IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i2p735-d1569821.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Drivers of Green Growth: Roles of Innovation and Fragility

Author

Listed:
  • Emad Kazemzadeh

    (Independent Researcher, Ilam 69611, Iran)

  • Narges Salehnia

    (Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 1357, Iran)

  • Yang Yu

    (International Business School, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
    Center for Resource and Environmental Economics Research, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China)

  • Magdalena Radulescu

    (Department of Finance, Accounting and Economics, National University of Science and Technology Politehica Bucharest, Pitesti University Center, 110040 Pitesti, Romania)

Abstract

In recent years, policymakers have increasingly focused on environmental quality and economic growth. While various factors influence green growth, two important factors that have been overlooked in research are the global innovation index and the fragile states index. This study employs novel methods, such as necessary condition analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), to analyze green growth across 90 countries in 2019, surpassing traditional regression techniques. The NCA model identifies essential variables for green growth, revealing that global innovation, institutional quality, human development, and globalization are crucial conditions. Conversely, the fsQCA model offers intricate solutions by combining key variables for green growth. It presents five solutions for achieving high green growth, each tailored to specific groups of countries. For instance, Solution 1, with a consistency of 0.96%, suggests that increased consumption of renewable energy, greater trade openness, and reduced fragility in states lead to higher green growth in countries like Denmark and Austria. Thus, policymakers can foster both economic growth and environmental improvement by promoting renewable energy adoption, enhancing global trade management, and strengthening institutional quality and political stability.

