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Innovation in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies and Global Economics in a Carbon Neutral Era

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Air, Climate Change and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2023) | Viewed by 17293

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manzoor Ahmad

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Guest Editor

Department of Economics, Pakhtunkhwa Economic Policy Research Institute, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
Interests: renewable energy technologies; sustainable & green innovation; green growth; carbon neutrality

Dr. Shoukat Iqbal Khattak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Business Administration, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China
Interests: sustainable consumption; renewable energy technologies; sustainable & green innovation; green growth; carbon neutrality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbon neutrality is becoming an increasingly important agenda item in global climate governance [1]. Achieving carbon neutrality is important not only for minimizing the worst effects of climate change but also for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole. For example, when environmental pollution is reduced, health is improved and it contributes to the achievement of green economic growth goals and the creation of green jobs. Global economies are looking into novel methods to boost the effectiveness and reduce the cost of existing renewable energy sources and minimize CO₂ emissions [2]. In this context, innovation in renewable energy generation-related technologies is generally viewed as one of the most successful approaches for achieving the more effective distribution of renewable energy, reducing CO₂ emissions, and achieving carbon neutrality, green urbanization, and a green economy [3–5]. Innovation in renewable energy-related technologies is an overarching concept for the introduction of new green technologies or the improvement of existing technologies through new knowledge in energy generation using a renewable energy source, such as ocean (offshore wind energy, offshore solar energy, tides, waves, and current energy), wind, solar (solar thermal energy, photovoltaic energy, and solar–thermal–PV hybrid energy), water (hydro), and geothermal energy.

This Special Issue seeks studies on innovation in renewable energy-related technologies that make a significant contribution to carbon neutrality and a green economy. It will compile empirical and theoretical studies on a broad range of topics relating to innovation in renewable energy-related technologies and sustainable development. We especially welcome submissions that discuss issues related but not limited to the following main subjects:

Innovation in wind energy-related technologies, green growth, and carbon neutrality;
Innovation in solar thermal energy-related technologies, green growth, and carbon neutrality;
Innovation in photovoltaic energy-related technologies, green growth, and carbon neutrality;
Innovation in solar–thermal–PV hybrid energy-related technologies, green growth, and carbon neutrality;
Innovation in geothermal energy-related technologies, green growth, and carbon neutrality;
Innovation in marine energy generation-related technologies (e.g., using wave energy, or salinity gradient), green growth, and carbon neutrality;
Innovation in renewable energy-related technologies and green urbanization;
Innovation in renewable energy-related technologies and total energy savings;
Innovation in renewable energy-related technologies and household energy demand (e.g., renewable energy vs. non-renewable energy);
Innovation in renewable energy-related technologies and the green labor market;
New innovative green technologies for global green economies.

References

[1] X.-C. Tan, L.-S. Kong, B.-H. Gu, A. Zeng, and M.-M. Niu, “Research on the carbon neutrality governance under a polycentric approach,” Adv. Clim. Chang. Res., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 159–168, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2022.01.005.

[2] X. Liguo, M. Ahmad, and S. I. Khattak, “Impact of innovation in marine energy generation, distribution, or transmission-related technologies on carbon dioxide emissions in the United States,” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 159, p. 112225, 2022.

[3] L. Xin, M. Ahmad, and M. Murshed, “Toward next-generation green solar cells and environmental sustainability: impact of innovation in photovoltaic energy generation, distribution, or transmission-related technologies on environmental sustainability in the United States,” Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2022, doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-21953-w.

[4] C. You, S. I. Khattak, and M. Ahmad, “Impact of innovation in renewable energy generation, transmission, or distribution-related technologies on carbon dioxide emission in the USA,” Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2022, doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17938-w.

[5] C. You, S. I. Khattak, and M. Ahmad, “Do international collaborations in environmental-related technology development in the U.S. pay off in combating carbon dioxide emissions? Role of domestic environmental innovation, renewable energy consumption, and trade openness,” Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2021, doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17146-6.

