Abstract
In the face of intensifying climate change-induced environmental problems, understanding the causal relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and socioeconomic factors is crucial for achieving sustainable development. This study investigates how the causal relationships between renewable energy, information and communication technology (ICT), logistics networks, economic growth, industrialization, and energy intensity impact sustainable development using a panel dataset drawn from 104 countries and covering 2006 to 2019. Methodologically, panel unit root, panel co-integration, and Granger causality tests are employed as robust econometric techniques. The results of the panel unit root and co-integration tests confirm the stationarity of the variables and reveal significant long-term relationships among them throughout the empirical analysis period. Notably, the panel FMOLS and DOLS estimates indicate a positive effect of RE and ICT on reducing CO2 emissions, whereas GDP and energy intensity have a negative impact on CO2 emissions reduction. Moreover, the pairwise Granger causality test findings indicate bidirectional causal relationships between RE and CO2, IND and CO2, ICT and RE, IND and RE, GDP and ICT, as well as IND and ICT. The study recommends providing policy support, including for technological development and innovation, towards establishing a system that fosters sustainable development.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data is available on request from corresponding author.
References
Ahad MA, Paiva S, Tripathi G, Feroz N (2020) Enabling technologies and sustainable smart cities. Sustain Cities Soc 61:102301. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCS.2020.102301
Ahmed Z, Le HP (2021) Linking information communication technology, trade globalization index, and CO2 emissions: evidence from advanced panel techniques. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:8770–8781. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11356-020-11205-0/METRICS
Ahmed Z, Nathaniel SP, Shahbaz M (2021) The criticality of information and communication technology and human capital in environmental sustainability: evidence from Latin American and Caribbean countries. J Clean Prod 286:125529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125529
Ali S, Jiang J, Hassan ST, Shah AA (2022) Revolution of nuclear energy efficiency, economic complexity, air transportation and industrial improvement on environmental footprint cost: A novel dynamic simulation approach. Nucl Eng Technol 54:3682–3694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2022.05.022
Alola AA, Bekun FV, Sarkodie SA (2019) Dynamic impact of trade policy, economic growth, fertility rate, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on ecological footprint in Europe. Sci Total Environ 685:702–709. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.05.139
Anser MK, Usman M, Godil DI et al (2021) Does globalization affect the green economy and environment? The relationship between energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and economic growth. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:51105–51118. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11356-021-14243-4/FIGURES/1
Asongu SA, Agboola MO, Alola AA, Bekun FV (2020) The criticality of growth, urbanization, electricity and fossil fuel consumption to environment sustainability in Africa. Sci Total Environ 712:136376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136376
Avom D, Nkengfack H, Fotio HK, Totouom A (2020) ICT and environmental quality in Sub-Saharan Africa: effects and transmission channels. Technol Forecast Soc Change 155:120028. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TECHFORE.2020.120028
Awan A, Abbasi KR, Rej S et al (2022) The impact of renewable energy, internet use and foreign direct investment on carbon dioxide emissions: a method of moments quantile analysis. Renew Energy 189:454–466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.03.017
Cantore N, Cheng CFC (2018) International trade of environmental goods in gravity models. J Environ Manage 223:1047–1060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.05.036
Carvalho N, Chaim O, Cazarini E, Gerolamo M (2018) Manufacturing in the fourth industrial revolution: a positive prospect in sustainable manufacturing. Procedia Manuf 21:671–678. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PROMFG.2018.02.170
Chatti W, Majeed MT (2022) Information communication technology (ICT), smart urbanization, and environmental quality: evidence from a panel of developing and developed economies. J Clean Prod 366:132925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132925
Chen J, Rojniruttikul N, Kun LY, Ullah S (2022) Management of green economic infrastructure and environmental sustainability in one belt and road enitiative economies. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29:36326–36336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-18054-5
Chen R, Zhang Y (2023) Assessing freight structure and its effect on transport CO2 emissions: heterogeneous and mediating effect analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25250-y
Chien F, Anwar A, Hsu CC et al (2021) The role of information and communication technology in encountering environmental degradation: Proposing an SDG framework for the BRICS countries. Technol Soc 65:101587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101587
Chishti MZ, Ullah S, Ozturk I, Usman A (2020) Examining the asymmetric effects of globalization and tourism on pollution emissions in South Asia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:27721–27737. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11356-020-09057-9/METRICS
Dickey DA, Fuller WA (1979) Distribution of the estimators for autoregressive time series with a unit root. J Am Stat Assoc 74:427–431. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.1979.10482531
Gyamfi BA, Agozie DQ, Bekun FV (2022) Can technological innovation, foreign direct investment and natural resources ease some burden for the BRICS economies within current industrial era? Technol Soc 70:102037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102037
