Share Of Renewable Energy Consumption Research Articles

Renewable Energy Consumption in the Context of Economic Development, CO2 Emissions and Implications for Public Administration: The Case of Visegrad Group Countries

Renewable energy consumption has gained growing importance in the world energy consumption portfolio over recent years. One of the reasons is the increasingly negative development of climate change. The research carried out in this paper aims to discern whether the examined economic indicator (GDP per capita) and the environmental indicator (CO2 emissions per capita) affect the renewable energy consumption in the region of the Visegrad Group (V4 – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovak Republic) countries, and to draw implications for public administration in the given issue. The fixed effects panel regression model was used to verify the mentioned relationships between variables from 1990-2020. The results show that the level of the share of renewable energy consumption on the total energy consumption in the region of the V4 countries can be affected by the GDP per capita (positive relationship validated) and the CO2 emissions per capita (negative relationship validated). These results are mostly in line with the findings of other researchers conducted on different samples of countries, although some differences can be noted, especially regarding the direction of the relationship. The implications of the research results are presented on three levels: practical implications for the business sector, emphasis placed on political implications for public administration, and theoretical implications that lay the foundation for further research. The main limitation of the research results comes from the sample used in V4 countries and, thus, from the limited possibilities of generalizing the results. The direction of further research in the addressed issue will include a larger number of countries in the research and the use of various quantitative and qualitative research methods.

The effect of environmental degradation on self-reported health: the role of renewable energy consumption.

Although there are a number of studies in the literature that have explored the effect of environmental degradation on the subjective well-being and life satisfaction, no previous study has addressed the role of renewable energy consumption in examining the effect of environmental degradation on self-reported health. To this end, we employ a conditional mixed process (CMP) model, using a unique dataset that combines both micro-level data fromthe 6th (2010-2014) and 7th (2017-2022) Waves of the World Values Survey (WVS) database and macro-level data from the World Bank. Our study has several important empirical findings. First, while environmental degradation deteriorates self-reported health, social capital and health expenditure have a positive impact on self-reported health. Second, the share of renewable energy consumption in total final energy consumption has a statistically significant negative impact on environmental degradation. Third, urbanization has a deteriorating effect on environmental quality and the total number of people increases environmental degradation.

The Relationship between the Share of Renewable Energy in Total Energy Consumption and Economic Growth: Kazakhstan and Turkiye Comparision

This study examines the relationship between the share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption and economic growth by comparing the data of Kazakhstan and Turkiye using the annual data for the 1991-2019 period. We collected the data from the World Bank website (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/). Impulse - Response Analysis and Variance Decomposition Analysis were applied to the data using the Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model. Research findings showed that although there is a relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth for Kazakhstan, this is not valid for Turkiye. The causality of this relationship, which is valid for Kazakhstan, is determined by the Granger causality analysis. According to the analysis, renewable energy consumption affects Kazakhstan's economic growth, but this effect does not translate into a causal relationship. Again, for both countries, we see that the impact of renewable energy shocks on economic growth remained limited and faded in a few periods. Another important finding is that the share of renewable energy consumption in the economic growth variance decomposition is higher for Kazakhstan.

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY

One of the key issues of environmental geography and a cornerstone in the implementation of any country’s sustainable development strategy is to ensure proper environmental protection. The purpose of the study is to determine the environmental determinants of sustainable development of countries with taking into account the need to harmonize the economy, ecosystem and human well-being. The novelty of the study is the further development of scientific approaches to assessing the interrelation between EPI and the structural elements of the “green” economy. The results of EPI statistical analysis showed that less than 1/3 of 34 European countries improved the effectiveness of their environmental policy in 2020 compared to 2018. Strategic positioning on the matrix models allowed to identify unequal numbers of strategic groups of countries with differences in the values of environmental determinants of sustainable development. It is substantiated that environment affect people’s life expectancy. Currently, the lowest value of healthy life expectancy is in Ukraine compared to other European countries. It is established that the unevenness in the dynamism of business in Europe is insignificant. However, the efficiency of the use of natural resources in the process of production and consumption, unfortunately, is not the same. The average share of renewable energy consumption in the sample of European countries is 23.5%. It is shown that a high share of renewable energy consumption does not guarantee a high level of environmental efficiency. However, this can be seen as an option to address the country’s energy security. It is proposed to combine the ecological determinants of sustainable development of the country into 4 groups: environmental protection; structural restructuring of the economy; resource efficiency and biodiversity; well-being and health of the population. It is concluded that positive changes in only one environmental determinant does not guarantee an increase in the level of environmental efficiency of the country (especially in the short term).

