IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/127481.html

Assessing the Impact of Sustainability Initiatives on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Sweden and Finland

Author

Listed:
  • Batool, Aleeza
  • Ali, Amjad
  • Audi, Marc

Abstract

Climate change has become a central concern in global policy discourse over the past two decades, motivating nations to adopt a wide range of sustainability initiatives. Analyzing the specific measures implemented and their effectiveness in promoting environmental sustainability is therefore critical. This study aims to evaluate the contribution of various sustainability actions to environmental preservation by focusing on Sweden and Finland, recognized for their leadership in sustainable development. Employing panel least squares and generalized method of moments methodologies using 2010-2020 data, the research rigorously assesses the impact of sustainability initiatives on environmental performance, with a particular focus on greenhouse gas emissions as the primary indicator. The empirical findings reveal that the expansion of renewable energy sources delivers the most prompt and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions among the interventions examined. Additionally, investments in green technologies and the issuance of green bonds are shown to enhance environmental quality, with their benefits projected to increase over time. These results highlight the necessity of prioritizing renewable energy development in national climate strategies. Building on these insights, the study presents targeted policy recommendations for Sweden and Finland. It advocates for a strategic shift from compliance-oriented environmental reporting towards the adoption of actionable policies that produce measurable emission reductions. Recommended policy measures include the promotion of sector-specific emission abatement, accelerated development of renewable energy infrastructure, and the encouragement of clean technology innovation through public investment and fiscal incentives. By comparing two Nordic sustainability leaders, Sweden and Finland, this study clarifies which targeted environmental measures are most effective within advanced institutional contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Batool, Aleeza & Ali, Amjad & Audi, Marc, 2025. "Assessing the Impact of Sustainability Initiatives on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Sweden and Finland," MPRA Paper 127481, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:127481
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/127481/1/MPRA_paper_127481.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    2. Narayan, Paresh Kumar & Smyth, Russell, 2008. "Energy consumption and real GDP in G7 countries: New evidence from panel cointegration with structural breaks," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 2331-2341, September.
    3. Popp, David, 2019. "Environmental Policy and Innovation: A Decade of Research," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 13(3-4), pages 265-337, September.
    4. Sadorsky, Perry, 2009. "Renewable energy consumption and income in emerging economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 4021-4028, October.
    5. Marc Audi & Marc Poulin & Amjad Ali, 2024. "Environmental Impact of Business Freedom and Renewable Energy: A Global Perspective," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(3), pages 672-683, May.
    6. Tang, Dragon Yongjun & Zhang, Yupu, 2020. "Do shareholders benefit from green bonds?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    7. Flammer, Caroline, 2021. "Corporate green bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 499-516.
    8. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    9. Nick Johnstone & Ivan Haščič & David Popp, 2017. "Erratum to: Renewable Energy Policies and Technological Innovation: Evidence Based on Patent Counts," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(2), pages 441-444, October.
    10. 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.
    11. Apergis, Nicholas & Payne, James E., 2010. "Renewable energy consumption and economic growth: Evidence from a panel of OECD countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 656-660, January.
    12. Audi, Marc & Ahmad, Muhammad Bilal & Ahmad, Khalil & Poulin, Marc & Ali, Amjad, 2025. "Different Dimensions of Globalization and CO2 Emission Nexus: Application of Environmental Kuznets Curve for Worldwide Perspective," MPRA Paper 124294, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. M. Hashem Pesaran & Yongcheol Shin & Richard J. Smith, 2001. "Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 289-326.
    14. Popp, David, 2006. "International innovation and diffusion of air pollution control technologies: the effects of NOX and SO2 regulation in the US, Japan, and Germany," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 46-71, January.
    15. Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary & Naoyuki Yoshino, 2020. "Sustainable Solutions for Green Financing and Investment in Renewable Energy Projects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-18, February.
    16. David Popp, 2019. "Environmental Policy and Innovation: A Decade of Research," NBER Working Papers 25631, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Enrico Botta & Tomasz Koźluk, 2014. "Measuring Environmental Policy Stringency in OECD Countries: A Composite Index Approach," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1177, OECD Publishing.
    18. Badi H. Baltagi, 2021. "Econometric Analysis of Panel Data," Springer Texts in Business and Economics, Springer, edition 6, number 978-3-030-53953-5, January.
    19. Faizul Haque & Collins G. Ntim, 2022. "Do corporate sustainability initiatives improve corporate carbon performance? Evidence from European firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3318-3334, November.
    20. Sorrell, Steve, 2009. "Jevons' Paradox revisited: The evidence for backfire from improved energy efficiency," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1456-1469, April.
