How ecological policy stringency moderates the influence of industrial innovation on environmental sustainability: The role of renewable energy transition in BRICST countries

Abstract

Global economies enforce strict environmental regulations and renewable energy transition policies to address climate vulnerabilities. The current study elucidates the effects of renewable energy transition, ecological governance, technology innovation, and economic growth on the environmental degradation of the BRICST (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkey) nations. The study employed Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) on yearly data from 1990 to 2020. The empirical outcomes revealed that the nexus among the variables is quantile-dependent and grounded on the conditional distribution of consumption-based carbon emissions. Renewable energy transition and environmental policy stringency tend to curtail consumption-based carbon emissions; however, these effects weaken moving from lower to higher quantiles. Moreover, technological innovation significantly moderates the impact of environmental governance on emissions mitigation, mainly at lower to medium quantiles. These results suggest implementing integrated policy for innovation, energy transition, and ecological governance.