IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/natres/v49y2025i2p1284-1307.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unveiling the criticality of digitalization, eco‐innovation, carbon tax, and environmental regulation in G7 quest for carbon footprint mitigation: Insights for sustainable development

Author

Listed:
  • Yu Wang
  • Xudong Chen
  • Ridwan Lanre Ibrahim
  • Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al‐Faryan

Abstract

A great deal of empirical research has been conducted to find effective solutions to global warming, which is widely recognized as a major cause of environmental degradation and overall decline in well‐being. It should be noted that international coalitions such as the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United) are not left of the ravaging adverse effects of environmental pollution. Consequently, this study contributes to the literature by examining the role of digitalization on carbon footprint amidst environmental‐related technologies, renewable energy, environmental policy stringency, carbon tax, and financial development in G7 countries from 1996 to 2019. The study relies on cross‐sectional autoregressive distributed lag, common correlated effects mean group, augmented mean group, and method of moment quantile regression (MMQR). Results from the analyses show that digitalization is an essential mitigating tool for the surging carbon footprint in G7 countries. Besides, the imperatives of other covariates in subduing the adverse environmental effects of carbon footprint are empirically supported except for financial development. Remarkably, the distributional effects of the exogenous variables on carbon footprint based on MMQR are found robust for the primary analyses. The direction of cause standing between bidirectional and unidirectional heightens the novelties of this study. Based on the findings, sustainable footprint policies in G7 economies are suggested.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu Wang & Xudong Chen & Ridwan Lanre Ibrahim & Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al‐Faryan, 2025. "Unveiling the criticality of digitalization, eco‐innovation, carbon tax, and environmental regulation in G7 quest for carbon footprint mitigation: Insights for sustainable development," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(2), pages 1284-1307, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:49:y:2025:i:2:p:1284-1307
    DOI: 10.1111/1477-8947.12433
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-8947.12433
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1477-8947.12433?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. Wang, Jianda & Dong, Xiucheng & Dong, Kangyin, 2022. "How digital industries affect China's carbon emissions? Analysis of the direct and indirect structural effects," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Joakim Westerlund & David L. Edgerton, 2008. "A Simple Test for Cointegration in Dependent Panels with Structural Breaks," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 70(5), pages 665-704, October.
    3. Ibrahim, Ridwan Lanre & Al-mulali, Usama & Ozturk, Ilhan & Bello, Ajide Kazeem & Raimi, Lukman, 2022. "On the criticality of renewable energy to sustainable development: Do green financial development, technological innovation, and economic complexity matter for China?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 262-277.
    4. M. Hashem Pesaran, 2021. "General diagnostic tests for cross-sectional dependence in panels," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 13-50, January.
    5. Hashem Pesaran, M. & Yamagata, Takashi, 2008. "Testing slope homogeneity in large panels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 50-93, January.
    6. Joakim Westerlund, 2007. "Testing for Error Correction in Panel Data," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 69(6), pages 709-748, December.
    7. Ren, Siyu & Hao, Yu & Xu, Lu & Wu, Haitao & Ba, Ning, 2021. "Digitalization and energy: How does internet development affect China's energy consumption?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    8. Cosimo Magazzino, 2024. "Ecological footprint, electricity consumption, and economic growth in China: geopolitical risk and natural resources governance," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 1-25, January.
    9. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2021. "Determinants of renewable energy consumption: Importance of democratic institutions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 75-83.
    10. M. Hashem Pesaran, 2007. "A simple panel unit root test in the presence of cross-section dependence," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 265-312.
    11. Syed Abdul Rehman Khan & Ridwan Lanre Ibrahim & Abul Quasem Al-Amin & Zhang Yu, 2022. "An Ideology of Sustainability under Technological Revolution: Striving towards Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-21, April.