Suggested Citation

  • Emad Kazemzadeh & Narges Salehnia & Yang Yu & Magdalena Radulescu, 2025. "Drivers of Green Growth: Roles of Innovation and Fragility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-32, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:735-:d:1569821
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/735/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/735/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Hoang, Thi Hong Van & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar & Roubaud, David, 2017. "Energy consumption, financial development and economic growth in India: New evidence from a nonlinear and asymmetric analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 199-212.
    2. 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.
    3. Wen Huwei & Chen Shuai & Lee Chien-Chiang, 2023. "Impact of Low-carbon City Construction on Financing, Investment, and Total Factor Productivity of Energy-intensive Enterprises," The Energy Journal, , vol. 44(2), pages 79-102, March.
    4. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson, 2001. "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(5), pages 1369-1401, December.
    5. Philippe Aghion & Antoine Dechezleprêtre & David Hémous & Ralf Martin & John Van Reenen, 2016. "Carbon Taxes, Path Dependency, and Directed Technical Change: Evidence from the Auto Industry," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 124(1), pages 1-51.
    6. Pan, Yuxi & Zhang, Siqian & Zhang, Mengyue, 2024. "The impact of entrepreneurship of farmers on agriculture and rural economic growth: Innovation-driven perspective," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 3(1).
    7. Daron Acemoglu & Ufuk Akcigit & Douglas Hanley & William Kerr, 2016. "Transition to Clean Technology," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 124(1), pages 52-104.
    8. Hayat Khan & Liu Weili & Itbar Khan & Sikeo Khamphengxay, 2021. "Renewable Energy Consumption, Trade Openness, and Environmental Degradation: A Panel Data Analysis of Developing and Developed Countries," Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Hindawi, vol. 2021, pages 1-13, March.
    9. Rodolphe Durand & Robert M. Grant & Tammy L. Madsen & Sinziana Dorobantu & Aseem Kaul & Bennet Zelner, 2017. "Nonmarket strategy research through the lens of new institutional economics: An integrative review and future directions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 114-140, January.
    10. Destek, Mehmet & Sinha, Avik, 2020. "Renewable, non-renewable energy consumption, economic growth, trade openness and ecological footprint: Evidence from organisation for economic Co-operation and development countries," MPRA Paper 104246, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2020.
    11. Jason Hickel & Giorgos Kallis, 2020. "Is Green Growth Possible?," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(4), pages 469-486, June.
    12. Nedra Baklouti & Younes Boujelbene, 2020. "An Econometric Study of the Role of the Political Stability on the Relationship between Democracy and Economic Growth," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 67(2), pages 187-206.
    13. Michael Danquah & Bazoumana Ouattara & Peter Quartey, 2018. "Technology Transfer and National Efficiency: Does Absorptive Capacity Matter?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 162-174, June.
    14. Zahoor Ahmed & Mahmood Ahmad & Husam Rjoub & Olga A. Kalugina & Nazim Hussain, 2022. "Economic growth, renewable energy consumption, and ecological footprint: Exploring the role of environmental regulations and democracy in sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 595-605, August.
    15. Jeffrey A. Frankel & Andrew K. Rose, 2005. "Is Trade Good or Bad for the Environment? Sorting Out the Causality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 87(1), pages 85-91, February.
    16. Xi Lin & Yongle Zhao & Mahmood Ahmad & Zahoor Ahmed & Husam Rjoub & Tomiwa Sunday Adebayo, 2021. "Linking Innovative Human Capital, Economic Growth, and CO 2 Emissions: An Empirical Study Based on Chinese Provincial Panel Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-18, August.
    17. Samarasinghe, Tharanga, 2018. "Impact of Governance on Economic Growth," MPRA Paper 89834, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Canh Phuc Nguyen & Nhi Ai Nguyen & Christophe Schinckus & Thanh Dinh Su, 2018. "The Ambivalent Role of Institutions in the CO2 Emissions: The Case of Emerging Countries," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 8(5), pages 7-17.
    19. Lewis Landry GAKPA, 2019. "Instabilité politique, IDE et effets sur la croissance économique dans les pays d’Afrique subsaharienne : un modèle à équations simultanées dynamiques," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 50, pages 89-117.
    20. 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).
    21. Xiaonan Fan & Ye Wang & Xinyuan Lu, 2022. "Digital Transformation Drives Sustainable Innovation Capability Improvement in Manufacturing Enterprises: Based on FsQCA and NCA Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-26, December.
    22. Huwei Wen, Shuai Chen, and Chien-Chiang Lee, 2023. "Impact of Low-carbon City Construction on Financing, Investment, and Total Factor Productivity of Energy-intensive Enterprises," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    23. Rahman, Mohammad Mafizur & Velayutham, Eswaran, 2020. "Renewable and non-renewable energy consumption-economic growth nexus: New evidence from South Asia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 399-408.
    24. Ulucak, Zübeyde Şentürk & İlkay, Salih Çağrı & Özcan, Burcu & Gedikli, Ayfer, 2020. "Financial globalization and environmental degradation nexus: Evidence from emerging economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    25. Opoku, Eric Evans Osei & Dogah, Kingsley E. & Aluko, Olufemi Adewale, 2022. "The contribution of human development towards environmental sustainability," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    26. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2020. "Renewable energy consumption and economic growth nexus: Evidence from a threshold model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    27. Fangming Xie & Chuanzhe Liu & Huiying Chen & Ning Wang, 2018. "Threshold Effects of New Energy Consumption Transformation on Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    28. Nabila Abid & Jianzu Wu & Fayyaz Ahmad & Muhammad Umar Draz & Abbas Ali Chandio & Hui Xu, 2020. "Incorporating Environmental Pollution and Human Development in the Energy-Growth Nexus: A Novel Long Run Investigation for Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-22, July.
    29. Minhas Akbar & Ammar Hussain & Ahsan Akbar & Irfan Ullah, 2021. "The dynamic association between healthcare spending, CO2 emissions, and human development index in OECD countries: evidence from panel VAR model," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 10470-10489, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Ahmet Koseoglu & Ali Gokhan Yucel & Recep Ulucak, 2022. "Green innovation and ecological footprint relationship for a sustainable development: Evidence from top 20 green innovator countries," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 976-988, October.
    2. Abdul Rehman & Rasim Ozcan & Waqar Badshah & Magdalena Radulescu & Ilhan Ozturk, 2021. "Symmetric and Asymmetric Impacts of Commercial Energy Distribution from Key Sources on Economic Progress in Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-22, November.
    3. Kerner, Philip & Kalthaus, Martin & Wendler, Tobias, 2023. "Economic growth and the use of natural resources: assessing the moderating role of institutions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    4. Zhao, Jun & Dong, Kangyin & Dong, Xiucheng & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Kyriakou, Ioannis, 2022. "Is green growth affected by financial risks? New global evidence from asymmetric and heterogeneous analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    5. Geoffrey Ssebabi Mutumba & Tomson Odongo & Francis Nathan Okurut & Vincent Bagire & Livingstone Senyonga, 2022. "Renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and economic growth in Uganda," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(7), pages 1-28, July.
    6. Armeanu, Daniel Stefan & Joldes, Camelia Catalina & Gherghina, Stefan Cristian & Andrei, Jean Vasile, 2021. "Understanding the multidimensional linkages among renewable energy, pollution, economic growth and urbanization in contemporary economies: Quantitative assessments across different income countries’ g," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    7. Aqib, Muhammad & Zaman, Khalid, 2023. "Greening the Workforce: The Power of Investing in Human Capital," MPRA Paper 116263, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Feb 2023.
    8. Maiti, Moinak, 2022. "Does improvement in green growth influence the development of environmental related technology?," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 1(2).
    9. Zhangsheng Liu & Liuqingqing Yang & Liqin Fan, 2021. "Induced Effect of Environmental Regulation on Green Innovation: Evidence from the Increasing-Block Pricing Scheme," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    10. Namahoro, J.P. & Wu, Q. & Su, H., 2023. "Wind energy, industrial-economic development and CO2 emissions nexus: Do droughts matter?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PA).
    11. de Haas, Ralph & Popov, A., 2018. "Financial Development and Industrial Pollution," Other publications TiSEM a0a4fb82-734a-442a-9ea1-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    12. Liu, Menghe & Li, Yuxiao, 2022. "Environmental regulation and green innovation: Evidence from China's carbon emissions trading policy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    13. Laeven, Luc & Popov, Alexander, 2023. "Carbon taxes and the geography of fossil lending," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    14. Martinsson, Gustav & Sajtos, László & Strömberg, Per & Thomann, Christian, 2022. "Carbon Pricing and Firm-Level CO2 Abatement: Evidence from a Quarter of a Century-Long Panel," Misum Working Paper Series 2022-10, Stockholm School of Economics, Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum).
    15. Kyle C. Meng, 2016. "Estimating Path Dependence in Energy Transitions," NBER Working Papers 22536, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Natalia Zugravu-Soilita, 2019. "Trade in Environmental Goods and Air Pollution: A Mediation Analysis to Estimate Total, Direct and Indirect Effects," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(3), pages 1125-1162, November.
    17. Francisco García-Lillo & Eduardo Sánchez-García & Bartolomé Marco-Lajara & Pedro Seva-Larrosa, 2023. "Renewable Energies and Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Overview," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-22, January.
    18. Usman, Muhammad & Khalid, Khaizran & Mehdi, Muhammad Abuzar, 2021. "What determines environmental deficit in Asia? Embossing the role of renewable and non-renewable energy utilization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 1165-1176.
    19. Zohal Hessami, 2016. "How Do Voters React to Complex Choices in a Direct Democracy? Evidence from Switzerland," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 263-293, May.
    20. Gregory Casey, 2024. "Energy Efficiency and Directed Technical Change: Implications for Climate Change Mitigation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(1), pages 192-228.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:735-:d:1569821. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.