The short- and long-run causal correlation between green finance, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth

We propose a vector error correction model to explore the causal correlation between green finance, economic growth, and renewable energy consumption from both short- and long-run perspectives to empirically evaluate the efficacy of green finance policies. Based on time-series data from 2000 to 2020, we use the unit root test method to examine time-varying trends and cointegration for time-series data. We find that renewable energy consumption has a negative relationship with emissions but green finance is positively correlated with economic growth. Green finance is the driving factor behind the increasing utilization of renewable energy in China. CO2 emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 1.077% for every 1% increase in green finance development. Although the share of renewable energy consumption increased by 1%, CO2 emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 0.55%. Therefore, green finance is significant in decreasing CO2 emissions; it has a negative impact on CO2 emissions and the renewable energy sector and must be addressed by financial policy, stability, and long-run sustainability. We categorized green finance, which refers to carbon finance innovations such as trusteeship, to improve market demand and eventually develop industries to expand the number of emission-control industries.

Economic complexity and ecological footprint: The role of energy structure, industrial structure, and labor force

Existing studies show the important influence of economic complexity index (ECI) on environmental quality, but do not consider the mediating effect of other key factors on the relationship between the two, thus ignoring the structural break and nonlinear characteristics of the relationship between ECI and environmental quality. To fill this research gap, this study constructs a decomposition framework and multiple panel threshold regression models based on an extended STIRPAT model using panel data from 36 OECD countries to explore the nonlinear relationship between ECI and ecological footprint (an indicator of environmental quality) in terms of three key mediators: energy consumption structure, industrial structure, and human capital. The results show that a 1% increase in economic complexity is associated with a 0.075% increase in ecological footprint per capita, and an increase in economic complexity is detrimental to environmental improvement. When energy consumption structure is used as the threshold variable, the correlation coefficient between ECI and ecological footprint per capita gradually shifts from positive to negative with an inverted U-shaped curve as the share of renewable energy consumption increases. In particular, when the share of renewable energy consumption is higher than 44.56%, ECI shows a negative correlation with ecological footprint, i.e., ECI promotes the improvement of environmental quality. When the industrial structure is used as the threshold variable, the coefficient change from the below-threshold stage to the above-threshold stage indicates that the reduction of per capita ecological footprint shrinks from 0.161% to 0.102% for each 1% increase in ECI. The increase in the human capital index suppresses the positive effect of ECI on the ecological footprint per capita, i.e., the technology effect mitigates the environmental pressure caused by ECI, and only a country with a human capital index above 2.60 is in the interval where the technology effect comes into play. Finally, targeted policy recommendations from the perspective of the energy structure, industrial structure, and labor force are proposed to mitigate the effects of economic complexity on environmental quality.

