IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i3p990-d1577155.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Building a Sustainable Future: The Nexus Between Artificial Intelligence, Renewable Energy, Green Human Capital, Geopolitical Risk, and Carbon Emissions Through the Moderating Role of Institutional Quality

Author

Listed:
  • Amir Iqbal

    (School of Economics and Statistics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Wei Zhang

    (School of Economics and Statistics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Sayeda Jahangir

    (School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

Abstract

Countries worldwide are focusing on energy efficiency, economic sustainability, and responsible resource management to address climate change and meet sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study investigates how factors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, green human capital, geopolitical risk, natural resource rent, and information and communication technology influenced CO 2 emissions in 36 countries between 2000 and 2021. The study also explores how institutional quality moderates these relationships. We employed advanced econometric techniques to address this gap, including panel-correlated standard errors (PCSE) and the Driscoll–Kraay estimations (DKSE) models. A two-step system GMM approach was also used to strengthen the robustness of our findings. The findings reveal that green human capital, renewable energy consumption, and institutional quality can significantly reduce CO 2 emissions. Conversely, artificial intelligence, geopolitical risk, natural resource rent, and information communication technology contribute to increased CO 2 emissions. Institutional quality enhances the positive impact of green human capital and renewable energy on emission reduction. However, it has the opposite effect on artificial intelligence, leading to an even greater increase in CO 2 emissions. These findings underscore the importance of green policies in achieving sustainable development goals. We recommend that policymakers prioritize investing in clean energy and green human capital while strengthening institutional quality to effectively mitigate carbon emissions and meet SDGs. They also regulate AI and ICT carbon footprints and address geopolitical risks through energy diversification and international cooperation.

