The nexus between entrepreneurship, renewable energy, economic growth, and greenhouse gas emissions in Greece

This study examines the asymmetric effects of entrepreneurship, economic growth, and renewable energy consumption on greenhouse gas emissions in Greece. The analysis covers the period from 2010 to 2023 and employs quarterly data derived through temporal disaggregation methods. While increased entrepreneurial activity may lead to higher emissions, sectoral and technological changes can play a crucial role in shaping environmental sustainability outcomes. Economic expansion and contraction are also found to exert notable, asymmetric effects, suggesting that both phases can contribute to emission reductions through distinct mechanisms. Conversely, increases in renewable energy consumption significantly reduce high emissions levels, whereas decreases in renewable energy use tend to raise emissions primarily in low-emission conditions. Using a Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model on quarterly data, the analysis reveals pronounced long-run asymmetries among these variables. The findings suggest that cleaner growth, fostering entrepreneurship, and consistent investment in renewable energy are associated with improvements in environmental quality and may support sustainable economic growth in Greece. These insights provide valuable policy guidance for aligning Greece’s economic development with the Sustainable Development Goals.