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Exploring the asymmetric effects of renewable energy production, natural resources, and economic progress on CO2 emissions: fresh evidence from Pakistan

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Abstract

A bulk of literature has examined the asymmetric impact of renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions by using the advanced econometric approach. While the asymmetric role of renewable energy production in the CO2 equation is largely unknown, our present study quantifies the asymmetric relationship between renewable energy production, natural resources, economic progress, and CO2 emission for Pakistan by using the NARDL approach. It is found that positive change in renewable energy production has a positive effect on CO2 emissions, while a negative change in renewable energy production has a negative effect on CO2 emissions in the long run. Furthermore, a positive and negative change in natural resources contributes negatively to CO2 emissions in the long run. The results reveal that a positive change in economic progress significantly increases CO2 emissions in the long run. Based on findings, Pakistan’s government should encourage local and international investors to increase their investment in the production of renewable energy by reducing environmental degradation.

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Data Availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China

    Shahid Iqbal, Ying Wang & Khizar Hayat

  2. Department of Economics, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Lasbela, Pakistan

    Parvez Ahmed Shaikh

  3. Department of Management Sciences, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan

    Adnan Maqbool

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  1. Shahid Iqbal
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  2. Ying Wang
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  3. Parvez Ahmed Shaikh
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This idea was given by Shahid Iqbal. Shahid Iqbal, Ying Wang, Parvez Ahmed Shaikh, Adnan Maqbool analyzed the data and wrote the complete paper, while Khizar Hayat and Adnan Maqbool read and approved the final version.

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Iqbal, ., Wang, Y., Shaikh, P.A. et al. Exploring the asymmetric effects of renewable energy production, natural resources, and economic progress on CO2 emissions: fresh evidence from Pakistan. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 7067–7078 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16138-w

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