IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/engenv/v36y2025i7p3184-3211.html

Do technology usage and innovation promote an environmental friendly economy? Evidence from selected 30 Asian economies

Author

Listed:
  • Mehmet Özcan

Abstract

Rapid economic expansion across Asia has exacerbated environmental challenges, raising concerns about balancing economic growth with sustainability. Addressing this dilemma, the study investigates the impact of technology usage and innovation on environmental and economic efficiency in 30 Asian economies. Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), efficiency scores are calculated and integrated into an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model. The findings show that while technological advancements improve economic efficiency, their environmental benefits appear only after surpassing a critical economic threshold, estimated at approximately $14,900 per capita. Additionally, achieving high economic efficiency alone does not guarantee environmental sustainability unless innovation strategies specifically align with green growth. This study contributes to sustainable development literature by emphasizing innovation-driven policies necessary for balancing economic growth with environmental protection, providing policymakers with empirical guidance for technology-based sustainability strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Mehmet Özcan, 2025. "Do technology usage and innovation promote an environmental friendly economy? Evidence from selected 30 Asian economies," Energy & Environment, , vol. 36(7), pages 3184-3211, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:engenv:v:36:y:2025:i:7:p:3184-3211
    DOI: 10.1177/0958305X251367105
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0958305X251367105
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0958305X251367105?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stern, David I. & Common, Michael S., 2001. "Is There an Environmental Kuznets Curve for Sulfur?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 162-178, March.
    2. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    3. Per Andersen & Niels Christian Petersen, 1993. "A Procedure for Ranking Efficient Units in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(10), pages 1261-1264, October.
    4. Young-Tae Chang, 2013. "Environmental efficiency of ports: a Data Envelopment Analysis approach," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 467-478, September.
    5. Selden Thomas M. & Song Daqing, 1994. "Environmental Quality and Development: Is There a Kuznets Curve for Air Pollution Emissions?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 147-162, September.
    6. Kun Chen & Abduhalik Wupur & Xu Liu & Guo-liang Yang, 2025. "Measuring Multiple-Path Technology Transfer Efficiency in Chinese Universities: A Network DEA-Tobit Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 1464-1493, March.
    7. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    8. C. S. Agnes Cheng & Weihang Sun & Kangtao Ye & Ning Zhang, 2020. "The Effect of Auditing on Promoting Exports: Evidence from Private Firms in Emerging Markets," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(4), pages 1692-1716, April.
    9. Dina A. M. Miragaia & João J. M. Ferreira & Cédric T. Vieira, 2024. "Efficiency of Non-profit Organisations: a DEA Analysis in Support of Strategic Decision-Making," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 3239-3265, March.
    10. Yu, Dejian & He, Xiaorong, 2020. "A bibliometric study for DEA applied to energy efficiency: Trends and future challenges," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    11. Tucker, Michael, 1995. "Carbon dioxide emissions and global GDP," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 215-223, December.
    12. Hettige, Hemamala & Mani, Muthukumara & Wheeler, David, 2000. "Industrial pollution in economic development: the environmental Kuznets curve revisited," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 445-476, August.
    13. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    14. Lan Khanh Chu, 2020. "The effects of financial development on economic sophistication: evidence from panel data," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(15), pages 1260-1263, September.
    15. Mr. Nikola Spatafora & Rahul Anand & Mr. Saurabh Mishra, 2012. "Structural Transformation and the sophistication of Production," IMF Working Papers 2012/059, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    17. Roca, Jordi, 2003. "Do individual preferences explain the Environmental Kuznets curve?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 3-10, April.
    18. Gregory C. Chow & Jie Li, 2014. "Environmental Kuznets Curve: Conclusive Econometric Evidence for CO 2," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 1-7, February.
    19. Chen, Yao, 2005. "Measuring super-efficiency in DEA in the presence of infeasibility," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(2), pages 545-551, March.
    20. Chia-Nan Wang & Hoang-Phu Nguyen & Cheng-Wen Chang, 2021. "Environmental Efficiency Evaluation in the Top Asian Economies: An Application of DEA," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-19, April.
    21. Soushi Suzuki & Peter Nijkamp, 2021. "High urban population density as a facilitator of energy–environment–economy performance–development of an autoconfiguration target model in data envelopment analysis," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 261-287, February.
    22. Bulte, Erwin H. & van Soest, Daan P., 2001. "Environmental degradation in developing countries: households and the (reverse) Environmental Kuznets Curve," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 225-235, June.
