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The Macroeconomic Aspects of Sustainable Development and Energy Transition toward Environmental Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 16727

Special Issue Editors

Department of Finance, College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, 165, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
Interests: energy and environmental economics; macroeconomics
Department of Finance, College of Business Administration, Prince Sultan University, P.O.Box No. 66833, Rafha Street, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia
Interests: energy and environmental economics; macroeconomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable development is the goal of every economy that transitions to renewable energy sources and reduces its reliance on fossil fuels. Numerous macroeconomic parameters accelerate energy use and contribute to environmental degradation in all economies. This subject matter helps to bring us to the effects of the macroeconomic performance scale. Furthermore, the positive environmental consequences of economic growth and other macroeconomic indicators would be achievable in any economy attributable to the technique and/or compositional effects. Because the relationship between economic growth and pollution is not linear, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis was made to explain it. Several studies have tested this hypothesis by examining the nonlinear effects of other macroeconomic indicators on pollution variables, and it remains crucial to evaluate how various macroeconomic indicators affect the environmental performance of a country or a collection of countries, whether in a linear or nonlinear framework. Policymakers could benefit from such empirical studies to better understand the impact of any given macroeconomic activity on environmental performance and to identify the most effective strategies to halt this trend. Many countries are switching to renewable energy sources with the goal of reducing their Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions. This transition, which would put economies on a path toward sustainable development and growth, is, however, contingent on their potential to substitute nonrenewable energy sources with renewable energy sources. The goal of this Special Issue is to compile research from both developed and developing countries that compares the environmental impacts of various macroeconomic indicators and energy policies in order to provide the best macroeconomic strategy for sustainable development.

Dr. Haider Mahmood
Dr. Najia Saqib
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • GHG emissions
  • sustainable development goals
  • energy economics
  • resource economics
  • energy policy
  • renewable energy transition
  • nuclear energy
  • energy efficiency
  • energy security
  • fossil fuels
  • econometrics
  • macroeconomic determinants of energy consumption and pollution emissions
  • the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis
  • economic growth

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 621 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Entrepreneurship and Education on the Ecological Footprint: Insights from the G-20 States
by Lina Karabetyan and Gamze Sart
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010097 - 21 Dec 2023
Viewed by 627
Abstract
Environmental impairment has become a critical global issue. Therefore, identifying the drivers of environmental degradation is essential for addressing environmental challenges worldwide. This research article employs the Westerlund and Edgerton (2007) bootstrap cointegration test and the causality test of Juodis, Karavias, and Sarafidis [...] Read more.
Environmental impairment has become a critical global issue. Therefore, identifying the drivers of environmental degradation is essential for addressing environmental challenges worldwide. This research article employs the Westerlund and Edgerton (2007) bootstrap cointegration test and the causality test of Juodis, Karavias, and Sarafidis (2021) to examine the interplay among entrepreneurial activities, education, renewable energy utilization, and ecological footprint in selected G-20 countries during 2002–2020. The causality analysis reveals a unidirectional causal relationship between entrepreneurial activities and education to ecological footprint, along with a feedback loop between ecological footprint and renewable energy utilization. Additionally, the cointegration analysis indicates that education, renewable energy utilization, and entrepreneurial activities generally reduce the ecological footprint in the long term for most of the countries studied. In conclusion, entrepreneurship, education, and renewable energy usage are significant factors in determining the ecological footprint in both short- and long-term scenarios. Hence, countries could leverage education, sustainable entrepreneurship, and renewable energy to enhance environmental quality. Full article
19 pages, 1320 KiB  
Article
The Impact of the Use of Augmented Reality on Online Purchasing Behavior Sustainability: The Saudi Consumer as a Model
by Norah Saud H. AL Hilal
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5448; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065448 - 20 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4254
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the impact of augmented reality (AR) on the purchasing behavior of Saudi customers using analytic–descriptive methods and data from a snowball sample of 812 online buyers. Positive correlations were found between AR factors (hermeneutic, embodiment, and background) and [...] Read more.
This study aimed to examine the impact of augmented reality (AR) on the purchasing behavior of Saudi customers using analytic–descriptive methods and data from a snowball sample of 812 online buyers. Positive correlations were found between AR factors (hermeneutic, embodiment, and background) and dimensions (quality, fun, and creativity) and the purchase experience. Young women aged 17–26 mainly use AR for buying clothes and accessories, and the majority of the sample shops are available locally through mobile apps. The findings indicate that AR has a significant influence on buying decisions and suggest its potential use in marketing communications. The results also reveal that gender, social status, education level, and monthly income have an impact on participants’ responses to AR, with women and those who are married having more favorable views. Clothing and accessories were found to be the most frequently purchased products through AR. There were no significant differences based on age or the number of family members. Participants reported positively about their AR experience, and their concerns and anxiety did not affect their purchasing experience. Based on the main study’s results, a number of recommendations can be made: Saudi businesses need to use AR in their marketing communication strategies to meet consumer needs and trends. To maximize the benefits of brand awareness, they should use AR techniques and adopt this technology for products that depend on design in their production. When using AR in general and in light of the theories that have been studied, it is important to think about the cultural traits and dimensions of Saudi consumers and conduct further exploratory research before implementation. Full article
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19 pages, 945 KiB  
Article
Do Better Institutional Arrangements Lead to Environmental Sustainability: Evidence from India
by Ishfaq Hamid, Mohammed Ahmar Uddin, Iqbal Thonse Hawaldar, Md Shabbir Alam, D. P. Priyadarshi Joshi and Pabitra Kumar Jena
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2237; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032237 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1966
Abstract
The efficient planning, execution, and management of institutional frameworks for climate change adaptation are essential to sustainable development. India, in particular, is known to be disproportionately vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. This study examines the effects of environmental taxes, corruption, urbanization, [...] Read more.
The efficient planning, execution, and management of institutional frameworks for climate change adaptation are essential to sustainable development. India, in particular, is known to be disproportionately vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. This study examines the effects of environmental taxes, corruption, urbanization, economic growth, ecological risks, and renewable energy sources on CO2 emissions in India from 1978 to 2018. Therefore, the ARDL model is used to draw inferences, and Pairwise Granger causality is also applied to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship. The empirical results show that corruption, environmental dangers, GDP, and urbanization positively influence India’s carbon emissions. However, the results of short-run elasticities show that carbon emissions reduce ecological sustainability. Environmental hazards and costs, like other countries, impact India’s carbon emissions. Therefore, decision-makers in India should set up strict environmental regulations and anti-corruption measures to combat unfair practice that distorts competition laws and policies. In addition, the government concentrates more on energy efficiency policies that diminish carbon emissions without hampering economic growth in the country. Full article
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Review

