Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environment

As the world accelerates its transition to clean energy (SDG 7), the economic (SDG 8) and environmental (SDG 13) ramifications are increasingly debated, reaffirming the vital importance of technological innovation (SDG 9). Technological innovation—categorized as green and non-green—differs significa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jenifer Rajkumar, Chitra Devi Nagarajan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Sustainable Futures
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825007208
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849226863186018304
author Jenifer Rajkumar
Chitra Devi Nagarajan
author_facet Jenifer Rajkumar
Chitra Devi Nagarajan
author_sort Jenifer Rajkumar
collection DOAJ
description As the world accelerates its transition to clean energy (SDG 7), the economic (SDG 8) and environmental (SDG 13) ramifications are increasingly debated, reaffirming the vital importance of technological innovation (SDG 9). Technological innovation—categorized as green and non-green—differs significantly in terms of novelty, knowledge integration, spillover effects, and technological capabilities. Although renewable energy is a hallmark of green innovation, it can also exhibit non-ecological and economic challenges, particularly across diverse regional contexts. To address these complexities, this study rigorously investigates how the green and non-green technological innovations moderate the relationship between renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and CO₂ emissions in ten leading renewable energy-producing countries—classified as developed and developing—over the period 2007 to 2020. By employing advanced methodologies such as Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and Quantile Regression, the analysis reveals striking contrasts: In developed nations, green technological innovation, in conjunction with renewable energy, stimulates economic growth while effectively lowering emissions. Conversely, non-green technological innovation tends to have detrimental effects. In developing countries, however, non-green technological innovation, when allied with renewable energy, supports economic growth and curtails emissions. In contrast, the presence of green technological innovation hampers growth and exacerbates emissions. The results of this study highlight the importance of tailoring technological innovation strategies to align with economic development objectives while considering environmental implications, particularly within the renewable energy sector, to ensure a sustainable energy future.
format Article
id doaj-art-5bde85f237ba4061aca61c8a15727cab
institution Kabale University
issn 2666-1888
language English
publishDate 2025-12-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Sustainable Futures
spelling doaj-art-5bde85f237ba4061aca61c8a15727cab2025-08-24T05:14:35ZengElsevierSustainable Futures2666-18882025-12-011010115610.1016/j.sftr.2025.101156Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environmentJenifer Rajkumar0Chitra Devi Nagarajan1Vellore Institute of Technology, Kelambakkam - Vandalur Rd, Rajan Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600127Corresponding author.; Vellore Institute of Technology, Kelambakkam - Vandalur Rd, Rajan Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600127As the world accelerates its transition to clean energy (SDG 7), the economic (SDG 8) and environmental (SDG 13) ramifications are increasingly debated, reaffirming the vital importance of technological innovation (SDG 9). Technological innovation—categorized as green and non-green—differs significantly in terms of novelty, knowledge integration, spillover effects, and technological capabilities. Although renewable energy is a hallmark of green innovation, it can also exhibit non-ecological and economic challenges, particularly across diverse regional contexts. To address these complexities, this study rigorously investigates how the green and non-green technological innovations moderate the relationship between renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and CO₂ emissions in ten leading renewable energy-producing countries—classified as developed and developing—over the period 2007 to 2020. By employing advanced methodologies such as Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and Quantile Regression, the analysis reveals striking contrasts: In developed nations, green technological innovation, in conjunction with renewable energy, stimulates economic growth while effectively lowering emissions. Conversely, non-green technological innovation tends to have detrimental effects. In developing countries, however, non-green technological innovation, when allied with renewable energy, supports economic growth and curtails emissions. In contrast, the presence of green technological innovation hampers growth and exacerbates emissions. The results of this study highlight the importance of tailoring technological innovation strategies to align with economic development objectives while considering environmental implications, particularly within the renewable energy sector, to ensure a sustainable energy future.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825007208033044020
spellingShingle Jenifer Rajkumar
Chitra Devi Nagarajan
Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environment
Sustainable Futures
033
044
020
title Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environment
title_full Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environment
title_fullStr Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environment
title_full_unstemmed Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environment
title_short Divergent impact of green and non-green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy, economic growth, and the environment
title_sort divergent impact of green and non green technological innovations on the dynamics between renewable energy economic growth and the environment
topic 033
044
020
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825007208
work_keys_str_mv AT jeniferrajkumar divergentimpactofgreenandnongreentechnologicalinnovationsonthedynamicsbetweenrenewableenergyeconomicgrowthandtheenvironment
AT chitradevinagarajan divergentimpactofgreenandnongreentechnologicalinnovationsonthedynamicsbetweenrenewableenergyeconomicgrowthandtheenvironment