Suggested Citation

  • Amir Iqbal & Wei Zhang & Sayeda Jahangir, 2025. "Building a Sustainable Future: The Nexus Between Artificial Intelligence, Renewable Energy, Green Human Capital, Geopolitical Risk, and Carbon Emissions Through the Moderating Role of Institutional Qu," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-40, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:3:p:990-:d:1577155
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/3/990/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/3/990/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dario Caldara & Matteo Iacoviello, 2022. "Measuring Geopolitical Risk," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(4), pages 1194-1225, April.
    2. Meng, Yue & Wu, Haoyue & Wang, Yunchen & Duan, Yinying, 2022. "International trade diversification, green innovation, and consumption-based carbon emissions: The role of renewable energy for sustainable development in BRICST countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 1243-1253.
    3. Ahakwa, Isaac & Xu, Yi & Tackie, Evelyn Agba, 2023. "Greening human capital towards environmental quality in Ghana: Insight from the novel dynamic ARDL simulation approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    4. ., 2023. "Development indicators at the global level," Chapters, in: Macroeconomics for Development, chapter 2, pages 15-29, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Philippe Le Billon & Berit Kristoffersen, 2020. "Just cuts for fossil fuels? Supply-side carbon constraints and energy transition," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(6), pages 1072-1092, September.
    6. Sahoo, Malayaranjan & Sethi, Narayan & Angel Esquivias Padilla, Miguel, 2023. "Unpacking the dynamics of information and communication technology, control of corruption and sustainability in green development in developing economies: New evidence," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    7. Jorg Breitung, 2005. "A Parametric approach to the Estimation of Cointegration Vectors in Panel Data," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 151-173.
    8. Pedroni, Peter, 2004. "Panel Cointegration: Asymptotic And Finite Sample Properties Of Pooled Time Series Tests With An Application To The Ppp Hypothesis," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(3), pages 597-625, June.
    9. Hashem Pesaran, M. & Yamagata, Takashi, 2008. "Testing slope homogeneity in large panels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 50-93, January.
    10. Xiuqin Zhang & Xudong Shi & Yasir Khan & Majid Khan & Saba Naz & Taimoor Hassan & Chenchen Wu & Tahir Rahman, 2023. "The Impact of Energy Intensity, Energy Productivity and Natural Resource Rents on Carbon Emissions in Morocco," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-22, April.
    11. Fu, Rong & Liu, Jianmei, 2023. "Revenue sources of natural resources rents and its impact on sustainable development: Evidence from global data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    12. Danish & Recep Ulucak, 2020. "The pathway toward pollution mitigation: Does institutional quality make a difference?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3571-3583, December.
    13. Pesaran M.H. & Schuermann T. & Weiner S.M., 2004. "Modeling Regional Interdependencies Using a Global Error-Correcting Macroeconometric Model," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 22, pages 129-162, April.
    14. Jun Wen & Waheed Ali & Jamal Hussain & Nadeem Akhtar Khan & Hadi Hussain & Najabat Ali & Rizwan Akhtar, 2022. "Dynamics between green innovation and environmental quality: new insights into South Asian economies," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(2), pages 543-565, July.
    15. M. Hashem Pesaran, 2007. "A simple panel unit root test in the presence of cross-section dependence," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 265-312.
    16. Canh, Nguyen Phuc & Schinckus, Christophe & Thanh, Su Dinh, 2020. "The natural resources rents: Is economic complexity a solution for resource curse?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    17. Ahmed, Zahoor & Asghar, Muhammad Mansoor & Malik, Muhammad Nasir & Nawaz, Kishwar, 2020. "Moving towards a sustainable environment: The dynamic linkage between natural resources, human capital, urbanization, economic growth, and ecological footprint in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    18. Yu-Chen Zhang & Xi-Hua Liu & Arif Ullah & Usman Mehmood, 2023. "Effects of human capital, natural resource, urbanization, energy consumption on carbon emissions in the top ten emitter countries," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 2149589-214, December.
    19. Jin, Cheng & Lv, Zhiwei & Li, Zengrong & Sun, Kehan, 2023. "Green finance, renewable energy and carbon neutrality in OECD countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 279-284.
    20. Li, Yaya & Zhang, Yun, 2023. "What is the role of green ICT innovation in lowering carbon emissions in China? A provincial-level analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    21. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    22. Nwani, Chinazaekpere & Adams, Samuel, 2021. "Environmental cost of natural resource rents based on production and consumption inventories of carbon emissions: Assessing the role of institutional quality," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    23. Hazwan Haini, 2021. "Examining the impact of ICT, human capital and carbon emissions: Evidence from the ASEAN economies," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 166, pages 116-125.
    24. Hausman, Jerry, 2015. "Specification tests in econometrics," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 38(2), pages 112-134.
    25. Ahakwa, Isaac, 2024. "Towards land degradation neutrality: Does green energy and green human capital matter?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    26. Zheng, ShiYong & Liu, Kang & Li, Yuming & Li, Biqing & Usman, Ahmed, 2024. "How does hydrogen energy technology help to achieve carbon neutrality targets?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    27. Breusch, T S & Pagan, A R, 1979. "A Simple Test for Heteroscedasticity and Random Coefficient Variation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1287-1294, September.
    28. Wang, Zhaohua & Pham, Thi Le Hoa & Sun, Kaining & Wang, Bo & Bui, Quocviet & Hashemizadeh, Ali, 2022. "The moderating role of financial development in the renewable energy consumption - CO2 emissions linkage: The case study of Next-11 countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PB).
    29. Zhang, Xudong & Song, Xueqian & Lu, Jianguang & Liu, Fei, 2022. "How financial development and digital trade affect ecological sustainability: The role of renewable energy using an advanced panel in G-7 Countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 1005-1015.
    30. Beck, Nathaniel & Katz, Jonathan N., 1995. "What To Do (and Not to Do) with Time-Series Cross-Section Data," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 89(3), pages 634-647, September.
    31. Ferreira, João J. & Gomes, Sofia & Lopes, João M. & Zhang, Justin Z., 2023. "Ticking time bombs: The MENA and SSA regions' geopolitical risks," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    32. Shang, Yunfeng & Yang, Qin & Pu, Yuanjie & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad, 2024. "Employing artificial intelligence and enhancing resource efficiency to achieve carbon neutrality," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    33. Tang, Qianning & Shahla, Rzayeva & Leyla, Aliyeva & Sevinj, Huseynova, 2023. "Moderating role of carbon emission and institutional stability on renewable energy across developing countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 413-419.
    34. 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.
    35. Kao, Chihwa, 1999. "Spurious regression and residual-based tests for cointegration in panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 1-44, May.