    21. Liu, Yang & Dong, Kangyin & Nepal, Rabindra, 2025. "Can sustainable financing facilitate the energy justice transformation? Evidence from developing countries in Asia," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    22. Marc Audi & Marc Poulin & Khalil Ahmad & Amjad Ali, 2025. "Modeling Disaggregate Globalization to Carbon Emissions in BRICS: A Panel Quantile Regression Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-24, March.
    23. David Popp, 2019. "Environmental policy and innovation: a decade of research," CESifo Working Paper Series 7544, CESifo.
    24. Sorrell, Steve, 2018. "Explaining sociotechnical transitions: A critical realist perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(7), pages 1267-1282.
    25. Romero-Avila, Diego, 2008. "Questioning the empirical basis of the environmental Kuznets curve for CO2: New evidence from a panel stationarity test robust to multiple breaks and cross-dependence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 559-574, January.
    26. Borghesi, Simone & Cainelli, Giulio & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2015. "Linking emission trading to environmental innovation: Evidence from the Italian manufacturing industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 669-683.
    27. Omri, Anis & Nguyen, Duc Khuong, 2014. "On the determinants of renewable energy consumption: International evidence," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 554-560.
    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. Huangfu, Jianhua & Wei, Weixian & Yu, Lei & Li, Guoliang, 2025. "The impact of environmental policy stringency and oil prices on innovation: Evidence from the new energy vehicle industry in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 979-996.
    2. Cong Khai Dinh & Quang Thanh Ngo & Trung Thanh Nguyen, 2021. "Medium- and High-Tech Export and Renewable Energy Consumption: Non-Linear Evidence from the ASEAN Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-16, July.
    3. Zhu, Zhishuang & Liao, Hua & Liu, Li, 2021. "The role of public energy R&D in energy conservation and transition: Experiences from IEA countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    4. Barbieri, Nicolò & Marzucchi, Alberto & Rizzo, Ugo, 2023. "Green technologies, interdependencies, and policy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Chien-Heng Chou & Sa Ly Ngo & Phung Phi Tran, 2023. "Renewable Energy Integration for Sustainable Economic Growth: Insights and Challenges via Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-26, October.
    6. Grafström, Jonas & Poudineh, Rahmat, 2023. "No evidence of counteracting policy effects on European solar power invention and diffusion," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    7. David Popp & Jacquelyn Pless & Ivan Haščič & Nick Johnstone, 2020. "Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Energy Sector," NBER Chapters, in: The Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Economic Growth, pages 175-248, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Jingbo Cui & Zhenxuan Wang & Haishan Yu, 2022. "Can International Climate Cooperation Induce Knowledge Spillover to Developing Countries? Evidence from CDM," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 82(4), pages 923-951, August.
    9. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Haouas, Ilham & Hoang, Thi Hong Van, 2019. "Economic growth and environmental degradation in Vietnam: Is the environmental Kuznets curve a complete picture?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 197-218.
    10. Davor Mance & Dejan Miljenović & Ismar Velić, 2025. "Do Economies Recover Their Fisheries? Evidence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve for Fish Stock Status," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-18, July.
    11. Tiba, Sofien & Omri, Anis, 2017. "Literature survey on the relationships between energy, environment and economic growth," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 1129-1146.
    12. Sofien, Tiba & Omri, Anis, 2016. "Literature survey on the relationships between energy variables, environment and economic growth," MPRA Paper 82555, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 14 Sep 2016.
    13. Samant, Shantala & Thakur-Wernz, Pooja & Hatfield, Donald E., 2020. "Does the focus of renewable energy policy impact the nature of innovation? Evidence from emerging economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    14. He, Xiaoping & Dai, Wenbo, 2025. "The masking effect of green innovation: A study based on carbon market shocks," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    15. Roy Kouwenberg & Chenglong Zheng, 2023. "A Review of the Global Climate Finance Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-32, January.
    16. Chakraborty, Saptorshee Kanto & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2020. "Energy intensity and green energy innovation: Checking heterogeneous country effects in the OECD," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 328-343.
    17. Bölük, Gülden & Mert, Mehmet, 2015. "The renewable energy, growth and environmental Kuznets curve in Turkey: An ARDL approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 587-595.
    18. Nicolo Barbieri & Alberto Marzucchi & Ugo Rizzo, 2021. "Green technologies, complementarities, and policy," SPRU Working Paper Series 2021-08, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    19. Grafström, Jonas & Poudineh, Rahmat, 2023. "Invention and Diffusion in the Solar Power Sector," Ratio Working Papers 364, The Ratio Institute.
    20. Francesco Nicolli & Francesco Vona & Lionel Nesta, 2012. "Determinants of Renewable Energy Innovation: Environmental Policies vs. Market Regulation," Working Papers 201204, University of Ferrara, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:pra:mprapa:127481. 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: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    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.