Can renewable energy sources alleviate the pressure of military expenditures on the environment? Empirical evidence from Turkiye

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This study analyzes the potential of renewable energy sources to reduce the environmental impact of military expenditures in Turkiye. ARDL method is preferred in the analysis using annual data for the period 1990-2021. In addition, an interaction term is added to the model to determine the effectiveness of renewable energy sources. The results show that military expenditures have a positive effect on CO2 emissions in the short and long run with coefficients of 0.260 and 0.196, respectively. Moreover, renewable energy use has a statistically significant negative effect on CO2 emissions in the short and long run with coefficients of -0.119 and -0.120, respectively. GDP has a positive effect on CO2 emissions in the short and long run with coefficients of 0.162 and 0.193, respectively. Although population growth does not have a statistically significant effect in the short run, it is found to increase CO2 emissions in the long run with a coefficient of 0.095. Moreover, the interaction term shows that renewable energy use reduces the environmental impact of military expenditures in Turkiye in the short and long run with coefficients of -0.130 and -0.140, respectively. The results indicate that renewable energy use can play an important role in mitigating the environmental impacts of military expenditures.