Scenario Analysis of Renewable Energy Development and Carbon Emission in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region

The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region (BTH) is a key area with large carbon emissions in China and a demonstration area for renewable energy development, facing the dual test of energy structure transformation and the achievement of carbon peak and neutrality goals. This study analyzes the main influencing factors of carbon emissions based on Kaya’s identity, establishes a socio-economic-energy-carbon emission coupled with system dynamics (SD) model, and designs five scenarios to predict and compare the future trends of energy consumption, renewable energy development and carbon emissions in BTH, respectively. The results show that (1) under the baseline scenario, energy carbon emissions in BTH will peak around 2034, and the intermediate development scenario, the transition development scenario and the sustainable development scenario all show that the region can achieve the emission peak target around 2030. (2) The renewable energy output value of BTH will reach CNY 486.46 billion in 2050 under the baseline scenario, and the share of renewable energy consumption will exceed 50% under the sustainable development scenario. (3) Increasing energy tax regulation and scientific and technological investment and adopting more stringent policy constraints can guarantee the lowest emission intensity while maintaining the current social and economic development level. This study predicts the development of a renewable energy industry and carbon emissions in BTH under different scenarios and provides policy recommendations for the future energy transition in the region.

Can environmental tax promote renewable energy consumption? — An empirical study from the typical countries along the Belt and Road

This paper explores the effects of environmental tax on renewable energy consumption. Fifteen typical countries along the Belt and Road are selected to build panel autoregressive distributed lag model based on the data of 1998–2019 years. According to pooled mean group estimator, the short-term impact of environmental tax on renewable energy consumption in these countries is negative. In the long run, for 1% increase in environmental tax, renewable energy consumption will increase by 1.201%. Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test confirms the existence of bidirectional causality between environmental tax and renewable energy consumption. For the canonical cointegration regression approach, 1% increase in environmental tax, the share of renewable energy consumption in the final energy will increase by 0.021%. The robustness of the long-term relationship is tested by fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares. Linearity tests reveal the nonlinear impact of environmental tax on renewable energy consumption. The paths of environmental tax to improve environmental quality are put forward.

Investigating the role of the tech industry, renewable energy, and urbanization in sustainable environment: Policy directions in the context of developing economies

This paper investigates environmental sustainability by examining the impact of the tech industry, renewable energy, and urbanization environmental degradation in a developing country such as China. This study mainly relates to China for the period 1991 to 2015. Our findings may be extrapolated to other developing countries. We employ several econometric techniques, such as the augmented Dickey-Fuller, the Zivot-Andrew unit root test, autoregressive distributive lags, fully modified ordinary least squares, and canonical cointegrating regression tests, to draw our empirical inferences. Our findings show that there is a significant inverse connection between the tech industry, renewable energy consumption, urbanization, and environmental degradation in China. This negative connection indicates that adding value in the tech industry, increasing the share of renewable energy consumption, and increased urbanization can help reduce environmental degradation. The outcomes of this study suggest some useful policy implications. First, national- and local-level governments should establish specific budgets to promote the use of renewable energy in high-tech industries. Second, policymakers should develop strict policies to increase spending on technological and green innovations. Third, governments should build new smart cities equipped with the latest advanced technologies to encourage more people to move from less developed to highly developed regions.

Renewable energy for sustainable development in Asia‐Pacific region: Do foreign direct investment and regulatory quality matter?

AbstractGlobal climate change has already created noticeable ill‐effects on the environmental system and attaining further economic growth without compromising environmental quality is a difficult challenge for every country on this planet. Inspired by United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) core agenda, we investigated the singular, combined, and coupling influence of income growth, foreign direct investment inflows, renewable energy, and regulatory quality (RQ) on climate change under the scale, technique, and composition effects hypothesis. This analysis enables the creation of appropriate policy interventions to mitigate the severity of climate change in the future for the diverse countries in the Asia‐Pacific region. The study adopted the dynamic heterogenous estimation methodology responsible for accounting for the heterogeneity. We estimated 14 empirical models for the panel data from 1996 to 2015 of Asia‐Pacific countries. Empirical results validated the scale, technique, and composition effects and include that the progress in the share of renewable energy consumption in emerging countries by 1% reduces the greenhouse gas emissions by 0.24% (99% Confidence interval [C.I]), whereas 1% increase in the interactive effect of renewable energy and RQ deepens the emissions by 0.35% (99% C.I). The income level and RQ aggravate greenhouse gas emissions; whereas renewable energy diminishes the overall emissions level in emerging and advanced economies. This article's empirical outcomes would facilitate climate change mitigation‐related policy interventions of diverse economies in the Asia‐Pacific region to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs‐ 7 and 13).

