Exploring the Environmental Trade-Offs of Renewable Energy and Green Technology Innovation on Pakistan’s Ecological Footprint

Human activities, in the form of material resource consumption and non-renewable energy usage, are significant contributors to global warming and climate change. Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to its greater dependence on conventional methods of production and consumption. It led to a significant increase in ecological footprint, further exacerbating environmental concerns and highlighting the urgent need for sustainable practices in Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the potential environmental trade-offs of increasing the use of renewable energy and environmentally friendly technology in Pakistan using the Environmental Kuznets Curve framework. Using the time series data from 1980 to 2021, the study employed the ARDL regression model. Our empirical findings suggest the existence of a long-run equilibrium relationship between green technological innovation, renewable energy, natural resources, biocapacity, and economic growth. The study also confirmed the existence of the ECK hypothesis in Pakistan. The findings demonstrate that green technological innovation and biocapacity have a negative impact, whereas renewable energy has a positive effect on the ecological footprint. The extraction of natural resources has a positive impact on the ecological footprint in the short run but not in the long run. The study suggests that policymakers must support other renewable energies such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal, and wave energies; protect private property rights; create more opportunities for private investment in green initiatives; and support other private businesses that promote environmental sustainability.