Mitigating ecological footprint in BRICS countries: unveiling the role of disaggregated clean energy, green technology innovation and political stability

Abstract

BRICS nations as emerging economies have undergone a substantial structural transformation; however, achieving economic growth while sustaining the ecology is a pressing challenge for these economies. Nonetheless, one of the possible ways to achieve ecological sustainability is to promote clean energy use and green innovation backed by a strengthened political system. Thus, this study assesses the effect of disaggregated clean energy use (hydro and nuclear energy), green technology innovation, and political stability on the ecological footprint in BRICS countries from 1993 to 2022 while controlling for the impacts of natural resources rent, population growth, and GDP per capita. Using dynamic fixed effect and CS-ARDL estimators, the outcomes reveal that hydro and nuclear energy use and political stability induce the ecological footprint in BRICS countries. However, the empirical findings indicate that green technology innovation substantially reduces the ecological footprint. Therefore, from a policy perspective, the study encourages policy coordination among BRICS countries to embrace targeted policies to strengthen regulatory frameworks, promote innovations in technological know-how, and encourage the utilization of clean and sustainable energy to foster environmental sustainability. Graphical Abstract