Drivers of the European Union’s Environmental Performance

The interactions between nature and humankind produce a series of ecological, social, economic, institutional, technological, and other types of restrictions, which can alter the development of the future society and Earth. Exploring the influencing factors of environmental performance can create better solutions and it can emphasize the gaps from past and current policies. Also, they can contribute to achieve sustainable development. In this regard, more indices are developing for assessing a specific theme that targets sustainability, such as carbon footprint, Environmental Performance Index, or sustainable development index. Thus, this study aims to analyze the influencing factors of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) at an EU level by collecting data between 2010 and 2020, once in 2 years and by using a panel data model. The results were estimated using the Period SUR effect within the generalized least square method and using the White period matrix within the correlation matrix. The results indicate positive relationships between EPI and area under organic farming, circular material use rate, eco-innovation index, energy productivity, ratio of female-to-male labor force participation rate, forest area, Human Development Index, Internet users, livestock production index, new business density, patent applications-residents, tertiary school enrollment, the share of renewable energy consumption in gross final energy consumption, and the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments. In addition, higher inequality between individuals, natural resources rents, trade volume index, and environmental taxes in total tax revenues seem to constrain the EU’s environmental performance. The results are important both for academicians and policymakers.

Identifying contributing factors to China's declining share of renewable energy consumption: no silver bullet to decarbonisation.

Renewable energy consumption (REC) holds the key to sustainable development. Therefore, many studies have considered the role of REC. However, the factors influencing the REC share in total energy usage (SREC) are not well investigated. Especially, the factors of China’s fast-shrinking SREC are understudied. This research void on the world’s largest renewable energy producer and consumer, i.e., China’s decreasing SREC, is alarming and requires thorough investigation. Our study intends to fill this gap by analyzing the factors of China’s decreasing SREC. The study uses both the conventional (descriptive and directional correlational analyses) and some unconventional (automatic linear modeling (ALM) and Artificial neural network (ANN) multilayer perceptron (MLP)) approach to investigate the factors of China’s decreasing SREC. The initial hypothesis testing and most reliable model validation were achieved via directional correlational (Pearson and Spearman) and ALM analyses. The ANN MLP (two hidden layers) indicated that the most critical factor is “Combustible renewables and waste,” with a 100% normalized importance. It was followed by “urbanization (64.2%), gross savings (56.1%), and alternative and nuclear energy (38%),” respectively. It is suggested that the Chinese government and private investors prioritize their investments based on factors’ importance ranking.Graphical abstract Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-022-20972-x.

Sustainability concerns are key to understanding public attitudes toward woody biomass for energy: A survey of Danish citizens

Woody biomass energy makes up a large share of renewable energy consumption in the EU, and the largest share in countries like Denmark. However, little is known about how the public perceive it. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire-based survey of the public in Denmark focusing on attitudes toward woody biomass for energy. The main findings are that, while more people favor than oppose it, a large proportion are undecided about the use of woody biomass. The survey also revealed a lack of knowledge about this energy source. A Best-Worst Scaling methodology revealed that Danes prioritize environmental sustainability concerns – namely biodiversity loss, the hindering of the development of other renewable energy sources and the climate change mitigation potential of woody biomass – over societal and/or economic ones when it comes to the promotion of woody biomass. Finally, it was found that concern about climate change, belief in the mitigation potential of woody biomass, and being younger explained the formation of positive attitudes toward woody biomass. Policy makers aiming to take public concerns into account in discussions about Denmark's energy future should focus more on minimizing the negative environmental impacts associated with woody biomass rather than on its economic benefits.

Corruption: Is it a bane to renewable energy consumption in Africa?