    12. Mohsin, Muhammad & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad & Iqbal, Nadeem & Saydaliev, Hayot Berk, 2022. "The role of technological progress and renewable energy deployment in green economic growth," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 777-787.
    13. Doğan, Buhari & Chu, Lan Khanh & Ghosh, Sudeshna & Diep Truong, Huong Hoang & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel, 2022. "How environmental taxes and carbon emissions are related in the G7 economies?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 645-656.
    14. Magazzino, Cosimo & Alola, Andrew Adewale & Schneider, Nicolas, 2021. "The trilemma of innovation, logistics performance, and environmental quality in 25 topmost logistics countries: a quantile regression evidence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117654, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Liguo, Xin & Ahmad, Manzoor & Khan, Shehzad & Haq, Zahoor Ul & Khattak, Shoukat Iqbal, 2023. "Evaluating the role of innovation in hybrid electric vehicle-related technologies to promote environmental sustainability in knowledge-based economies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    16. Muhammad Usman & Atif Jahanger & Magdalena Radulescu & Daniel Balsalobre-Lorente, 2022. "Do Nuclear Energy, Renewable Energy, and Environmental-Related Technologies Asymmetrically Reduce Ecological Footprint? Evidence from Pakistan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-24, May.
    17. Leonardo Nascimento & Takeshi Kuramochi & Gabriela Iacobuta & Michel den Elzen & Hanna Fekete & Marie Weishaupt & Heleen Laura van Soest & Mark Roelfsema & Gustavo De Vivero-Serrano & Swithin Lui & Fr, 2022. "Twenty years of climate policy: G20 coverage and gaps," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 158-174, February.
    18. Jahanger, Atif & Usman, Muhammad & Murshed, Muntasir & Mahmood, Haider & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel, 2022. "The linkages between natural resources, human capital, globalization, economic growth, financial development, and ecological footprint: The moderating role of technological innovations," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    19. Yunzhao, Lu, 2022. "Modelling the role of eco innovation, renewable energy, and environmental taxes in carbon emissions reduction in E−7 economies: Evidence from advance panel estimations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 309-318.
    20. Perekunah B. Eregha & Solomon P. Nathaniel & Xuan Vinh Vo, 2023. "Economic growth, environmental regulations, energy use, and ecological footprint linkage in the Next-11 countries: Implications for environmental sustainability," Energy & Environment, , vol. 34(5), pages 1327-1347, August.
    21. Chen, Jiandong & Fan, Wei & Li, Ding & Liu, Xin & Song, Malin, 2020. "Driving factors of global carbon footprint pressure: Based on vegetation carbon sequestration," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    22. Afshan, Sahar & Ozturk, Ilhan & Yaqoob, Tanzeela, 2022. "Facilitating renewable energy transition, ecological innovations and stringent environmental policies to improve ecological sustainability: Evidence from MM-QR method," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 151-160.
    23. Qiang Ma & Zeeshan Khan & Muhammad Tariq & Hayriye IŞik & Husam Rjoub, 2022. "Sustainable digital economy and trade adjusted carbon emissions: Evidence from China’s provincial data," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 5469-5485, December.
    24. Bohuang Pan & Tomiwa Sunday Adebayo & Ridwan Lanre Ibrahim & Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan, 2023. "Does nuclear energy consumption mitigate carbon emissions in leading countries by nuclear power consumption? Evidence from quantile causality approach," Energy & Environment, , vol. 34(7), pages 2521-2543, November.
    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. Ni, Zehua & Yang, Jingyi & Razzaq, Asif, 2022. "How do natural resources, digitalization, and institutional governance contribute to ecological sustainability through load capacity factors in highly resource-consuming economies?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Yang Yu & Magdalena Radulescu & Abanum Innocent Ifelunini & Stephen Obinozie Ogwu & Joshua Chukwuma Onwe & Atif Jahanger, 2022. "Achieving Carbon Neutrality Pledge through Clean Energy Transition: Linking the Role of Green Innovation and Environmental Policy in E7 Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-23, September.
    3. Clement Olalekan Olaniyi & Nicholas Mbaya Odhiambo, 2025. "Do natural resource rents aid renewable energy transition in resource‐rich African countries? The roles of institutional quality and its threshold," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(2), pages 1330-1375, May.
    4. Liton Chandra Voumik & Mohammad Iqbal Hossain & Md. Hasanur Rahman & Raziya Sultana & Rahi Dey & Miguel Angel Esquivias, 2023. "Impact of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy on EKC in SAARC Countries: Augmented Mean Group Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-19, March.
