Natural Resources Forum

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12299pmid: N/A

Samour, Ahmed; Jahanger, Atif; Ali, Mumtaz; Joof, Foday; Tursoy, Turgut

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12327pmid: N/A

Although numerous empirical studies have scrutinized the impact of technological innovation, renewable energy, and natural resources on carbon emissions (CCO2), there is a lack of empirical knowledge of consumption‐based CCO2 emissions. This study examines the impacts of technological innovation, renewable energy, and natural resources factors on CCO2 emissions in China. In addition, the present work considers the role of the banking sector in environmental neutrality in China from 1990 to 2019. For this purpose, the sophisticated approach of “bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (BARDL)” is applied to explore the association of the selected indicators on CCO2. The outcomes indicate that (i) economic growth and natural resources negatively impact environmental neutrality; (ii) environment‐related technologies and renewable energy are crucial to promoting environmental neutrality; and (iii) banking sector in China has a positive association with CCO2 emissions. The findings of this work recommend using effective measures to mitigate ecological pollution by using green energy sources and strengthening the banking sector by offering environment‐friendly investment loans. Likewise, strategies should be designed that reinforce sustainable development.

Telly, Yacouba; Liu, Xuezhi; Zhao, Jun; Tang, Fangcheng; Sun, Xiangdong

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12339pmid: N/A

This study examines the impacts of urbanization, industrial growth, and carbon emissions on Angola's economic growth by employing annual time series data from 1991 to 2020. This intends to strengthen Angola's economic policies using the Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) bounds test approach, Johansen cointegration, and vector error correction model (VECM). The results show that: (1) Economic development will be realized at the expense of environmental protection; (2) carbon emissions and industrial growth reinforce the country's economic growth in the short and long runs, while urbanization has no vital influence on economic growth; and (3) a bidirectional causality between economic growth and carbon emissions and a unidirectional causality relationship ranging from urbanization and economic growth to industry value‐added. Our findings encourage the country's leaders to consider urbanization and industrial growth while reducing carbon emissions. The country's priorities should be skills training, developing clean technologies, gradually increasing renewable energy share in the mix of energy, and encouraging industries to turn to clean energy.

Mfouapon, Alassa; Kamdem, Cyrille Bergaly; Mohammadou, Nourou; Djoumessi, Yannick Fosso

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12344pmid: N/A

The aid effectiveness is continually debated in development economics; there is no consensus among scholars on the impact of aid in developing countries, even though characterized by good institutions. An emerging issue in this discussion is the role of natural resources in determining the nature of the agricultural ODA (Official Development Assistance) and democracy nexus. Consequently, this study examines the effect of democracy on the agricultural ODA in Africa and how the country's natural resource rents mitigate this relationship using panel data of 50 countries over the 1995–2019 period. A set of econometric tools is used to estimate the time‐series cross‐sectional models, which include country fixed‐effects model and system generalized method of moments (system GMM), both to account for potential endogeneity and confoundedness issues. Regression results show a long‐run positive effect of democracy on agricultural ODA. However, this relationship is nonlinear. The interaction between democracy and resources indicates that natural resource wealth mitigates the positive gains from democracy on agricultural ODA. The study concludes that, while democratic reforms enhance the effectiveness of foreign aid directed to the agricultural sector, this positive effect depends on the natural‐resource wealth status of the country.

Adeshola, Ibrahim; Usman, Ojonugwa; Agoyi, Mary; Awosusi, Abraham Ayobamiji; Adebayo, Tomiwa Sunday

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12342pmid: N/A

This study examines the impacts of digitalization through information and communication technology (ICT) and environmental taxes on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 23 European Union (EU) countries between 2000 and 2017. Using the Pooled Mean Group estimator, the empirical results provide evidence that ICT development and environmental taxes improve environmental sustainability while research and development investments and income per capita deteriorate environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the results based on the Dynamic Panel Threshold Regression model show that the relationship between ICT and GHG emissions is dependent on the level of environmental taxes. During the period of low environmental taxes, the effect of ICT on GHG emissions is positive and insignificant but once environmental taxes cross the threshold value, the effect of ICT becomes negatively related to greenhouse gas emissions. This suggests that the period of low environmental taxes does not support the environmental friendliness of ICT development in the European region. The policy implication of these findings is that ICT, environmental taxes, and renewable energy can be possibly stirred up to achieve long‐term environmental sustainability in the EU region.

Dam, Mehmet M.; Kaya, Funda; Bekun, Festus V.

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12347pmid: N/A

This study is aimed at establishing the impact of real income, renewable energy consumption, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission on life expectancy for annual frequency data from 1990 to 2019 for BRICS‐T (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkiye) economies. In addition, the effects of real income, renewable energy consumption, and life expectancy on CO2 emissions are given by establishing a second model. To this end, different econometric approaches such as fixed effects model, random effects model, panel quantile regression, and the Dumitrescu and Hurlin panel causality test were used. We found in our empirical evidence that renewable energy consumption and real income positively affect life expectancy. At the same time, it was seen that real income has a positive effect on CO2 emissions, but renewable energy consumption has a negative effect. According to the panel quantile regression analysis results, while the effect of income on life expectancy is similar to other estimation results, that of renewable energy consumption is different. However, the effect of renewable energy consumption and real income on CO2 emissions is similar to other estimation results. The findings of the study show that policy makers need to promote renewable energy in order to extend life expectancy which is an important determinant of economic growth.