Increasingly, a significant part of the literature on corruption establishes a negative relationship between corruption and economic variables. However, empirical research showing the influence of corruption on renewable energy consumption is useful because of the global interest in achieving a low-carbon and clean environment. In this light, we model a relationship between corruption and renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) in Africa. Using a panel dataset for 32 African countries covering the period 1996–2019, we first show that perception about corruption is relatively high in Africa. In line with corruption theory, both Generalized Method of Moments and Instrumental Variable estimation techniques are used to establish that corruption is inimical to the share of renewable energy consumption in total final energy consumption in Africa. To investigate the robustness of the results, we disaggregate the sample into high and low environmental performance countries as well as upper and lower-middle-income countries and still find consistent results. Our results call for strategic policies and institutional structures that seek to prevent corruption from further permeating the continent's administrative structures.

An analysis of the main driving factors of renewable energy consumption in the European Union.

Climate change is a major global concern closely related to the strategies aimed at reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency. Over the last decades, the interest in the development of renewable energy (RE) has grown exponentially. In the case of the European Union (EU), the Renewable Energy Directive sets rules to achieve a 32% of total energy consumption to be covered through RE by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, it is important to know what are the main driving factors of RE consumption (REC). This study aims to analyze the impact of economic and social factors on the share of REC in total energy consumption in the EU over the period 2001–2015. For doing so, we estimate a Panel Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) model. The results obtained show that economic factors have a negative effect on REC. In contrast, social factors like education exert a positive effect. This suggests that it is necessary to adopt a holistic approach that includes not only economic but also social aspects in order to foster REC.

Factors Influencing the Renewable Energy Consumption in Selected European Countries

The overcoming of the issues on energy crisis and inequality have become the priorities as far developing as developed countries are concerned. Moreover, energy inequality has increased due to the shortage of natural gas and rising energy prices in retaliation to the economic recovery affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to verify the linkage between the growth of renewable energy consumption and the country’s economic advancement. In this context, this paper determines the main driving forces of renewable energy consumption in European countries during 2000–2018. The annual data for panel regression analysis are retrieved from the OECD. Stat and World Bank Open Data. This empirical analysis employed a set of estimation procedures such as the panel unit root test (Levin, Lin & Chu; Im, Pesaran, Shin W-Stat; ADF-Fisher Chi-square; and PP-Fisher Chi-square methods), the Pearson correlation, fixed- and random-effects models, generalized method of moments (GMM), Hausman and the robustness tests. The results from the Hausman test ratified that the fixed-effects regression model is more suitable for involved panel balanced data. The results of fixed-effects regression and GMM identified the statistically significant and positive relationship between the share of renewable energy consumption of total final energy consumption, GDP per capita, and CO2 emissions per capita for the overall sample. In turn, the total labor force, the gross capital formation, and production-based CO2 intensity are inversely related to renewable energy consumption. The identified effects could provide some insights for policymakers to improve the renewable energy sector towards gaining sustainable economic development.

Multidimensional analysis and forecasting the relationship between indicators of industrial-technological development and the level of economic security

A theoretical-applied model has been built for analyzing industrial-technological development directly within the system of economic security. A system of indicators has been constructed that are mutually agreed in the context of the analysis of the state of economic security and components of industrial-technological development (investment, international, environmental, educational, scientific, industrial, innovative, technological). Based on the system of indicators, analysis of variance in the industrial-technological development and level of economic security was carried out. The levels of correlation of indicators (high, medium, low) have been determined, based on which the interrelations of industrial-technological development and economic security were systematized. A graphic-analytical and regression procedure was used to define the correlation dependence of industrial-technological development on economic security. The industrial-technological development has been forecasted in terms of the indicators with high correlation (the level of investment, openness of the economy, export of high-tech products, industrial products index) and medium correlation (the share of renewable energy consumption, the level of expenditures on education to GDP, the share of specialists performing scientific and technical work). The system of indicators of economic security assessment has been expanded in terms of its individual components (investment-innovative, foreign economic, energy, social, macroeconomic security), taking into consideration aspects in the industrial-technological development. Using the reported analytical and predictive results makes it possible to establish groups of factors that influence the industrial-technological development and economic security. In this way, it becomes possible to identify those tools and means whose application could ensure an increase in the level of industrial-technological development and economic security