    5. Xinhui Dong & Ridwan Lanre Ibrahim & Ilhan Ozturk & Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al‐Faryan, 2024. "Exploring the roles of natural resources on sustainability blueprint in G7 countries amidst green energy, technological innovation, and carbon‐tax intervention," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 48(1), pages 120-153, February.
    6. Jahanger, Atif & Yu, Yang & Hossain, Mohammad Razib & Murshed, Muntasir & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel & Khan, Uzma, 2022. "Going away or going green in NAFTA nations? Linking natural resources, energy utilization, and environmental sustainability through the lens of the EKC hypothesis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    7. Lanre Ibrahim, Ridwan & Bello Ajide, Kazeem & Usman, Muhammad & Kousar, Rakhshanda, 2022. "Heterogeneous effects of renewable energy and structural change on environmental pollution in Africa: Do natural resources and environmental technologies reduce pressure on the environment?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 244-256.
    8. Wang, Xiang & Yin, Jian & Yang, Yao & Muda, Iskandar & Abduvaxitovna, Shamansurova Zilola & AlWadi, Belal Mahmoud & Castillo-Picon, Jorge & Abdul-Samad, Zulkiflee, 2023. "Relationship between the resource curse, Forest management and sustainable development and the importance of R&D Projects," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    9. Alvarado, Rafael & Murshed, Muntasir & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier & Işık, Cem & Razib Hossain, Mohammad & Tillaguango, Brayan, 2023. "Nexuses between rent of natural resources, economic complexity, and technological innovation: The roles of GDP, human capital and civil liberties," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    10. Wang, Jianxin & Zhu, Guohua & Chang, Tin-Chang, 2024. "Unveiling the relationship between institutional quality, fintech, financial inclusion, human capital development and mineral resource abundance. An Asian perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    11. Xueying Meng & Tianqing Li & Mahmood Ahmad & Guitao Qiao & Yang Bai, 2022. "Capital Formation, Green Innovation, Renewable Energy Consumption and Environmental Quality: Do Environmental Regulations Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.
    12. Saqib, Najia & Shahzad, U., 2024. "Pathways to sustainability: Evaluating the impact of green energy, natural resources, FinTech, and environmental policies in resource-abundant countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    13. Alvarado, Rafael & Tillaguango, Brayan & Murshed, Muntasir & Ochoa-Moreno, Santiago & Rehman, Abdul & Işık, Cem & Alvarado-Espejo, Johana, 2022. "Impact of the informal economy on the ecological footprint: The role of urban concentration and globalization," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 750-767.
    14. Jan Polcyn & Liton Chandra Voumik & Mohammad Ridwan & Samrat Ray & Viktoriia Vovk, 2023. "Evaluating the Influences of Health Expenditure, Energy Consumption, and Environmental Pollution on Life Expectancy in Asia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, February.
    15. Tiwari, Aviral Kumar & Eapen, Leena Mary & Nair, Sthanu R, 2021. "Electricity consumption and economic growth at the state and sectoral level in India: Evidence using heterogeneous panel data methods," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    16. Na Xin & Zhuoting Xie, 2023. "Financial inclusion and trade adjusted carbon emissions: Evaluating the role of environment related taxes employing non‐parametric panel methods," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 78-90, February.
    17. Clement Olalekan Olaniyi & Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al‐Faryan & Eyitayo Oyewunmi Ogbaro, 2025. "Do institutional quality and its threshold matter in the sensitivity of the renewable energy transition to financial development? New empirical perspectives," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(1), pages 5-43, January.
    18. Murshed, Muntasir & Ahmed, Rizwan & Khudoykulov, Khurshid & Kumpamool, Chamaiporn & Alrwashdeh, Nusiebeh Nahar Falah & Mahmood, Haider, 2023. "Can enhancing financial inclusivity lower climate risks by inhibiting carbon emissions? Contextual evidence from emerging economies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    19. Eberhardt, Markus & Teal, Francis, 2008. "Modeling technology and technological change in manufacturing: how do countries differ?," MPRA Paper 10690, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Joshua Chukwuma Onwe & Solomon Prince Nathaniel & Mohd Arshad Ansari, 2025. "Toward sustainable climate action in advanced economies: Linking information communication technology, technological innovation, economic complexity, and ecological footprint," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(2), pages 1910-1930, May.

    More about this item

    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:wly:natres:v:49:y:2025:i:2:p:1284-1307. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1477-8947 .

    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.