Haldar A, Sethi N (2022) Environmental effects of Information and Communication Technology - Exploring the roles of renewable energy, innovation, trade and financial development. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 153:111754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111754
Im KS, Pesaran MH, Shin Y (2003) Testing for unit roots in heterogeneous panels. J Econom 115:53–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4076(03)00092-7
Khan SAR, Godil DI, Quddoos MU et al (2021) Investigating the nexus between energy, economic growth, and environmental quality: a road map for the sustainable development. Sustain Dev 29:835–846. https://doi.org/10.1002/SD.2178
Khan SAR, Jian C, Zhang Y et al (2019) Environmental, social and economic growth indicators spur logistics performance: From the perspective of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries. J Clean Prod 214:1011–1023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.322
Khan Y, Hassan T, Kirikkaleli D et al (2022a) The impact of economic policy uncertainty on carbon emissions: evaluating the role of foreign capital investment and renewable energy in East Asian economies. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29:18527–18545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17000-9
Khan Y, Oubaih H, Elgourrami FZ (2022b) The role of private investment in ICT on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) mitigation: do renewable energy and political risk matter in Morocco? Environ Sci Pollut Res 29:52885–52899. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19455-w
Large RO, Kramer N, Hartmann RK (2013) Procurement of logistics services and sustainable development in Europe: fields of activity and empirical results. J Purch Supply Manag 19:122–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2013.05.002
Levin A, Lin CF, Chu CSJ (2002) Unit root tests in panel data: asymptotic and finite-sample properties. J Econom 108:1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4076(01)00098-7
Lin B, Ma R (2022) Green technology innovations, urban innovation environment and CO2 emission reduction in China: fresh evidence from a partially linear functional-coefficient panel model. Technol Forecast Soc Change 176:121434
Liu X, Liu J, Zhang S (2022) A regional analysis of the urbanization-energy-economy-emissions nexus in China: based on the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Appl Econ 00:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2022.2138820
Lv Z, Xu T (2018) Trade openness, urbanization and CO2 emissions: dynamic panel data analysis of middle-income countries. 28:317–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638199.2018.1534878
Mohammed KS, Tiwari S, Ferraz D, Shahzadi I (2022) Assessing the EKC hypothesis by considering the supply chain disruption and greener energy: findings in the lens of sustainable development goals. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23351-8
Murshed M (2020) An empirical analysis of the non-linear impacts of ICT-trade openness on renewable energy transition, energy efficiency, clean cooking fuel access and environmental sustainability in South Asia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:36254–36281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09497-3
N’dri LM, Islam M, Kakinaka M (2021) ICT and environmental sustainability: Any differences in developing countries? J Clean Prod 297:126642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126642
Nan S, Huang J, Wu J, Li C (2022) Does globalization change the renewable energy consumption and CO2 emissions nexus for OECD countries? New evidence based on the nonlinear PSTR model. Energy Strateg Rev 44:100995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100995
Nasir MA, Canh NP, Le Lan TN (2021) Environmental degradation & role of financialisation, economic development, industrialisation and trade liberalisation. J Environ Manage 277:111471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111471
Nathaniel SP, Nwulu N, Bekun F (2021) Natural resource, globalization, urbanization, human capital, and environmental degradation in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:6207–6221. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11356-020-10850-9/TABLES/11
Nwaka ID, Nwogu MU, Uma KE, Ike GN (2020) Agricultural production and CO2 emissions from two sources in the ECOWAS region: New insights from quantile regression and decomposition analysis. Sci Total Environ 748:141329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141329
Obobisa ES, Chen H, Mensah IA (2022) Transitions to sustainable development: the role of green innovation and institutional quality. Springer, Netherlands
Olanrewaju BT, Olubusoye OE, Adenikinju A, Akintande OJ (2019) A panel data analysis of renewable energy consumption in Africa. Renew Energy 140:668–679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.02.061
Ouédraogo M, Peng D, Chen X, Hashmi SH (2022) Testing the Mineral Resources-Induced Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis in Africa. Nat Resour Res 31:2435–2459. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-022-10060-9
Ozturk I (2017) Measuring the impact of alternative and nuclear energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and oil rents on specific growth factors in the panel of Latin American countries. Prog Nucl Energy 100:71–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PNUCENE.2017.05.030
Pham NM, Huynh TLD, Nasir MA (2020) Environmental consequences of population, affluence and technological progress for European countries: a Malthusian view. J Environ Manage 260:110143. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2020.110143
Phillips PCB, Perron P (1988) Testing for a unit root in time series regression. Biometrika 75:335–346. https://doi.org/10.1093/biomet/75.2.335
Pothitou M, Hanna RF, Chalvatzis KJ (2017) ICT entertainment appliances’ impact on domestic electricity consumption. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 69:843–853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.100
Rahman MM, Alam K (2022) Effects of corruption, technological innovation, globalisation, and renewable energy on carbon emissions in asian countries. Util Policy 79:101448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2022.101448