Evolution and Forecasting of the Renewable Energy Consumption in the Frame of Sustainable Development: EU vs. Romania

This article is part of the concerns generated by the need to increase the consumption of renewable energy, so that in the European Union (EU) countries, its share in the final energy consumption, to reach 32% by 2030, increases. In the context in which, in the specialized literature, the analysis of renewable energy consumption by activity sectors is approached very little, such an analysis has high utility. The variables of interest are the share of renewable energy in the final energy consumption, and the share of renewable energy sources in the final energy consumption in transport, electricity, and heating and cooling. The study performs a comparative analysis of the evolution of these indicators for the period 2004–2019 for Romania and the EU, an empirical estimate of the evolution of indicators using time regression and autoregressive models, a forecast of the share of renewable energy consumption in the final energy consumption and by the main sectors (transport, electricity, and heating and cooling) for the 2030 horizon, providing appropriate scenarios for achieving the EU established goals, as well as an analysis of the interdependence between the indicators. Through the results obtained, the paper can contribute to improving the framework for the sustainable development of energy consumption.

Comparison of Consumption and Renewable Sources of Energy in European Union Countries—Sectoral Indicators, Economic Conditions and Environmental Impacts

The use of energy is a precondition for global economic and civilisational development. However, the growing demand for energy is depleting traditional energy resources and, most importantly, causing environmental pollution, mainly through the emission of greenhouse gases. As energy is necessary for the functioning of all sectors of the economy, such as industry, services, transport as well as households, these sectors are the largest contributors to energy consumption. Renewable energy sources are an alternative to generating energy from conventional fossil fuels. The main objective of this paper was to determine and compare the level, trends and variation in energy consumption by different economic sectors in countries of the European Union in 2010–2019. An analysis of the share of renewable energy consumption in different economic sectors was also carried out, as well as an assessment of the relationship of these indicators with the level of economic development of the countries and environmental impacts in the form of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption. To explore the topics under discussion, a dozen of indicators have been considered in the article. The source of empirical data collected was the European Statistical Office. The researched period covered the years 2010–2019. The empirical data was statistically analysed. The article considers changes in the values of the studied indicators, differentiation between countries and the results of correlation and regression analysis. As shown by the data from 2010–2019, the countries of the European Union vary significantly in respect of primary and final energy consumption. The highest final energy consumption occurs in the transport sector, followed by slightly lower consumption in the industrial sector and households sector and the lowest but also significant consumption in the commercial and public services sector. Since 2010, total primary and final energy consumption has decreased in the EU (27) countries. Total energy consumption and consumption by individual sectors in modern economies of the EU (27) countries are reflected on the one hand in economic development and on the other—in exacerbation of adverse climate changes. Therefore, all EU Member States, aware of their energy consumption and their own contribution to environmental pollution, should take effective and sustainable corrective action in this area as soon as possible.

The relationship between manufacturing growth and CO2 emissions: Does renewable energy consumption matter?

Taking renewable energy consumption as a concomitant variable and using data from 25 manufacturing subsectors in 38 countries from 2000 to 2014, this paper investigates the impact of economic growth on CO2 emissions at the subsector level by employing an endogenous finite mixture model for the first time. The results are as follows: (1) Manufacturing growth has led to a significant increase of CO2 emissions, but this promoting effect becomes weak as the share of renewable energy consumption expands; (2) With the growing impact of renewable energy consumption, nearly half of the sample countries and two-thirds of the subsectors have experienced the transformation of the nexus between manufacturing growth and emissions; and (3) Compared with coal, coke and crude, the growth of the manufacturing subsector that is mainly dependent on natural gas, electricity and heat, has produced lower emissions. Our findings provide significant evidence of and references for formulating renewable energy policy for various manufacturing subsectors.