Implications of circular economy, digitalization and technological innovation to achieve sustainable environmental goal: Pre and post-vision 2030.

The current study contributes to the existing literature by constructing a digitalization index to investigate the significance of digitalization in controlling the environmental footprint. Moreover, the dataset is divided into pre-Vision 2030 and post-Vision 2030 implementation to scrutinize the progress of Saudi Vision 2030 to counter the environmental challenges. Vision 2030 is a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism. The findings have documented the negative coefficients for post-Vision 2030 and post-COVID-19 estimations, reflecting that a significant digitalization increase is useful for controlling the environmental externalities in Saudi Arabia. In the case of post-Vision 2030, the role of environmental technology turns out to be significant and negative, but with a lower magnitude. The study results are useful for drawing significant environmental policies through enhancing the digitalization parameters and advancement of technology.

The prospect of green hydrogen in Saudi Arabia: an overview of theoretical and empirical approach.

Saudi Arabia is in a great position to create low-cost green hydrogen to diversify the economy and assist other nations in meeting carbon emission reduction targets due to the abundance of renewable energy sources, including solar and wind. The country may achieve this by becoming a leader in green hydrogen exports. The current research explores the prospects of green hydrogen production in the Saudi Arabia to demonstrate the current stage of hydrogen production in these countries. Previous studies checked renewable energy and carbon emissions nexus; however, in this study, hydrogen-based energy indicators are used for the first time. Also, contrary to the secondary data, forecasted data is used in this study. Through autoregressive distributive lag model is applied on Saudi Arabian data from 2020 to 2050. Results show that blue natural gas is significantly and positively related to carbon emission in the long run. Also, the relationship between green renewable energy and carbon emission is significant and negative and long and short run.

Emerging trends of green hydrogen and sustainable environment in the case of Australia.

The world faces immense pressure regarding the negative impacts of increased greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, global warming, droughts, and many other environmental problems. Australia is also facing the same issues and requires urgent attention. In this research, we have examined the effect of hydrogen firms on Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. We employed the monthly data from January 2002 to December 2021 for econometric estimations. Through quantile regression, it is noted that the expansion of hydrogen firms contributes to environmental pollution instead of controlling the emissions. Most hydrogen energy still emits carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change. Around the world, carbon-containing fossil fuels produce more than 95% of hydrogen energy. However, as a policy suggestion, it is recommended that green hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources will succeed in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sustainability in the global value chain-a scientometric analysis.

For its promise in enhancing sustainability, the global value chain (GVC) has grown in relevance and sparked many studies. Due to different value activities in multiple countries and industry clusters, the competition and cooperation among value chains have attracted the considerable attention of business leaders and academicians worldwide. GVC-related sustainability research is a niche area despite its widespread presence in the literature. To bridge the gap, we use scientometric analysis in this paper, examining the corpus of 753 articles published in Web of Science journals from 2001 till 2021. This review illuminates the research performance constituents (e.g., most prolific authors, nations, institutions, and journals), the themes and issues that underpin the fields' intellectual structure, and transforming discoveries. GVC depends on nine basic clusters for sustainability research (i.e., global value chain participation, gendered global production network, repositioning organisational dynamics, labour stands, learning opportunities, Internet era). Future studies can be conducted to generate new knowledge across ten thematic (based on keywords) clusters (i.e., market liberalisation, trade pollution nexus, value chain dynamics, global value chain reconfiguration, non-governmental organisation, multipolar governance). A model that encompasses current knowledge of the global value chain for sustainability is developed, and avenues for future research are provided.

Trade balance, monetary supply, commodity prices, and greener energy growth: contextual evidence from BRICS economies in the lens of sustainability.

The prime objective of this study is to examine the heterogenous impacts of money supply, commodity prices, and trade balance on the greener energy growth in BRICS economies. The BRICS economies are the leading trade block and have huge investments on greener energy projects. In doing so, we employ the data from January 2010 to May 2021 and employed panel fixed regression methods. The findings mention that change in inflation, export, import, industrial production, foreign direct investment (FDI), price of commodities, and money supply significantly affect greener energy growth. Notably, we observe that foreign investments, commodity prices, and money supply are the key factors for greener growth in BRICS economies. Overall, the study concludes interesting conclusions and implications in context of sustainability.

Empirical Evidence of Environmental Technologies, Renewable Energy and Tourism to Minimize the Environmental Damages: Implication of Advanced Panel Analysis.