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32 pages, 5491 KiB  
Review
The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) Hypothesis in China: A Review
by Haider Mahmood, Maham Furqan, Muhammad Shahid Hassan and Soumen Rej
Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6110; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076110 - 01 Apr 2023
Cited by 49 | Viewed by 3517
Abstract
China is the largest total pollution emitter country on the globe and a vast literature has investigated the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in China. Thus, we aim to review empirical studies on the testing of the EKC hypothesis using different pollution proxies [...] Read more.
China is the largest total pollution emitter country on the globe and a vast literature has investigated the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in China. Thus, we aim to review empirical studies on the testing of the EKC hypothesis using different pollution proxies and area samples in China. The EKC hypothesis can be validated by establishing an inverted U-shaped or an N-shaped relationship between pollution and economic growth. In this review of the Chinese literature, the validity of the EKC hypothesis is found more often than its absence. In comparison, a higher proportion of the studies validated the EKC hypothesis using global pollution proxies compared with local pollution proxies. Moreover, a greater percentage of the studies substantiated the EKC hypothesis using Chinese provincial and city-level data compared with aggregate national data. To validate these findings, we applied logistic regression, and the chance of the validity of the EKC hypothesis was found to be 5.08 times higher than the absence of the EKC if a study used a global pollution proxy. Moreover, the chance of the existence of the EKC hypothesis was found to be 4.46 times higher than the nonexistence of the EKC if a study used Chinese provincial, city, sectoral, or industrial data. Full article
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21 pages, 339 KiB  
Review
Green Human Resource Management—A Synthesis
by Shaha Faisal
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2259; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032259 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5358
Abstract
Green HRM involves a variety of organizational policies, practices, and processes that encourage the use of environmentally friendly methods that could be advantageous to the individual, business, and the environment. Based on the systematic review of empirical articles collected from Scopus, the study [...] Read more.
Green HRM involves a variety of organizational policies, practices, and processes that encourage the use of environmentally friendly methods that could be advantageous to the individual, business, and the environment. Based on the systematic review of empirical articles collected from Scopus, the study identified and analyzed 31 empirical studies published since 2010. The current study was undertaken to identify various factors and measuring tools of GHRM. Based on the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) theory and the review methodology, the study identified various factors and measuring tools of GHRM. A few identified factors include Green Recruitment and selection, Green Training and Development, Green compensation management, Green performance management, Green Employee empowerment and participation, and Green Employee relations. The present research has thus opened fresh avenues for future studies. In addition, the study presents different perspectives and suggestions for future research that could facilitate the inclusion of sustainability initiatives in the organizational agenda. Full article
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