IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/teinso/v75y2023ics0160791x23001690.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The race to net-zero emissions: Can green technological innovation and environmental regulation be the potential pathway to net-zero emissions?

Author

Listed:
  • Xu, Deyi
  • Abbas, Shah
  • Rafique, Kalsoom
  • Ali, Najabat

Abstract

The ongoing global climate crisis has led several countries to adopt carbon neutrality goals to address and reduce carbon emissions and other types of greenhouse gases. These objectives can be effectively achieved through the implementation of green technical innovation and environmental regulation. This study examines the potential of green technological innovation and environmental regulations to serve as catalysts in pursuing net-zero emissions across G20 countries. The data used for this study was obtained from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank, covering the time frame from 2000 to 2020. Using the entropy weight method, we constructed the Green Technological Innovation (GTI) index and the Environmental Regulation (ERI) index. The GTI index measured green technological innovation across six dimensions, while the ERI index measured environmental regulation across three dimensions. The empirical results revealed that green technological innovation and environmental regulation are the most effective pathways toward achieving the net-zero emissions goal. Furthermore, the findings indicate that GTI and ERI mediate the relationship between the expansion of fossil fuel energy, GDP per capita, and renewable energy consumption. Our research illuminates potential pathways that policymakers in G20 and other countries may pursue to achieve their net-zero emission goal.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Deyi & Abbas, Shah & Rafique, Kalsoom & Ali, Najabat, 2023. "The race to net-zero emissions: Can green technological innovation and environmental regulation be the potential pathway to net-zero emissions?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:75:y:2023:i:c:s0160791x23001690
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102364
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X23001690
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102364?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cai, Jinyang & Zheng, Huanyu & Vardanyan, Michael & Shen, Zhiyang, 2023. "Achieving carbon neutrality through green technological progress: evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    2. Rubashkina, Yana & Galeotti, Marzio & Verdolini, Elena, 2015. "Environmental regulation and competitiveness: Empirical evidence on the Porter Hypothesis from European manufacturing sectors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 288-300.
    3. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    4. Dechezleprêtre, Antoine & Fabre, Adrien & Kruse, Tobias & Planterose, Bluebery & Chico, Ana Sanchez & Stantcheva, Stefanie, 2022. "Fighting Climate Change: International Attitudes Toward Climate Policies," CEPR Discussion Papers 17602, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. George van Leeuwen & Pierre Mohnen, 2017. "Revisiting the Porter hypothesis: an empirical analysis of Green innovation for the Netherlands," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1-2), pages 63-77, February.
    6. Ouyang, Xiaoling & Li, Qiong & Du, Kerui, 2020. "How does environmental regulation promote technological innovations in the industrial sector? Evidence from Chinese provincial panel data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    7. Danish, & Ulucak, Recep & Baloch, Muhammad Awais, 2023. "An empirical approach to the nexus between natural resources and environmental pollution: Do economic policy and environmental-related technologies make any difference?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    8. Jaffe, Adam B. & Newell, Richard G. & Stavins, Robert N., 2005. "A tale of two market failures: Technology and environmental policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2-3), pages 164-174, August.
    9. Yang, Qiuyue & Song, Deyong, 2019. "How does environmental regulation break the resource curse: Theoretical and empirical study on China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    10. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Fuhao & Chang, Yu-Fang, 2023. "Towards net-zero emissions: Can green bond policy promote green innovation and green space?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    11. Xu, Yong & Li, Shanshan & Zhou, Xiaoxiao & Shahzad, Umer & Zhao, Xin, 2022. "How environmental regulations affect the development of green finance: Recent evidence from polluting firms in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 917-926.
    12. Wang, Yun & Sun, Xiaohua & Guo, Xu, 2019. "Environmental regulation and green productivity growth: Empirical evidence on the Porter Hypothesis from OECD industrial sectors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 611-619.
    13. Boschini, Anne & Pettersson, Jan & Roine, Jesper, 2013. "The Resource Curse and its Potential Reversal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 19-41.
