Energy productivity, financial stability, and environmental degradation in an Eastern European country: Evidence from novel Fourier approaches.

The global transition to net zero is largely based on the existential threats of carbon emissions to humanity and global sustainability. Policymakers have committed to finding pathways that reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted. To get insights for policy making, this study aims at investigating the effect of financial stability and energy productivity on environmental degradation in Bulgaria using novel Fourier estimators. The outcomes of the study indicate (i) both energy productivity and financial stability have positive effects on environmental degradation; (ii) rising economic growth exerts a positive effect on CO2 emissions. The outcomes offer weighty policy insights on energy productivity investments for the government of Bulgaria, particularly on smart energy technologies; energy productivity financing; smart manufacturing; efficient transportation, energy use behavioral change, and smart water infrastructure. Additionally, the government of Bulgaria could enact policies for financial stability improvements; and for controlling fossil fuel-facilitated economic growth. Finally, given that price stability policy focus failed during the 2008 global financial crisis, a major policy focus could be to improve on the new macroprudential policy framework for Bulgarian Central Bank towards delivering financial stability and environmental sustainability.

Environmental innovation and environmental sustainability in a Nordic country: evidence from nonlinear approaches.

Environmental sustainability has been a priority of energy study experts, yet, until recently, the approaches largely ignored innovation issues. This paper investigates the relationship between environmental innovation and environmental sustainability in a Nordic country, Norway, from 1990:Q1 to 2019:Q4. In Norway, climate change, protection of the ozone layer, biodiversity, urbanization, acidification, eutrophication, persistently high toxic waste, and increased fragility have injected volatility and uncertainty into the Norwegians-a reality that may continue for a while. This study is unique in that it uses the nonlinear ARDL approach to analyze in depth how environmental innovation affects environmental sustainability in Norway while controlling for economic growth, renewable energy, and financial development. In particular, the findings reveal that (i) environmental innovation improves the environment in Norway over long-term horizons; (ii) strengthening patents on environmental innovations can foster clean living, green growth, and zero CO2 emissions; (iii) investing in renewable energy sources benefits the Norwegian environment by reducing carbon emission growth; and (iv) economic growth and financial development promote CO2 emission growth. The policy consequence is that Norway's policymakers should continue to invest in cleaner technologies and encourage environmental education and training of employees, suppliers, and consumers.

Energy productivity and environmental degradation in the Netherlands: evidence from the novel Fourier-based estimators.

Due to the incessant quest for economic growth, global energy demand has increased to a level that requires urgent rethinking. The Netherlands depends heavily on traditional energy sources, which are finite and equally emit a lot of greenhouse gasses, causing further environmental destruction. To sustain economic growth and protect the ecosystem, it is crucial for the Netherlands to consume energy efficiently. Given that policy directions are required, this paper investigates the effect of energy productivity on environmental degradation in the Netherlands between 1990Q1 and 2019Q4, using the Fourier ARDL (autoregressive distributed lag) and Fourier Toda-Yamamoto causality approaches. The Fourier ADL estimates indicate that all variables are cointegrated. Additionally, the long-run Fourier ARDL estimates indicate that investments in energy productivity could help reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the Fourier Toda-Yamamoto causality outcomes suggest that energy productivity, economic growth, and renewable energy consumption have a unidirectional causal effect on CO2 emissions. These revealing outcomes provide significant policy insights for the Netherlands' energy productivity objectives in their new energy policy proposed in 2022. The government could, through the new energy policy, increase investment in smart meters and review existing fossil fuel subsidies and energy trade taxes. Additionally, the government could consider reviewing the Netherlands' economic structure by increasing the share of the primary and tertiary sectors to the rising economic growth to reduce energy consumption.

Insights from Poland on the long-run effect of energy productivity on environmental degradation: a Fourier ARDL-based approach.

The globally increasing trend of fossil fuel consumption has culminated in a historical degradation of the environment and the rising threat of global warming. Researchers and policymakers aim at examining critical relationships between energy productivity and environmental degradation to make recommendations for global policy action. This paper aims to capture the effect of energy productivity on environmental degradation in Poland from 1990Q1 to 2019Q4, using novel Fourier-bases ADF unit root and Fourier-based ARDL approaches. First, outcomes of the Fourier ARDL bounds test indicate that variables are integrated; second, outcomes of the Fourier ARDL long-run estimates indicate that (i) energy productivity has long-run negative effects on CO2 emissions; and (ii) economic growth, globalization, and primary energy consumption have positive effects on CO2 emissions. Among the options available to Polish policymakers are (i) liberalizing domestic energy markets to offer an opportunity for electricity consumers to switch companies and (ii) continuing to pursue a policy of decarbonizing energy supply by investing heavily in renewable energy, nuclear power, e-mobility, and energy productivity.

The asymmetric and long-run effect of energy productivity on environmental quality in Ireland.

This study aims to examine the long-run asymmetric impact of energy productivity on environmental quality in Ireland. The data set covers the period from 1990Q1 to 2019Q4. Although the border issue has been the source of contention and terrorism for decades in Ireland, the country is conscious of modern innovations and has a coherent body of environmental law. Ireland's goal is to achieve 80% of its electricity as renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions by 51% in 2030. Unlike earlier studies, the novelty of this study lies in the thorough analysis of how energy productivity affects the quality of the environment in Ireland while controlling for financial development, primary energy consumption, and economic growth utilizing the nonlinear ARDL approach and other robust econometric techniques. Precisely, the results indicate that (i) energy productivity benefits the environment by lowering CO2 emissions (CO2E) in the long term; (ii) financial sector development enhances the quality of the environment in Ireland; (iii) increase in primary energy consumption and economic growth without eco-friendly protocols propel an increase in CO2E. These findings support the economic theory that energy productivity can stimulate steady green living and green technological growth. We recommend that policymakers in Ireland invest in energy productivity and prioritize R&D that embraces cleaner technologies and cross-cutting eco-friendly policies to combat environmental challenges in Ireland and the world at large.

Empirical analysis of the relationship among urbanization, economic growth and ecological footprint: evidence from Eastern Europe.

In recent environmental sustainability literature, ecological footprint is largely seen as the most appropriate indicator of environmental destruction. However, due to lack of clarity in its relationship with economic growth, ecosystem services, biodiversity and human well-being, serious academic and political attention on environmental sustainability has not really reflected on ecological footprint. Using CADF unit root test, Westerlund cointegration test, common correlated effects and Dumitrescu Hurlin causality approaches, we conduct empirical analysis of the relationship among urbanization, economic growth and ecological footprint: evidence from Eastern Europe between 1998Q4 and 2017Q4. We address the following protracted questions in the literature: (1) Can we find a relationship between ecological footprint, urbanization and growth? (2) What explains the relationship, if any? The outcomes of the Westerlund cointegration test reveal cointegration among the variables, (ii) the outcome of the Dumitrescu Hurlin causality test indicates that there is a long-run unidirectional causality running from growth to the ecological footprint and (iii) urbanization does not homogeneously cause ecological footprint. The study has implications for regional policy actions that could support the reduction of ecological deficits through growth and urbanization policies towards improving regional environmental quality.