Analyzing the nexus between energy transition, environment and ICT: A step towards COP26 targets

Abstract

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the recent COP26 summit, energy transition, low carbon emissions and technology have become extremely important subjects in the agenda of governments and poli-cymakers. The present study thus discusses the nexus between energy transition, economic growth, CO2 emis-sions and information and communications technology (ICT) in BRICS countries applying the novel GMM-PVAR method proposed on the annual data for the period 2000-2017. This method is strong to the issue of endogeneity which is commonly faced in the context of panel data analysis but mostly ignored in the literature. The findings of this research demonstrate that carbon emissions have a positive and significant effect on energy transition; similarly, raising economic growth augments the consumption of energy transition. Furthermore, ICT is found to be a significant choice in the development of energy transition and the solution of environmental challenges. Overall, technological factors in addition to economic and environmental factors also have great roles in the development of renewable energy and energy transition. Thus, results from this study call for government supports to develop ICT across the BRICS countries.