The Environmental Dimension of Sustainable Development in Relation to the Transition from Brown to Green Energy—A Case Study of Poland from 2005 to 2023

The transition of the energy sector to green energy is one of the priorities of sustainable development, serving as an important instrument for balancing economic growth and environmental protection. The purpose of this article is to analyze the relationship between the share of renewable energy in total electricity production and the Environmental Dimension of Sustainable Development in the voivodeships of Poland during the years 2005–2023. To avoid difficulties in interpreting the statistical model—arising from challenges in determining the precise nature of the relationship between individual explanatory variables and the dependent variable—a collinearity test (using the Variance Inflation Factor, VIF, in three stages) was conducted. The relationship was examined using various statistical methods, including Pearson’s linear correlation and linear regression. Additionally, to visualize the local variation in this relationship, a spatial variation study was carried out using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, supported by a series of bivariate choropleth maps. The results may suggest a positive impact of an increase in the share of electricity production from renewable energy sources on the state of the environment; however, this finding requires further, more detailed research.