    14. Liao, Jixiang & Liu, Xingye & Zhou, Xueyan & Tursunova, Nargiza Rakhimovna, 2023. "Analyzing the role of renewable energy transition and industrialization on ecological sustainability: Can green innovation matter in OECD countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 141-151.
    15. Wu, Haitao & Hao, Yu & Ren, Siyu, 2020. "How do environmental regulation and environmental decentralization affect green total factor energy efficiency: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    16. Jean Pierre Huiban & Camilla Mastromarco & Antonio Musolesi & Michel Simioni, 2018. "Reconciling the Porter hypothesis with the traditional paradigm about environmental regulation: a nonparametric approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 85-100, December.
    17. Lu, Zhou & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar & Mahalik, Hrushikesh & Zhao, Rui, 2022. "The moderating effects of democracy and technology adoption on the relationship between trade liberalisation and carbon emissions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    18. Zhao, Li & Zhang, Ling & Sun, Jianxin & He, Pengfei, 2022. "Can public participation constraints promote green technological innovation of Chinese enterprises? The moderating role of government environmental regulatory enforcement," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    19. Amjad Taha & Mucahit Aydin & Taiwo Temitope Lasisi & Festus Victor Bekun & Narayan Sethi, 2023. "Toward a sustainable growth path in Arab economies: an extension of classical growth model," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-24, December.
    20. Razzaq, Asif & Wang, Yufeng & Chupradit, Supat & Suksatan, Wanich & Shahzad, Farrukh, 2021. "Asymmetric inter-linkages between green technology innovation and consumption-based carbon emissions in BRICS countries using quantile-on-quantile framework," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    21. Livia Cabernard & Stephan Pfister & Christopher Oberschelp & Stefanie Hellweg, 2022. "Growing environmental footprint of plastics driven by coal combustion," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 5(2), pages 139-148, February.
    22. Henryk Dzwigol & Aleksy Kwilinski & Oleksii Lyulyov & Tetyana Pimonenko, 2023. "The Role of Environmental Regulations, Renewable Energy, and Energy Efficiency in Finding the Path to Green Economic Growth," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, March.
    23. Requate, Till, 2005. "Dynamic incentives by environmental policy instruments--a survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2-3), pages 175-195, August.
    24. Zastempowski, Maciej, 2023. "Analysis and modeling of innovation factors to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources - Evidence from European Union enterprises," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    25. Yin, Jianhua & Zheng, Mingzheng & Chen, Jian, 2015. "The effects of environmental regulation and technical progress on CO2 Kuznets curve: An evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 97-108.
    26. Ufuk Akcigit & Sina T. Ates, 2021. "Ten Facts on Declining Business Dynamism and Lessons from Endogenous Growth Theory," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 257-298, January.
    27. John Barrett & Steve Pye & Sam Betts-Davies & Oliver Broad & James Price & Nick Eyre & Jillian Anable & Christian Brand & George Bennett & Rachel Carr-Whitworth & Alice Garvey & Jannik Giesekam & Greg, 2022. "Energy demand reduction options for meeting national zero-emission targets in the United Kingdom," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 7(8), pages 726-735, August.
    28. Aiken, Deborah Vaughn & Pasurka, Carl Jr., 2003. "Adjusting the measurement of US manufacturing productivity for air pollution emissions control," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 329-351, October.
    29. Li, Jiaman & Dong, Kangyin & Dong, Xiucheng, 2022. "Green energy as a new determinant of green growth in China: The role of green technological innovation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    30. Joeri Rogelj & Michel den Elzen & Niklas Höhne & Taryn Fransen & Hanna Fekete & Harald Winkler & Roberto Schaeffer & Fu Sha & Keywan Riahi & Malte Meinshausen, 2016. "Paris Agreement climate proposals need a boost to keep warming well below 2 °C," Nature, Nature, vol. 534(7609), pages 631-639, June.
    31. Najabat Ali & Khamphe Phoungthong & Kuaanan Techato & Waheed Ali & Shah Abbas & Joshuva Arockia Dhanraj & Anwar Khan, 2022. "FDI, Green Innovation and Environmental Quality Nexus: New Insights from BRICS Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-17, February.