Dr. Manzoor Ahmad
Dr. Shoukat Iqbal Khattak
Guest Editors

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Keywords

green growth
renewable energy technologies
green innovation
carbon neutrality
green urbanization
energy demand

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Innovation, Awareness and Readiness for Climate Action in the Energy Sector of an Emerging Economy: The Case of Kenya

by Thordur Vikingur Fridgeirsson, Helgi Thor Ingason and Johannes Onjala

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12769; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712769 - 23 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2169

Abstract

The public sector plays a pivotal role in setting the pace for climate action innovation through policy development and inter-organization collaborations for sustainable energy solutions. There is generally a lack of a proper understanding of innovation in the public sector compared to the private sector, with the public sector being considered slow, bureaucratic adopters of innovation. This study investigated the understanding and approach to innovation in public energy organizations, determining if and how these organizations innovate and their ability to innovate, especially towards climate action, in Kenya while comparing them with Iceland, a developed economy with equivalent geothermal energy potential. A questionnaire survey was conducted in public energy organizations in Kenya and Iceland. Statistical analysis was used to validate and evaluate the collected data. The study findings revealed that innovation collaboration systems in organizations positively predicted the employees’ innovation awareness, confirming that energy sector innovations shall require public–private sector collaboration in developing innovative, incremental, and disruptive energy solutions. Employee knowledge and skills, on the other hand, were found not to be a predictor of an organization’s innovation awareness. Furthermore, employees’ motivation to innovate, as well as organizational innovation strategy, management structure and leadership, were found to positively predict an organization’s readiness to innovate. Finally, the Kenyan energy sector was benchmarked against the Icelandic energy sector indicating some noteworthy differences in the prioritization of energy sector climate action initiatives, with most organizations identifying themselves as innovation generators and innovation adopters and the least being innovation imitators, showing the organizations’ commitment to developing new technologies, markets and policies towards sustainable energy solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies and Global Economics in a Carbon Neutral Era)

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19 pages, 2981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Moderation of Clean Energy Innovation in the Relationship between the Carbon Footprint and Profits in CO₂e-Intensive Firms: A Quantitative Longitudinal Study

by Francisco Porles-Ochoa and Ruben Guevara

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10326; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310326 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2590

Abstract

This paper sought to analyze the moderating effect of clean energy innovation on the relationship between corporate carbon footprint and corporate profits in fossil fuel intensive industrial sectors in which it is “hard to abate” CO₂e emissions. We used a longitudinal design consisting of a panel study with a structural equation modeling (SEM) method, based on partial least squares. For the analysis of longitudinal moderation, this paper employed a Bayesian multiple-indicator latent growth curve model (B-LGC model). A global sample was used, consisting of 7827 firm-year observations between 2015 and 2021 for 167 international firms. The results showed that the corporate carbon footprint had a very significant impact on corporate profits and that innovations in clean energy—measured as renewable energy consumption—positively moderate the relationship between Scope 3 value chain greenhouse gas emissions (according to the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol) and the gross profit margin obtained. In addition to the academic contributions made by the moderating effect of clean energy innovation, these findings imply that a more detailed understanding of total value chain emissions (Scope 3 CO₂e) among executives and managers at high CO₂e-emitting companies offers an effective mechanism for obtaining higher profits and creating competitive advantages, while at the same time achieving a net zero emissions strategy. More importantly, public policymakers will be able to use these results to revise CO₂e-related policies, paying closer attention to the Scope 3 CO₂e emissions produced by these companies to design regulatory and control mechanisms that stimulate clean energy innovation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies and Global Economics in a Carbon Neutral Era)

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19 pages, 906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bridging the Great Divide: Investigating the Potent Synergy between Leadership, Zhong-Yong Philosophy, and Green Innovation in China

by Chengde You, Ziwen Zhao, Mengyuan Yu and Shoukat Iqbal Khattak

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9187; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129187 - 7 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2057

Abstract

Zhong-yong thinking, a typical value orientation and mode of thought in traditional Chinese culture, has garnered significant scholarly attention. Various cross-sectional studies have explored the relationship between Zhong-yong thinking and innovation; yet, research specifically examining the impact of Zhong-yong thinking on green innovation is scarce. This study adopts the upper echelons theory and theory of manager cognition to investigate the influence of entrepreneurs’ Zhong-yong thinking on green innovation while simultaneously considering institutional pressure and enterprise ownership types as boundary conditions. By analyzing 302 questionnaire responses, the empirical results demonstrate a direct positive effect of Zhong-yong thinking on green innovation. Moreover, institutional pressure positively moderates the relationship between Zhong-yong thinking and green innovation. State-owned enterprises exhibit a more significant impact of Zhong-yong thinking on green innovation than non-SOEs. Overall, this study contributes to the theoretical research of Zhong-yong in management disciplines, particularly in the green innovation literature. Its findings also hold implications for the practice of green innovation in enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies and Global Economics in a Carbon Neutral Era)

