Migration and environmental sustainability: The mediating role of renewable energy and income

Concern about climate change has drawn out the numerous influences of human activities on the environment. However, the role of migration in environmental quality has been conspicuously silent in the literature despite the increasing rate of cross-country migration. As the energy transition progresses, it is important to examine the interplay between migration, renewable energy, income, and environmental quality in 33 advanced countries using the latest dataset. With data from 2010 to 2023, the study applies the non-additive panel quantile regression to two models with different interaction terms. Results show asymmetric migration impacts on environmental degradation, while the effects of globalization are mostly negative. Renewable energy only reduces environmental degradation at higher levels. However, renewable energy development reduces the impact of migration for most quantiles, while income increases the impact of migration throughout. The study implies that policies might influence how migration will affect the environment. Income-related activities are channels through which migration affects environmental degradation, but clean energy development is a sustainable policy against climate change regardless of population gains. Therefore, dividends of migration can be drawn to increase capacity in green technology through increased green finance, innovations, research, and development, thereby resulting in green economic growth.