    32. Haldar, Anasuya & Sethi, Narayan, 2022. "Environmental effects of Information and Communication Technology - Exploring the roles of renewable energy, innovation, trade and financial development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    33. Zhang, Wei & Li, Guoxiang & Guo, Fanyong, 2022. "Does carbon emissions trading promote green technology innovation in China?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    34. Shuai Shao & Zhigao Hu & Jianhua Cao & Lili Yang & Dabo Guan, 2020. "Environmental Regulation and Enterprise Innovation: A Review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 1465-1478, March.
    35. Cole, Matthew A. & Elliott, Robert J. R., 2003. "Determining the trade-environment composition effect: the role of capital, labor and environmental regulations," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 363-383, November.
    36. Nicholas Stern & Anna Valero, 2021. "Innovation, growth and the transition to net-zero emissions," CEP Discussion Papers dp1773, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    37. Zhang, Dongyang & Kong, Qunxi & Wang, Yizhi & Vigne, Samuel A., 2023. "Exquisite workmanship through net-zero emissions? The effects of carbon emission trading policy on firms' export product quality," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    38. Lv, Chengchao & Shao, Changhua & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2021. "Green technology innovation and financial development: Do environmental regulation and innovation output matter?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    39. Roman Hoffmann & Raya Muttarak & Jonas Peisker & Piero Stanig, 2022. "Climate change experiences raise environmental concerns and promote Green voting," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(2), pages 148-155, February.
    40. Malayaranjan Sahoo & Narayan Sethi, 2022. "The dynamic impact of urbanization, structural transformation, and technological innovation on ecological footprint and PM2.5: evidence from newly industrialized countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 4244-4277, March.
    41. Zhang, Dan & Zheng, Mingbo & Feng, Gen-Fu & Chang, Chun-Ping, 2022. "Does an environmental policy bring to green innovation in renewable energy?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 1113-1124.
    42. Nickell, Stephen J, 1981. "Biases in Dynamic Models with Fixed Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(6), pages 1417-1426, November.
    43. Nicolas Schneider, 2023. "Climate policy, resource owners’ anticipations and the green paradox: model set-up and empirical considerations," Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 33-43, January.
    44. Michael E. Porter & Claas van der Linde, 1995. "Toward a New Conception of the Environment-Competitiveness Relationship," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 97-118, Fall.
    45. Lena, Daniela & Pasurka, Carl A. & Cucculelli, Marco, 2022. "Environmental regulation and green productivity growth: Evidence from Italian manufacturing industries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Obobisa, Emma Serwaa & Ahakwa, Isaac, 2024. "Stimulating the adoption of green technology innovation, clean energy resources, green finance, and environmental taxes: The way to achieve net zero CO2 emissions in Europe?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    2. Abbas, Shah & Xu, Deyi & Yuna, Gong & Hussain, Jamal & Abbas, Hussain & Rafique, Kalsoom, 2024. "The contribution of resource-based taxation, green innovation, and minerals trade toward ecological sustainability in resource-rich economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    3. Nguyen, Thi Hao & Deng, Hongbing & Abbas, Zainab Zahra & Lam, Thi Thoa & Abbas, Hussain Raza, 2024. "The effect of natural capital, regional development, FDI, and natural resource rent on environmental performance: The Mediating role of green innovation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Abubaker, Shawbo Abdulsamad & Pakhuruddin, Mohd Zamir, 2024. "Progress and development of organic photovoltaic cells for indoor applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    5. Funda H. Sezgin & Yilmaz Bayar & Gamze Sart & Marina Danilina, 2024. "Impact of Renewable Energy, Business Climate, and Human Capital on CO 2 Emissions: Empirical Evidence from BRICS Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Ying Ying & Shanyue Jin, 2024. "Impact of Environmental Regulation on Corporate Green Technological Innovation: The Moderating Role of Corporate Governance and Environmental Information Disclosure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-17, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Haichao & Su, Yuqi & Ding, Chante Jian & Tian, Gary Gang & Wu, Zhan, 2024. "Unveiling the green innovation paradox: Exploring the impact of carbon emission reduction on corporate green