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23 pages, 385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of Green Innovation: The Role of Monetary Policy and Central Bank Characteristics

by Eleftherios Spyromitros

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7907; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107907 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3866

Abstract

The current global energy crisis has prompted a comprehensive investigation into its influencing factors. It is hypothesised that a set of monetary, macro-environmental, and institutional variables causally affect the transition to green development in a holistic model. Monetary expansion and central bank characteristics are required for economic and environmental development. The current study investigates and rigorously verifies the impact of expansionary monetary policy actions on green innovation, using a panel of 109 countries from 2010 to 2018. Overall, specific actions have a substantial positive effect on the performance of green innovation. A rise in per capita GDP, government spending, and improvement in bureaucracy all promote green economic activity. Green innovation is significantly affected by developing nations’ central bank independence and lower interest rates. Expansionary monetary policy, central bank transparency, and energy variables promote green growth in developed countries and green innovation in Latin American countries and in East Asian and Pacific countries. Finally, green innovation is more affected by expansionary monetary policy in countries with high institutional quality, industrial concentration, and energy intensity, and inflation and trade openness serve as deterrents in the monetary expansion–green development nexus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies and Global Economics in a Carbon Neutral Era)

23 pages, 1911 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Demystifying the Economic Growth and CO₂ Nexus in Fujian’s Key Industries Based on Decoupling and LMDI Model

by Qingquan Jiang, Jinhuang Lin, Qianqian Wei, Rui Zhang and Hongzhen Fu

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3863; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043863 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3227

Abstract

Faced with peaking carbon emissions and carbon neutrality goals, low-carbon transformation has become an important part of China’s current economic construction. Fujian is one of the provinces with the fastest economic development in China and the core area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Therefore, its low-carbon economic development path is of great significance to China. This study focused on the key carbon emission industries in Fujian Province, using energy and carbon emission data from industrial sectors in Fujian Province from 2005 to 2019 to establish the Tapio decoupling model. Then, we decomposed the carbon emission drivers of each industry using the LMDI decomposition method, and finally analyzed the decoupling efforts made by each carbon emission driver on the basis of the Tapio decoupling model and LMDI decomposition model. The results showed that (1) carbon emissions in Fujian Province were mainly concentrated in the manufacturing industry and the electricity, heat, gas, water production and supply industries; (2) to date, some industries in Fujian Province have achieved the decoupling of carbon emissions, but the decoupling status was not stable; and (3) both energy structure and energy intensity have facilitated increasing decoupling efforts for carbon emissions. Industrial structure has contributed less to decoupling, and population size has not yet to make an impact on decoupling. Therefore, in the future, Fujian Province should increase expenditure on green technology research and development to improve energy efficiency and gradually use renewable energy to replace fossil energy, continue to adjust the industrial structure, and increase the government’s supervision on corporate carbon emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies and Global Economics in a Carbon Neutral Era)

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21 pages, 660 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fiscal Decentralization, Taxation Efforts and Corporate Green Technology Innovation in China Based on Moderating and Heterogeneity Effects

by Xiaosan Zhang, Xiaojie Hu and Fang Wu

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15372; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215372 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2065

Abstract

Corporate green technology innovation is an effective way to achieve regional sustainable development goals (SDGs). Based on fiscal decentralization as a green function that empowers provincial governments with fiscal powers that are highly relevant to regional sustainable economic decision-making, this paper focused on the impacts of fiscal decentralization on corporate green technology innovation, as well as the moderating roles of taxation efforts. Taking China’s listed corporations from the period of 2005 to 2019 as the research sample, we constructed green technology innovation indicators at the corporate level. The empirical results were as follows: firstly, fiscal decentralization significantly promoted corporate green technology innovation on the whole; secondly, the synergy effects of fiscal decentralization and taxation efforts were strongly positive, implying a substantial promotion of corporate green technology innovation; thirdly, heterogeneity tests found that the synergistic effects of fiscal decentralization and taxation efforts were more significant in promoting corporate green technology innovation in eastern China, non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) and manufacturing corporations. The above results were proven to be equally valid after a series of robustness tests. We suggest that provincial governments should be granted more fiscal autonomy, and that taxation efforts should be optimized to promote corporate green technology innovation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies and Global Economics in a Carbon Neutral Era)

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