    36. Joakim Westerlund, 2005. "New Simple Tests for Panel Cointegration," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 297-316.
    37. Sun, Yunpeng & Tian, Wenjuan & Mehmood, Usman & Zhang, Xiaoyu & Tariq, Salman, 2023. "How do natural resources, urbanization, and institutional quality meet with ecological footprints in the presence of income inequality and human capital in the next eleven countries?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    38. AM Priyangani Adikari & Haiyun Liu & DMSLB Dissanayake & Manjula Ranagalage, 2023. "Human Capital and Carbon Emissions: The Way forward Reducing Environmental Degradation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-17, February.
    39. Zhou, Wei & Zhuang, Yan & Chen, Yan, 2024. "How does artificial intelligence affect pollutant emissions by improving energy efficiency and developing green technology," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    40. Wang, Qiang & Hu, Sailan & Li, Rongrong, 2024. "Could information and communication technology (ICT) reduce carbon emissions? The role of trade openness and financial development," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3).
    41. Lange, Steffen & Pohl, Johanna & Santarius, Tilman, 2020. "Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    42. Ping Chen & Jiawei Gao & Zheng Ji & Han Liang & Yu Peng, 2022. "Do Artificial Intelligence Applications Affect Carbon Emission Performance?—Evidence from Panel Data Analysis of Chinese Cities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, August.
    43. Ding, Tao & Li, Jiangyuan & Shi, Xing & Li, Xuhui & Chen, Ya, 2023. "Is artificial intelligence associated with carbon emissions reduction? Case of China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    44. Sinha, Avik & Gupta, Monika & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Sengupta, Tuhin, 2019. "Impact of Corruption in Public Sector on Environmental Quality: Implications for Sustainability in BRICS and Next 11 Countries," MPRA Paper 94357, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Jun 2019.
    45. Yang Chen & Chien-Chiang Lee & Ming Chen, 2022. "Ecological footprint, human capital, and urbanization," Energy & Environment, , vol. 33(3), pages 487-510, May.
    46. Kingsley Ukoba & Kehinde O. Olatunji & Eyitayo Adeoye & Tien-Chien Jen & Daniel M. Madyira, 2024. "Optimizing renewable energy systems through artificial intelligence: Review and future prospects," Energy & Environment, , vol. 35(7), pages 3833-3879, November.
    47. Daniel Hoechle, 2007. "Robust standard errors for panel regressions with cross-sectional dependence," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 7(3), pages 281-312, September.
    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. Aladejare, Samson Adeniyi, 2022. "Natural resource rents, globalisation and environmental degradation: New insight from 5 richest African economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Shobande, Olatunji A. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "The Critical Role of Education and ICT in Promoting Environmental Sustainability in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Panel VAR Approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    3. Han, Guixin & Cai, Xuesen, 2024. "The linkages among natural resources, sustainable energy technologies and human capital: An evidence from N-11 countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    4. Saia, Artjom, 2023. "Digitalization and CO2 emissions: Dynamics under R&D and technology innovation regimes," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    5. Viglioni, Marco Túlio Dinali & Calegario, Cristina Lelis Leal & Viglioni, Arthur Cesar Dinali & Bruhn, Nádia Campos Pereira, 2024. "Foreign direct investment and environmental degradation: Can intellectual property rights help G20 countries achieve carbon neutrality?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. George E. Halkos & Apostolos S. Tsirivis, 2023. "Electricity Prices in the European Union Region: The Role of Renewable Energy Sources, Key Economic Factors and Market Liberalization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Ali, Kishwar & Jianguo, Du & Kirikkaleli, Dervis, 2022. "Modeling the natural resources and financial inclusion on ecological footprint: The role of economic governance institutions. Evidence from ECOWAS economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    8. Ali, Qamar & Yaseen, Muhammad Rizwan & Anwar, Sofia & Makhdum, Muhammad Sohail Amjad & Khan, Muhammad Tariq Iqbal, 2021. "The impact of tourism, renewable energy, and economic growth on ecological footprint and natural resources: A panel data analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    9. Aytun, Cengiz & Erdogan, Sinan & Pata, Ugur Korkut & Cengiz, Orhan, 2024. "Associating environmental quality, human capital, financial development and technological innovation in 19 middle-income countries: A disaggregated ecological footprint approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Rim El Khoury & Nohade Nasrallah & Hazem Marashdeh & Osama F. Atayah & Kaliyan Mathiyazhagan, 2024. "The nexus of Green finance and renewable energy on CO2 emissions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(8), pages 8911-8928, December.
    11. Sana Fatima & Md. Emran Hossain & Mohammed Alnour & Shamsa Kanwal & Mohd Ziaur Rehman & Miguel Angel Esquivias, 2024. "Assessing the Damage to Environmental Pollution: Discerning the Impact of Environmental Technology, Energy Efficiency, Green Energy and Natural Resources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-16, October.
    12. Çetin, Murat & Sarıgül, Sevgi Sümerli & Işık, Cem & Avcı, Pınar & Ahmad, Munir & Alvarado, Rafael, 2023. "The impact of natural resources, economic growth, savings, and current account balance on financial sector development: Theory and empirical evidence," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    13. Tarik Dogru & Umit Bulut & Ercan Sirakaya-Turk, 2021. "Modeling tourism demand: Theoretical and empirical considerations for future research," Tourism Economics, , vol. 27(4), pages 874-889, June.
    14. Hamza Çeştepe & Murat Çetin & Pınar Avcı & Bersu Bahtiyar, 2024. "The link between technological innovation and financial development: Evidence from selected OECD countries," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 1219-1235, April.
    15. Bano, Sadia & Liu, Lu & Khan, Anwar, 2022. "Dynamic influence of aging, industrial innovations, and ICT on tourism development and renewable energy consumption in BRICS economies," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 431-442.
    16. Muhammad Shahbaz & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad & Mantu Kumar Mahalik & Perry Sadorsky, 2018. "How strong is the causal relationship between globalization and energy consumption in developed economies? A country-specific time-series and panel analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(13), pages 1479-1494, March.
    17. Ronghui Xie & Shengjie Zhang, 2024. "Re†examining the impact of global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows on haze pollution—considering the moderating mechanism of environmental regulation," Energy & Environment, , vol. 35(6), pages 3186-3209, September.
    18. Mitch Kunce, 2022. "The Tenuous Ecological Divorce and Unemployment Link with Suicide: A U.S. Panel Analysis 1968-2020," Journal of Statistical and Econometric Methods, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 11(3), pages 1-2.
    19. Shinwari, Riazullah & Wang, Yangjie & Gozgor, Giray & Mousavi, Mahdi, 2024. "Does FDI affect energy consumption in the belt and road initiative economies? The role of green technologies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    20. António Afonso & Christophe Rault, 2010. "What do we really know about fiscal sustainability in the EU? A panel data diagnostic," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 145(4), pages 731-755, January.

    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:3:p:990-:d:1577155. 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.