Energy productivity and environmental quality in Sweden: Evidence from Fourier and non‐linear based approaches

Abstract

This study aims to examine the asymmetric and long‐run effects of energy productivity on the quality of the environment in Sweden. It covers the time series data from 1990Q1 to 2019Q4. Sweden was the first country in 1972 to host a United Nations conference on the environment. Unlike other countries in Europe, Sweden is cognizant of an innovative environment; it hopes to achieve 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040 and lead the way towards a low‐carbon community. The novelty of this study lies in the thorough analysis of how energy productivity affects the quality of the environment in Sweden while controlling for economic growth, trade openness, and financial development utilizing the non‐linear ARDL approach and other robust econometric techniques. Precisely, (i) results indicate non‐linear and asymmetric effects of the variables over long‐term horizons; (ii) energy productivity benefits the environment by lowering CO2 emissions (CO2E) in the long term; (iii) a growth in trade openness positively impacts CO2E; (iv) an increase in financial development and economic growth without eco‐friendly protocols contribute to an increase in CO2E. The findings of this study support the economic theory that energy productivity can stimulate green living and green economic growth. We recommend that policymakers in Sweden invest in energy productivity, pursue R&D that embraces cleaner technologies, and prioritize cleaner, cross‐cutting eco‐friendly policies to combat climate challenges and achieve the long‐term climate policy goals of the EU.