Nie, Jun; Wang, Shuang; Xu, Yi; Gao, Lingling; Yu, Yang; Jahanger, Atif; Jiang, Tangyang

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12355pmid: N/A

After China's economy entered a “new normal,” their economic development model shifted from an energy‐intensive to an energy‐saving, given that China's electricity and heating industry accounts for about half of the country's energy consumption and carbon emissions. Based on the sample data from 2005 to 2020, this paper adopts the energy consumption method and the extended index decomposition model to explore carbon emissions of the electricity and heating industry in the early and late period of the economic new normal. The results show that: (1) carbon emissions from the electricity and heating industry showed a growing direction in the economic new normal period. However, compared with the early period of economic new normal, the increasing speed of carbon emissions from the electricity and heating industry slowed down significantly in the late period. This point also directly reflects that the extensive development mode of energy utilization has been alleviated after the electricity and heating industry entered the economic new normal. (2) Compared with the early period, the energy structure effect on the emission reduction was enhanced after entering the economic new normal. Meanwhile, the investment efficiency effect has changed from promoting to inhibiting. (3) Compared with the early period, the promotion impact of the investment scale effect on carbon emissions in the electricity and heating industry has no significant change after entering the economic new normal. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the emission reduction impact of the energy intensity effect is weak. This paper not only provides empirical evidence for evaluating the emission reduction effects of the Chinese electricity and heating industry before and after the economic new normal but also shares policy insights for precise emission reduction in the electricity and heating industry in the later stage of the economic new normal.

Guo, Lishuo; Wang, Qinpeng

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12346pmid: N/A

Limited water availability, population growth, and increasing water demand have resulted in freshwater crises in many countries, including China. In this paper, the water resource‐carrying capacity (WRCC) model simulated the trajectory of China's various systems, representing interactions among humans, water resources, and economics, among others. The results indicated that, at the national level, 700 billion m3 of available freshwater could support population sizes of 2.12, 1.96, and 1.85 billion, along with economic sizes of $40.65, $34.08, and $29.21 trillion, under high‐, moderate‐, and low‐development scenarios, respectively. And it also showed the population and economic size of each province across China under high‐, moderate‐, and low‐development scenarios. This study's WRCC‐based simulations can provide guidance for future policies related to water, population, and economics. Overall, contributions of this study include (1) a quantitative model related to freshwater security and water policies; (2) the model narratives that paint a better picture of China's future water security and socioeconomic development; (3) the conclusion that it is conducive to adjust water use rigid constraints with water policies; (4) an understanding that it is more intuitive to use population size and economic scale instead of dimensionless scores to characterize the state of WRCC. The WRCC model is instructive for the other counties or regions.

Bozkaya, Şeyma; Duran, Mahmut Sami; Awan, Ashar

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12354pmid: N/A

The increasing concerns about climate change demand a more profound understanding of the elements influencing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, particularly in nations with high carbon footprints. This study embarks on a quantitative exploration of how renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental technologies impact CO2 emissions across eight nations with the highest carbon emission levels. Leveraging annual data from the period 1990–2019, we undertake a meticulous empirical analysis to unearth the factors shaping the environmental quality in these countries. Our findings reveal that per capita income and environmental technologies wield a significant influence on CO2 emission levels. Delving further into causality relationships, we discern a fascinating bidirectional causal link between CO2 emissions and renewable energy consumption. In parallel, a similar bidirectional causality is spotted between renewable energy consumption and environmental technology. From CO2 emissions to environmental technology and GDP per capita to CO2 emissions and environmental technology, unidirectional causal links are also perceived. In light of these compelling results, we propose several policy recommendations aimed at promoting sustainability and fostering a healthier environmental future. Our research underscores the potential of renewable energy consumption and environmental technologies in mitigating carbon emissions and spurring a greener economy.

Ghosh, Sudeshna; Adebayo, Tomiwa Sunday; Abbas, Shujaat; Doğan, Buhari; Sarkodie, Samuel Asumadu

doi: 10.1111/1477-8947.12356pmid: N/A

Scholars and policy makers are paying close attention to reduce climate problems for sustainable growth. The failure to enhance ecological integrity could increase greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, this study examines the effect of economic complexity, high‐tech industries, renewables, natural resource abundance, and financial globalization on CO2 and ecological footprint for 10 selected newly industrializing countries for the period 1990 to 2018. We use Common Correlated Error Mean Group, Augmented Mean Group, panel causality, and Westerlund Error Correction Model of cointegration techniques that account for short‐run, and long‐run relationships across cross‐sectionally dependent and heterogeneous countries. The findings reveal long‐run interrelationships across the series of underlying observations. The long‐run empirical results show the development of high‐tech industries has statistically significant environmental welfare‐enhancing impact, whereas renewables and natural resource exploitation mitigate environmental challenges. However, economic complexity and financial globalization increase emissions and ecological footprint (ECF). The results confirm unidirectional causality from renewable energy to CO2 and ECF and further from natural resources to CO2 and ECF. Additionally, there exists bidirectional causality between financial globalization and ECF. Based on these findings, we suggest that these countries should revise their energy policies in order to allocate more funds for the renewable energy technologies so that environmental problems can be mitigated. Along with renewable energy, further investments should be made in high‐tech sector but economic complexity and financial globalization should be carefully handled.