The Role of Technological Innovation and ICT in Ecological Footprint: Evidence from Asian Countries

The study investigated the technological innovation, information and communication technology (ICT), gross domestic product (GDP), trade openness, and urban population on ecological footprints in Asian countries. The data from 1990-2023 was used to estimate the mentioned objective. The study employed an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. To assess the robust results and comparison, the study used three models, including pooled mean group (PMG), mean group (MG), and dynamic fixed effect group (DFE). The resulting statistics obtained from the test suggested the pooled mean group and dynamic fixed effect to be superior to the mean group. Findings suggest that technological innovation and ICT have a negative and significant relationship with ecological footprints in the long run in Asian countries. The coefficient for economic growth, trade and urbanisation demonstrated a positive association with ecological footprints and held statistical significance in Asian countries. To mitigate ecological footprints, Asian countries must establish and enforce strict environmental regulations that promote the adoption of green technologies and discourage environmentally harmful practices.