Raihan A, Muhtasim DA, Pavel MI et al (2022) An econometric analysis of the potential emission reduction components in Indonesia. Clean Prod Lett 3:100008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clpl.2022.100008
Randrianarisoa LM, Gillen D (2022) Reducing emissions in international transport: a supply chain perspective. Transp Res Part D Transp Environ 102:103074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2021.103074
Rehman A, Ma H, Ozturk I (2021) Do industrialization, energy importations, and economic progress influence carbon emission in Pakistan. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:45840–45852. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11356-021-13916-4/METRICS
Roberts JJ, Stalker L (2020) What have we learnt about CO2 leakage from CO2 release field experiments, and what are the gaps for the future? Earth-Sci Rev 209:102939. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EARSCIREV.2019.102939
Saidi K, Ben MM (2017) The impact of income, trade, urbanization, and financial development on CO2 emissions in 19 emerging economies. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:12748–12757. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11356-016-6303-3/METRICS
Saidi S, Mani V, Mefteh H et al (2020) Dynamic linkages between transport, logistics, foreign direct Investment, and economic growth: empirical evidence from developing countries. Transp Res Part A Policy Pract 141:277–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.09.020
Salari M, Javid RJ, Noghanibehambari H (2021) The nexus between CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and economic growth in the U.S. Econ Anal Policy 69:182–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EAP.2020.12.007
Sardar MS, Asghar N, Rehmanur H (2022) Moderation of competitiveness in determining environmental sustainability: economic growth and transport sector carbon emissions in global perspective. Environ Dev Sustain. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02771-z
Sen S, Ganguly S (2017) Opportunities, barriers and issues with renewable energy development – a discussion. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 69:1170–1181. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RSER.2016.09.137
Sikder M, Wang C, Yao X et al (2022) The integrated impact of GDP growth, industrialization, energy use, and urbanization on CO2 emissions in developing countries: Evidence from the panel ARDL approach. Sci Total Environ 837:155795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155795
Silva BN, Khan M, Han K (2018) Towards sustainable smart cities: A review of trends, architectures, components, and open challenges in smart cities. Sustain Cities Soc 38:697–713. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCS.2018.01.053
Sinha A, Shahbaz M, Balsalobre D (2017) Exploring the relationship between energy usage segregation and environmental degradation in N-11 countries. J Clean Prod 168:1217–1229. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2017.09.071
Song MJ, Lee HY (2022) The relationship between international trade and logistics performance: a focus on the South Korean industrial sector. Res Transp Bus Manag 100786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2022.100786
Sugiawan Y, Managi S (2019) New evidence of energy-growth nexus from inclusive wealth. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 103:40–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.12.044
Sun Y, Bao Q, Siao-Yun W et al (2022) Renewable energy transition and environmental sustainability through economic complexity in BRICS countries: fresh insights from novel method of moments quantile regression. Renew Energy 184:1165–1176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.12.003
Usman A, Ozturk I, Ullah S, Hassan A (2021) Does ICT have symmetric or asymmetric effects on CO2 emissions? Evidence from selected Asian economies. Technol Soc 67:101692. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TECHSOC.2021.101692
Verma A, Kumari A, Giri AK (2022) Environmental effects of ICT diffusion, energy consumption, financial development, and globalization: panel evidence from SAARC economies. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-25049-3
Wang Q, Yang T, Li R (2023) Does income inequality reshape the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis? A nonlinear panel data analysis. Environ Res 216:114575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114575
Wu H, Xue Y, Hao Y, Ren S (2021) How does internet development affect energy-saving and emission reduction? Evidence from China. Energy Econ 103:105577. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENECO.2021.105577
Yadav G, Mangla SK, Luthra S, Rai DP (2019) Developing a sustainable smart city framework for developing economies: an Indian context. Sustain Cities Soc 47:101462. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCS.2019.101462
Yue XG, Liao Y, Zheng S, et al (2021) The role of green innovation and tourism towards carbon neutrality in Thailand: evidence from bootstrap ADRL approach. J Environ Manage 292. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2021.112778
Zhao J, Jiang Q, Dong X, Dong K (2021) Assessing energy poverty and its effect on CO2 emissions: the case of China. Energy Econ 97:105191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105191
Funding
The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Min-Ju Song: Spervision: Conceptualizing, Methodology, Data collection, Empirical estimations, Writing, Drafting of the original draft. Hee-Yong Lee: Review and editing.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval
Not applicable.
Consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
Not applicable.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Ilhan Ozturk
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Song, MJ., Lee, HY. How to lead on carbon neutrality through sustainable development: A perspective on renewable energy, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and logistics networks. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 103776–103787 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29725-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29725-w