The linkages among natural resources, sustainable energy technologies and human capital: An evidence from N-11 countries

Despite the significant economic progress witnessed by the N-11 countries, their environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality objectives remain unfulfilled. This suggests that neglecting environmental quality can impede these economies' long-term economic development. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to assess the linkages among natural resources, sustainable energy technologies, and human capital. Additionally, this study considers different environmental aspects, including human capital, economic integration, and sustainable energy. The present study utilizes a dataset including the time period from 1980 to 2019. It applies the MMQR statistical model, effectively addressing slope variations and interdependencies across cross-sectional units. The findings indicate that sustainable energy technologies do have a detrimental effect on the ecological footprint across all quantiles. Furthermore, the presence of human capital has a significant role in the maintenance of environmental quality, but the process of economic globalization has a detrimental effect on the ecological performance within the N-11 economies. There is a positive interaction effect between sustainable energy and human capital regarding their impact on the environment, resulting in a reduction of the ecological footprint across several quantiles ranging from the first to the ninth. In order to enhance the validity of the findings obtained using the MMQR technique, we further utilize the DOLS, FMOLS, and FE-OLS models. The findings have been validated, indicating their robustness. Based on the aforementioned findings, this study contributes significant enhancements to the existing body of empirical research and has crucial policy implications.