The motivation behind this research is to investigate the determinants of the ecological footprint in MENA countries and find appropriate solutions. We updated the STIRPAT model and applied sophisticated panel techniques to data from 1996 to 2020. According to the findings, economic expansion along with urbanization and tourism is to blame for these countries' huge environmental footprints. In addition, when it comes to environmental degradation remedies, environmental innovation and the use of renewable energy play an important role in minimizing these environmental externalities. The results of post Saudi Vison 2030 analysis confirmed the significance of urban population and renewable energy in minimizing the environmental footprint. In light of the findings, it is advised that policymakers should revise the legislative framework to attract not only private sector investment, but also foreign investment to utilize the full potential of renewable energy generation.

Empirical relationship between creativity and carbon intensity: a case of OPEC countries.

This article attempts to examine the role of creativity on carbon intensity in case of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries. The panel estimation techniques are used for annual data for the period of 1990-2018. The empirical evidence affirms that patent rights and innovation act as a policy factor in controlling carbon intensity, i.e. creativity leads to energy-efficient and environment friendly society. However, innovations have higher magnitude compared to patent. Contrarily, urbanization and economic growth are the key determinants in enhancing carbon intensity, while renewable energy has insignificant impact on carbon intensity. The empirical analysis, especially for creativity, can add practical implications for related authorities in controlling carbon intensity and improving energy efficiency.

A study on the effects of meteorological and climatic factors on the COVID-19 spread in Canada during 2020.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has infected more than three million people, with thousands of deaths and millions of people into quarantine. In this research, the authors focus on meteorological and climatic factors on the COVID-19 spread, the main parameters including daily new cases of COVID-19, carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), PM2.5, Ozone (O3), average temperature, and humidity are examined to understand how different meteorological parameters affect the COVID-19 spread in Canada? The graphical quantitative analysis results indicate that CO2 emissions, air quality, temperature, and humidity have a direct negative relationship with COVID-19 infections. Quantile regression analysis revealed that air quality, Nitrogen, and Ozone significantly induce the COVID-19 spread across Canadian provinces. The findings of this study are contrary to the earlier studies, which argued that weather and climate change significantly increase COVID-19 infections. We suggested that meteorological and climatic factors might be critical to reducing the COVID-19 new cases in Canada based on the findings. This work's empirical conclusions can provide a guideline for future research and policymaking to stop the COVID-19 spread across Canadian provinces.

The impact of COVID-19 on Karachi stock exchange: Quantile-on-quantile approach using secondary and predicted data.

During the pandemic, the stock markets of developed countries have reported a jittery trend. The current study focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on Pakistani stock market, which belongs to a developing economy. The findings of current study have contradicted with the previous studies, which reported an adverse effect of COVID-19 on developed stock markets. We conclude that KSE-100 index has confirmed positive increment in stock returns. In addition, by using three predicted scenarios of COVID-19, we report the significant increase in KSE-100 index. However, it seems clear that the timely intervention of Pakistani government has safeguard the investors from utter disaster of stock market.

The willingness and perception of people regarding green roofs installation.

Developing economies are facing multifaceted problems like dramatic increase in motorized traffic, urban heat island, urban sprawl, and climatic changes. Environmental Performance Index report states that Pakistan is on 169 among 180 countries due to ill-planned development on prime agriculture land, poor air, water quality, and jeopardizing ecosystem of the country. The change of land uses from the natural to the built environment has created problems like loss of vegetation and habitat, enlarged surface flow, and heavy floods. However, this study addresses this core issue by taking responses from the residents of Lahore, Pakistan. Current research focuses on the willingness and perception of residents regarding the adaptation of green roof technology. The resident perceptions are obtained by a structured questionnaire and analyzed by using statistical techniques. The findings of the research highlight that adaptation of green roof is primarily linked with the four factors, i.e., awareness of green roof among all stakeholders, special provision in building regulation concerning green roof, sustainable environmental consciousness, and subsidized cost of green roof materials.

COVID-19 challenges to Pakistan: Is GIS analysis useful to draw solutions?

The outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a public health emergency that had caused disastrous results in more than 100 countries. The ability to detect disease outbreaks in the early stages is a key component of efficient disease control and prevention. With the increased availability of electronic health-care data and spatial analysis techniques, there is great potential to develop algorithms to enable more effective disease surveillance. The research focuses to develop a transparent user-friendly method to simulate the outbreak data. The paper describes the GIS tools to identify and define the field of investigation which requires consideration of the strengths and limitations of data collection instruments, facility of locational data collection, accuracy of locational data, and pertinent attributes for understanding disease risk. Using such information, it is quite easy for authorities to locate the highly effected area and take appropriate actions in that particular areas. However, GIS techniques, resources, and methods can be used in Pakistan for more effective investigation of vulnerable geographical locations.

