Enhancing environmental quality and economic growth through potential effects of energy efficiency and renewable energy in Asian economies

This study examines the potential impacts of energy efficiency and renewable energy on economic growth proxies by gross domestic product and environmental quality proxies by carbon dioxide emissions across eight selected Asian countries from 2000 to 2020. This study contributes by calculating green total factor productivity and carbon total factor productivity based on the famous Solow's residual via employing a modified extensive growth accounting model that internalized ignored factors such as energy efficiency and renewable energy. The employed panel cointegration techniques confirm that all variables are co-integrated with carbon dioxide emissions and economic growth. The pooled mean group/autoregressive distributed lag model analysis results indicate that energy efficiency is positively associated with both environmental quality and economic growth. Renewable energy hurts economic growth but has a positive effect on environmental quality which suggests the necessity of implementing an effective strategy for renewable energy alongside energy efficiency measures to enhance economic growth and environmental quality in the selected Asian countries. The findings from the fully modified ordinary least squares estimator are consistent with the environmental quality model. The average growth rate of green total factor productivity is positive despite negative contributions from energy efficiency and renewable energy. Similarly, the average growth rate of carbon total factor productivity is negative despite positive contributions from labor and capital. This discrepancy may be attributed to the beneficial effects of labor and capital as input productivity-driven. Embracing renewable energy sources can take significant steps toward improving environmental quality for future generations. Focusing on green technologies that enhance energy efficiency can substantially promote environmental quality and stimulate sustainable economic growth through innovation and climate change integration to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.