Harnessing ESG Sustainability, Climate Policy Uncertainty and Information and Communication Technology for Energy Transition

This study addresses a significant gap in the existing literature by introducing novel perspectives. First, it provides a comprehensive assessment of the impact of ESG sustainability and information and communication technology (ICT) on energy transition using updated quarterly data from 2002 Q3 to 2024 Q4. Second, it uniquely integrates climate policy uncertainty (CPU) and financial development (FD) as core explanatory variables, which have been largely neglected in prior research. Third, this study applies advanced quantile-based methodologies, including the Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag (QARDL) model and Quantile Cointegration (QC) techniques, to enhance empirical rigor and ensure policy relevance across the entire conditional distribution. The results showed that at lower quantiles (τ = 0.05–0.30), FD positively influences ET, supporting early-stage clean energy adoption. ICT shows a short-term negative effect (τ = 0.05–0.40). Based on these findings, policymakers should strengthen financial development to accelerate clean energy adoption at early stages, while addressing the short-term negative impacts of ICT by promoting supportive digital and energy policies that align technology use with sustainability goals.