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Green Energy, Economic Growth, and Innovation for Sustainable Development in OECD Countries

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  • Tianhao Zhao

    (School of Management, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK)

  • Syed Ahsan Ali Shah

    (Mathematics and Experimental Sciences Department, University of Salamanca (USAL), Paseo de Canalejas, 169, 37008 Salamanca, Spain)

Abstract

This study explores the interrelationship between green energy adoption, economic growth, and innovation in promoting sustainable development within OECD countries. Using a random forest regression model, the research analyzes secondary data from 2013 to 2022 to identify the most significant contributors to sustainable development. The random forest model was selected for its ability to handle non-linear relationships and feature importance ranking, providing a comprehensive understanding of the variables’ impacts. The analysis reveals that green energy adoption has the strongest influence on the human development index (HDI), with an importance score of 0.43, followed by gross domestic product (GDP) and the global innovation index (GII). These findings underscore the pivotal role of green energy adoption, amplified by economic growth and technological innovation, in advancing sustainable development. While the study focuses on OECD countries, the insights offer valuable implications for global sustainability initiatives. The evidence supports the argument that prioritizing green energy, supported by economic and innovative drivers, is crucial for achieving broader sustainable development goals. This research provides a methodological contribution by demonstrating the effectiveness of machine learning models in analyzing complex sustainability data and offers empirical evidence that informs policy and future research in a broader context.

Suggested Citation

  • Tianhao Zhao & Syed Ahsan Ali Shah, 2024. "Green Energy, Economic Growth, and Innovation for Sustainable Development in OECD Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-14, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:10113-:d:1524854
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Shanqing Liu & Jiacheng Qian & Huwei Wen & Ying Wang, 2025. "The Impact of Green Finance Pilot Cities on Enterprises’ Green Innovation Performance: An Empirical Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav & Rareș Mihai Nițu & Grigore Ioan Piroșcă & Raluca Iuliana Georgescu, 2025. "The Opportunity Cost Between the Circular Economy and Economic Growth: Clustering the Approaches of European Union Member States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-28, March.

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