    23. R. D. Banker & A. Charnes & W. W. Cooper, 1984. "Some Models for Estimating Technical and Scale Inefficiencies in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(9), pages 1078-1092, September.
    24. Bhattarai, Madhusudan & Hammig, Michael, 2004. "Governance, economic policy, and the environmental Kuznets curve for natural tropical forests," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(3), pages 367-382, July.
    25. Adam Jaffe & Richard Newell & Robert Stavins, 2002. "Environmental Policy and Technological Change," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 22(1), pages 41-70, June.
    26. Dinda, Soumyananda, 2004. "Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 431-455, August.
    27. Stefan Ambec & Mark A. Cohen & Stewart Elgie & Paul Lanoie, 2013. "The Porter Hypothesis at 20: Can Environmental Regulation Enhance Innovation and Competitiveness?," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 7(1), pages 2-22, January.
    28. Koop, Gary & Tole, Lise, 1999. "Is there an environmental Kuznets curve for deforestation?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 231-244, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sabuj Kumar Mandal & Devleena Chakravarty, 2017. "Role of energy in estimating turning point of Environmental Kuznets Curve: an econometric analysis of the existing studies," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 19(2), pages 387-401, October.
    2. Dinda, Soumyananda, 2004. "Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 431-455, August.
    3. Valeria Costantini & Chiara Martini, 2010. "A Modified Environmental Kuznets Curve for sustainable development assessment using panel data," International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(1/2), pages 84-122.
    4. Zilio, Mariana & Recalde, Marina, 2011. "GDP and environment pressure: The role of energy in Latin America and the Caribbean," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7941-7949.
    5. Jie He, 2007. "Is the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis valid for developing countries? A survey," Cahiers de recherche 07-03, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke.
    6. Soytas, Ugur & Sari, Ramazan & Ewing, Bradley T., 2007. "Energy consumption, income, and carbon emissions in the United States," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(3-4), pages 482-489, May.
    7. Bi Goli Jean Jacques Iritie, 2015. "Economic Growth and Biodiversity: An Overview Conservation Policies in Africa," Journal of Sustainable Development, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(2), pages 196-196, February.
    8. Pascalau, Razvan & Qirjo, Dhimitri, 2017. "TTIP and the Environmental Kuznets Curve," MPRA Paper 80192, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Lee, Sanghoon & Oh, Dae-Won, 2015. "Economic growth and the environment in China: Empirical evidence using prefecture level data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 73-85.
    10. Azomahou, Theophile & Laisney, Francois & Nguyen Van, Phu, 2006. "Economic development and CO2 emissions: A nonparametric panel approach," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(6-7), pages 1347-1363, August.
    11. Halkos, George & Tzeremes, Nickolaos, 2011. "A conditional full frontier modelling for analyzing environmental efficiency and economic growth," MPRA Paper 32839, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2004. "Trade, Growth, and the Environment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(1), pages 7-71, March.
    13. Zhang, C. & Sun, Y. & Hu, R., 2018. "Does urban-rural income inequality increase agricultural fertilizer or pesticide use? A provincial panel data analysis in China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277033, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Neophyta Empora, 2017. "Air pollution spillovers and U.S. state productivity growth," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 06-2017, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    15. Lenzen, Manfred & Wier, Mette & Cohen, Claude & Hayami, Hitoshi & Pachauri, Shonali & Schaeffer, Roberto, 2006. "A comparative multivariate analysis of household energy requirements in Australia, Brazil, Denmark, India and Japan," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 181-207.
    16. Kaika, Dimitra & Zervas, Efthimios, 2013. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory—Part A: Concept, causes and the CO2 emissions case," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1392-1402.
    17. Neagu Olimpia & Ardelean Doru Ioan & Lazăr Vasile, 2017. "How is environmental performance associated with economic growth? A world cross-country analysis," Studia Universitatis „Vasile Goldis” Arad – Economics Series, Sciendo, vol. 27(3), pages 15-32, September.
    18. Ranganathan, Shyam & Bali Swain, Ranjula, 2014. "Analysing Mechanisms for Meeting Global Emissions Target - A Dynamical Systems Approach," Working Paper Series 2014:10, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    19. Saboori, Behnaz & Sulaiman, Jamalludin & Mohd, Saidatulakmal, 2012. "Economic growth and CO2 emissions in Malaysia: A cointegration analysis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 184-191.
    20. Giovanni Bella & Carla Massidda & Ivan Etzo, 2013. "A Panel Estimation of the Relationship between Income, Electric Power Consumption and CO2 Emissions," Applied Economics Quarterly (formerly: Konjunkturpolitik), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 59(2), pages 149-166.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:engenv:v:36:y:2025:i:7:p:3184-3211. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.