Geopolitical Risk, Economic Complexity and Ecological Footprint: Does Governance Quality Matter?

ABSTRACT Achieving sustainable development goals has become a forefront issue of concern for the international community. However, the increasing geopolitical risks (GPRs) and rising economic complexity (ECI) globally have made environmental governance issues more intricate. This paper examines 41 countries from 2000 to 2023 using a two‐way fixed effects model to explore the effect of GPRs and ECI on ecological footprints (EFs), as well as the moderating effect of governance quality (GQ) in this process. We find that, firstly, GPRs, ECI, and GQ are generally positively associated with EFs. Secondly, GQ moderates the effect of GPRs and ECI on EFs. Thirdly, the research results exhibit heterogeneity across countries with different income levels and varying degrees of GPR. Fourthly, in further analysis, the impact of renewable energy consumption (REC) and foreign direct investment (FDI) on EF is verified, as well as their moderating role in the process of GPR and ECI affecting EF. This study enriches theoretical research on GPRs, ECI, and EFs on a global scale and in heterogeneous scenarios and provides practical pathways to achieving an environment‐friendly development mode.