technology innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    2. Liu, Duan & Yu, Nizhou & Wan, Hong, 2022. "Does water rights trading affect corporate investment? The role of resource allocation and risk mitigation channels," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    3. Xu, Le & Yang, Lili & Li, Ding & Shao, Shuai, 2023. "Asymmetric effects of heterogeneous environmental standards on green technology innovation: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    4. Xie, Ronghui & Teo, Thompson S.H., 2022. "Green technology innovation, environmental externality, and the cleaner upgrading of industrial structure in China — Considering the moderating effect of environmental regulation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    5. Abbas, Shah & Xu, Deyi & Yuna, Gong & Hussain, Jamal & Abbas, Hussain & Rafique, Kalsoom, 2024. "The contribution of resource-based taxation, green innovation, and minerals trade toward ecological sustainability in resource-rich economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    6. Zhao, Ziyi & Zhao, Yuhuan & Lv, Xin & Li, Xiaoping & Zheng, Lu & Fan, Shunan & Zuo, Sumin, 2024. "Environmental regulation and green innovation: Does state ownership matter?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    7. Wang, Xiaoling & Zhang, Tianyue & Nathwani, Jatin & Yang, Fangming & Shao, Qinglong, 2022. "Environmental regulation, technology innovation, and low carbon development: Revisiting the EKC Hypothesis, Porter Hypothesis, and Jevons’ Paradox in China's iron & steel industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    8. Alsagr, Naif, 2023. "How environmental policy stringency affects renewable energy investment? Implications for green investment horizons," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    9. Zhou, Di & Qiu, Yuan & Wang, Mingzhe, 2021. "Does environmental regulation promote enterprise profitability? Evidence from the implementation of China's newly revised Environmental Protection Law," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    10. Yuanshuo Xu & Jiahe Liang & Zhaoyingzi Dong & Minjun Shi, 2022. "Can Environmental Regulation Promote Green Innovation and Productivity? The Moderating Role of Government Interventions in Urban China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-17, October.
    11. Huang, Youxing & Xu, Qi & Zhao, Yanping, 2021. "Short-run pain, long-run gain: Desulfurization investment and productivity," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    12. Xie, Yu & Wu, Desheng & Li, Xiaoyan & Tian, Suhua, 2023. "How does environmental regulation affect productivity? The role of corporate compliance strategies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    13. Qi, Xiulin & Wu, Zhifang & Xu, Jinqing & Shan, Biaoan, 2023. "Environmental justice and green innovation: A quasi-natural experiment based on the establishment of environmental courts in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    14. Guo, Yuanyu & Xie, Wenlan & Yang, Yang, 2024. "Dual green innovation capability, environmental regulation intensity, and high-quality economic development in China: Can green and growth go together?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    15. Zhang, Dan & Zheng, Mingbo & Feng, Gen-Fu & Chang, Chun-Ping, 2022. "Does an environmental policy bring to green innovation in renewable energy?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 1113-1124.
    16. Du, Kerui & Cheng, Yuanyuan & Yao, Xin, 2021. "Environmental regulation, green technology innovation, and industrial structure upgrading: The road to the green transformation of Chinese cities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    17. Torrecillas, Celia & Fernández, Sara & García-García, Claudia, 2023. "Drivers to increase eco-efficiencies in Uruguay, Peru, and Panama," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    18. Chen, Xinmin & Huang, Yuhong & Gao, Yajia, 2024. "Can urban low-carbon transitions promote enterprise digital transformation?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    19. Zhu, Xuehong & Zuo, Xuguang & Li, Hailing, 2021. "The dual effects of heterogeneous environmental regulation on the technological innovation of Chinese steel enterprises—Based on a high-dimensional fixed effects model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    20. Zhou, Kuo & Luo, Haotian & Qu, Zhi, 2023. "What can the environmental rule of law do for environmental innovation? Evidence from environmental tribunals in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Green technological innovation; Environmental regulation; Net-zero emissions; Instrumental variables; G20 countries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:75:y:2023:i:c:s0160791x23001690. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/technology-in-society .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.