Nexus Among Economic Growth, Education, Health, and Environment: Dynamic Analysis of World-Level Data.

The aim of current study is to examine the nexus among economic growth, education, health issues, and carbon emission for the panel of 161 countries. Education and health have confirmed insignificant coefficients for economic growth and carbon emission, which mention that higher education and better health conditions are not useful for boosting economic development and for controlling environmental degradation process. Empirical estimations have reported that higher capital investment leads to increase the economic process and carbon emission. Higher educational standard and capital investment helps to control the health issues, in the long- and short-run. On contrary, higher carbon emission creates health issues. The given results can provide support to the economic, social, and environmental policy makers during policy decisions. For example, the study suggests green financing and low carbon economy concept; the government and industries have to increase the investment on modern, energy efficient, and green technologies, which are useful for economic development, as well as to control the environmental degradation process.

Agricultural practices and quality of environment: evidence for global perspective.

The study emphasizes to examine the causal relationship among CO2 emission, agricultural value added, industrial production, urbanization, nuclear energy consumption, and economic growth across the panel of 59 countries. The data is collected from World Bank database over the period of 1982-2015. For econometric estimations, we have divided the sample into different income groups: low income, lower middle income, upper middle income, and higher income. In case of higher income countries, empirical results have reported the unidirectional causality from agricultural value added to CO2 emission, whereas, bidirectional causality between nuclear energy consumption and CO2 emission. Upper-middle-income countries have confirmed the bidirectional causality between CO2 emissions and agricultural added; however, unidirectional causality runs from nuclear consumption to CO2 emission. According to Granger causality estimations, agricultural value added and nuclear energy consumption do not cause the CO2 emission in low income and lower-middle-income countries. Long-run estimations have mentioned that higher agricultural value added leads to increase the CO2 emission, in upper middle income and higher income countries. On contrary, in case of low-income and lower-middle-income countries, agricultural value added has inverse relationship with CO2 emission. Higher nuclear energy consumption tends to reduce the CO2 emission, except the upper-middle-income countries.

Role of urban income, industrial carbon treatment plants and forests to control the carbon emission in China.

Present study contributes to the existing literature by introducing the role of urban income and urban expenditure to control the carbon emission, especially produced by urbanization. Additionally, investment in industrial treatment plant is used to study its impact in carbon reduction. By using the data of 30 Chinese provinces over the period of 2005-2015, we have reported that urbanization and industrialization are main culprits of the carbon emission, whereas the higher urban income leads to decrease the carbon emission that has been caused by urbanization, as mentioned by the negative coefficient of urban income. Moreover, the investment in industrial treatment plants help to reduce the industrial carbon emission. Post-policy estimations have confirmed that forest management can be a useful measure to eradicate the carbon emission. Overall, the findings confirm that higher urban income, industrial carbon treatment plants, and forest investment activities are useful to control the precipitous increase in carbon emission. Given results enhance the existing literature as well as deliver the policy implications to curtail the environmental degradation process.

The impact of carbon emission and forest activities on health outcomes: empirical evidence from China.

The higher economic growth of China intensifies the consumption of fossil fuel, such as coal and oil, for electricity generation, transportation etc., which is responsible for environmental degradation through the emissions of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen etc. The objectives of this study are to investigate the impact of greenhouse gas emission on health issues and provide the effective solution to overcome health-related issues, caused by carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen emission. For this purpose, we propose that higher afforestation activities can help to mitigate the carbon emission and can help to reduce the health diseases. The findings of quantile regressions reported that an increase in carbon emission causes significantly higher health issues. On the contrary, afforestation activities reported a negative coefficient, suggesting that growth of forests can be useful measure in control of health issues. The findings of the current study can be utilized in policy making and to explore the nexus between greenhouse gas emission, afforestation, and health issues.

Impact of urbanization on energy intensity by adopting a new technique for regional division: evidence from China.

Using unbalanced data from 30 provinces in China between 1990 and 2015, this paper investigates the impact of urbanization on energy intensity with three control variables: economic growth, industrialization, and foreign direct investment. All the samples are divided into two sub-samples using a newly developed partially heterogeneous framework. For empirical estimations, we have used four models that deal with the homogeneous-heterogeneous slope with static-dynamic model specifications. Mainly, new estimation methods are used for dynamic models considering both heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence. Empirical results show economic growth is a steady factor that decreases energy intensity. Urbanization and industrialization have a significant and positive relationship with energy intensity, which illustrates that higher urbanization impacts negatively on energy intensity. The influence of foreign direct investment is negative. Moreover, these findings vary across different model specifications and samples. The heterogeneous effects suggest regional specific policies across the provinces.