontier model to estimate energy efficiency in China, and apply a series of spatial panel data models to tackle spatial dependence of energy efficiency between provinces. Our results show that the overall impact of urbanization on energy efficiency is negative in China. These results are established after controlling for spatial correlation and other confounding factors, and are also robust to various model specifications. We also document that the impact of urbanization on provincial energy efficiency manifests through both a direct negative impact induced by the focal province's urbanization process, and an indirect positive spillover effect caused by urbanization in adjacent areas.
Energy is needed for economic growth, and access to cheap, reliable energy is an essential development objective. Historically most incremental energy demand has been met through fossil fuels; however, in future that energy will have to be low carbon and ultimately zero‐carbon. Decarbonization can and needs to happen at varying speeds in all countries, depending on national circumstances. This article reviews the implications of a transition to low‐carbon energy on economic growth and development in current low‐income countries. It sets out empirical findings about trajectories for energy intensity and emissions intensity of economic growth; explores pathways to accelerate decarbonization; reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on economic costs and co‐benefits of energy decarbonization; and assesses analytical approaches. It discusses the opportunities that might arise in terms of a cleaner, more dynamic and more sustainable growth model, and the options for developing countries to implement a less‐carbon intensive model of economic development. WIREs Clim Change 2018, 9:e495. doi: 10.1002/wcc.495
This article is categorized under:
• Climate Economics > Economics and Climate Change
• Climate and Development > Decoupling Emissions from Development
There is no consensus about the impact of urbanization on energy efficiency. We seek to fill this gap in literature using data from 78 countries for the period of 1995 through 2012. Extending the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology model, we identify the impact of urbanization on energy consumption and efficiency. Results of generalized method of moments estimation indicate that the process of urbanization leads to substantial increases in both the actual and the optimal energy consumption, but a decrease in efficiency of energy use. In addition, we find that the extent to which energy inefficiency correlates with urbanization is greater in countries with higher gross domestic product per capita.
The paper explores the energy-growth nexus by incorporating the key financial indicators in case of newly industrializing, BRICS countries. Considering the heterogeneity across the panel, the combined panel cointegration results confirm the long-run association between all the underlying variables. The overall findings suggest that despite sustainable development measures- financial indicators, economic growth and trade openness spur energy intensity in BRICS countries. The results also validate the Kuznets curve hypothesis between energy consumption and financial development and, energy consumption and trade openness. It implies that financial development and capital accumulation contribute to energy efficiency after the threshold income level. The causality analysis corroborate the regression results. In the end some policy recommendations are made.
Central Africa possesses important renewable energy potential that continues to suffer from poor development. The primary cause of the poor use of renewable energy is the poor commitment and dedication among the region's governments who have not taken the necessary measures to support the sector. The primary purpose of this paper is to emphasize the renewable energy resources of Central Africa that they may be used optimally. The report also describes the availability of renewable energy resources and suggests actions to promote and sustain their development by improving access to sustainable, environmentally friendly, and affordable energy services, making significant improvements to energy infrastructure in Central Africa, and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. The work presents the potential for solar, biomass and hydropower, indicating where development is available. Next, the identified obstacles of clean energy promotion are targeted. Finally, suggestions are offered to help countries develop a vision aimed at developing good clean energy policy that increases the status of environmentally friendly energy. A Cameroon case study is examined as an illustration. Several documents are cited from institutions in the region and abroad.
Often today there is so much talk about green economy, not only in political and economic contexts but also among entrepreneurs as a deep change in the ways of designing and producing. Green economy is considered as increasingly as the main way to go out of the global economic crisis of recent years. Talking about the green economy means, in other words, to speak of a process where the growth should be driven by private or public investments that reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and pollution, improve energy and resources use efficiency and prevent the lost of biodiversity. The concept of “green economy” not replaces the concept of sustainable development, but has a greater awareness that the achievement of sustainability should be based both on the obtainment of a compatibility (e.g., social or environmental) but also on obtaining an economic advantage. The green economy therefore proposes eco-innovation of production in each sector, new consumption patterns and new styles of life for all. It has an economic value because is a means to exit the crisis of recent years, has a social value because it would create new jobs and improves the quality of the well-being of all and also has an environmental value because it protects and enhances the value of the natural capital.
Existing studies have been concerned with the relationship between foreign direct investment and CO2 emissions in recent years. However, little attention has been paid to regional differences in China. This paper investigates the impact of FDI on China׳s CO2 emissions at the national and regional levels using provincial panel data from 1995 to 2010. The Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model was adopted. The results suggest that FDI contributes to CO2 emission reductions in China. FDI׳s impact on CO2 emissions decreases from the western region to the eastern and central regions. Our findings support the pollution halo hypothesis, which claims that foreign firms can export greener technologies from developed to developing countries and conduct business in an environmentally friendly manner.
This paper investigates the asymmetric effect in the energy-growth nexus. Using the data for real GDP per capita and energy consumption per capita over the period 1971-2008, we examine the relationship for 12 sub-Saharan African countries employing hidden cointegration approach. For Gabon, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, the results show that their growth rates could be adversely affected by conservation policies. However, for Benin, Kenya and Sudan the results show that conservation policies could enhance the growth process in these countries. We also find instances of policy dilemma for Nigeria and Benin that conform to both the growth and the conservation hypotheses.RésuméCet article étudie l'existence d'effets asymétriques dans la relation énergie-croissance. En utilisant des données de PIB réel par habitant et de consommation d'énergie par habitant au cours de la période 1971-2008, nous examinons cette relation pour 12 pays africains. Pour le Gabon, le Nigeria et la Côte d'Ivoire, les résultats montrent que leur taux de croissance pourrait être affecté négativement par les politiques de conservation. Toutefois, pour le Bénin, le Kenya et le Soudan les politiques de conservation pourraient améliorer le processus de croissance dans ces pays.
The branches of economy differ in the amount and characteristics of freight transport services they require and use. Thus, different branches also have different energy efficiencies and carbon dioxide emissions from transport. Previous research has highlighted a serious lack of data inhibiting the understanding of these issues.This research presents a new method for analysing the relations between economic activity, transport demand, energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions with a great level of detail in different economic sectors. This is done for Finland by using the statistics that are available in many countries and are gathered in a harmonised manner in the EU member states. Hence, the method is applicable in other countries and enables in-depth comparison between countries. Understanding these relations is essential when national and also international policy targets for energy efficiency and CO2 emissions are set and evaluated.The CO2 intensity of Finnish road freight transport has decreased significantly and this development is forecasted to continue. The decrease can largely be attributed to the shift of balance from transporting bulk goods to transporting parcelled goods. This shift has been driven by diminishing importance of forest cluster and growing importance of technology cluster and trade. Despite of the reduced CO2 intensity, the energy efficiency has remained at a relatively constant level and the total CO2 emissions of road freight transport have increased.This study updates a previous national forecast for the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions of Finnish road freight transport sector for the year 2016. The new national forecast makes the outlook less positive, as the CO2 emissions are forecasted to be 8% higher than in the previous forecast. This difference is mainly due to higher estimates for average fuel consumption in some sectors. Two new branch-level forecasts are also presented and these give 20% higher CO2 emission levels than the original forecast, because of projected greater economic growth.