The impact of Green Technology on the Load Capacity Factor (LCF)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate in Economics, Department of Economics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Economics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 M.A student in Economics, Department of Economics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract
Today, most countries worldwide seek to reduce environmental burdens, as climate change has reached a level that poses a serious threat to humanity. In this context, the load capacity factor (LCF) serves as a comprehensive measure of environmental sustainability by considering both biological capacity and ecological footprint. However, limited studies have explored the role of green technologies in influencing LCF, leaving a gap in the literature on their potential impact. Accordingly, this study employs panel quantile regression to investigate the effect of green technologies (LNGT) on LCF in G7 countries from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that LNGT positively impacts LCF across most quantiles, except in the first and fifth deciles. Additionally, gross domestic product (LNGDP) exerts a statistically significant positive effect on LCF from the first to the sixth decile. Likewise, per capita consumption of renewable energy (LNREN) and natural resource rent (LNNRP) positively contribute to LCF, highlighting their importance in enhancing environmental sustainability. This study confirms the hypothesis that LNGT has a positive and significant effect on LCF in G7 countries. Furthermore, the findings provide valuable policy recommendations for promoting equitable and sustainable development. These insights can help policymakers design effective strategies for improving environmental sustainability in both developed nations and resource-dependent economies such as Iran. By emphasizing the role of green technologies, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on achieving long-term ecological balance while supporting economic growth.

Keywords

Subjects


- مراجع
[1]  A. O. Acheampong, J. Dzator, M. Amponsah, 2022. Analyzing the role of economic globalization in achieving carbon neutrality in Australia. Int. J. Sustain. Dev. World Ecol. 0 (0), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2022.2056771.
[2] F. Daley, 2021. The Fossil Fuelled 5: Comparing Rhetoric with Reality on Fossil Fuels and Climate Change (Canada, United States of America, Australia, Norway, United Kingdom) [Report]. The Australia Institute. https://apo.org.au/node/315102.
[3] M. A. Destek, S.A. Sarkodie, E.F. Asamoah, 2021. Does biomass energy drive environmental sustainability? An SDG perspective for top five biomass consuming countries. Biomass Bioenergy 149, 106076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2021.106076.
[4]  S. Afshan, I. Ozturk, T. Yaqoob, 2022. Facilitating renewable energy transition, ecological innovations and stringent environmental policies to improve ecological sustainability: evidence from MM-QR method. Renew. Energy 196, 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.06.125.
[5]  Z. Ni, J. Yang, A. Razzaq, 2022. How do natural resources, digitalization, and institutional governance contribute to ecological sustainability through load capacity factors in highly resource-consuming economies? Resour. Pol. 79, 103068 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.103068.
[6]  R. Siche, L. Pereira, F. Agostinho, E. Ortega, 2010. Convergence of ecological footprint and emergy analysis as a sustainability indicator of countries: Peru as case study. Commun. Nonlinear Sci. Numer. Simulat. 15 (10), 3182–3192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnsns.2009.10.027. {Carey, 1998 #8}
 [7] T. S. Adebayo, and A. Samour. 2023. Renewable Energy, Fiscal Policy and Load Capacity Factor in BRICS Countries: Novel Findings from Panel Nonlinear ARDL Model. Environment, Development and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02888-1.
[8] B. Guloglu, E.A. Caglar, and U.K. Pata. 2023. Analysing the Determinants of the Load Capacity Factor in OECD Countries: Evidence from Advanced Quantile Panel Data Methods. Gondwana Research 118: 92–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2023.02.013.
 [9] U. K. Pata, M.T. Kartal, M.M. Dam, and F. Kaya. 2023. Navigating the Impact of Renewable Energy, Trade Openness, Income, and Globalization on Load Capacity Factor: The Case of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Countries. International Journal of Energy Research 2023: 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6828781.
[10] A. Raihan, M. Rashid, L.C. Voumik, S. Akter, M.A. Esquivias, 2023. The dynamic impacts of economic growth, financial globalization, Fossil Fuel, renewable energy, and urbanization on load capacity factor in Mexico. Sustainability 15 (18), 13462. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813462.
[11] E. Uche, & N. Ngepah, (2024). How green-technology, energy-transition and resource rents influence load capacity factor in South Africa. International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 43(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/14786451.2023.2281038.
[12] A. Samour, T.S. Adebayo, E.B. Agyekum, B. Khan, S. Kamel, 2023. Insights from BRICS-T economies on the impact of human capital and renewable electricity consumption on environmental quality. Sci. Rep. 13 (1), 5245. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32134-1.
[13] OECD (2023) Patents on environment technologies. https://doi.org/10.1787/fff120f8-en. Accessed 20 Mar 2023.
[14] RD. Klassen, DC. Whybark, (1999). Environmental management in operations: the selection of environmental technologies. Decis Sci 30(3):601–631.
[15] UK. Pata, AE. Caglar, MT. Kartal, SK. Depren, (2023). Evaluation of the role of clean energy technologies, human capital, urbanization, and income on the environmental quality in the United States. J Clean Prod 402:136802.
[16] C.-C. Chen, F.M. Sukarsono, K.-J. Wu, 2023. Evaluating a sustainable circular economy model for the Indonesian fashion industry under uncertainties: a hybrid decision-making approach. Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering 40 (3), 188–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681015.2022.2162616.
[17] S. Kuznets. 2019. Economic Growth and Income Inequality. In the gap Between Rich and Poor, edited by M.A. Seligson, 25–37. Routledge: Abingdon-on-Thames.
[18] A. A. Alola, O. Özkan, and O. Usman. 2023. Role of Non-Renewable Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Driving Environmental Sustainability in India: Evidence from the Load Capacity Factor Hypothesis. Energies 16 (6): 2847. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062847.
[19] E. Uche, N. Das, and P. Bera.. 2023. Re-examining the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for India via the Multiple Threshold NARDL Procedure. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 30 (5): 11913–11925. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22912-1.
[20] A. Dogan, and U.K. Pata. 2022. The Role of ICT, R&D Spending and Renewable Energy Consumption on Environmental Quality: Testing the LCC Hypothesis for G7 Countries. Journal of Cleaner Production 380: 135038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135038.
[21] U. K. Pata, and M.T. Kartal. 2023. Impact of Nuclear and Renewable Energy Sources on Environment Quality: Testing the EKC and LCC Hypotheses for South Korea. Nuclear Engineering and Technology 55 (2): 587–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2022.10.027.
[22] S. A. R. Khan, Z. Yu, A. Belhadi, & A. Mardani, (2020). Investigating the effects of renewable energy on international trade and environmental quality. Journal of Environmental Management, 272, 111089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111089.
[23] S. Zeng, G. Li, S. Wu, Z. Dong, 2022. The impact of green technology innovation on carbon emissions in the context of carbon neutrality in China: evidence from spatial spillover and nonlinear effect analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Publ. Health 19 (2), 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020730.
[24] D. Kirikkaleli, E. Sofuo˘glu, O. Ojekemi, 2023. Does patents on environmental technologies matter for the ecological footprint in the USA? Evidence from the novel Fourier ARDL approach. Geosci. Front. 14 (4), 101564 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2023.101564.
[25] N. Karimi Alavijeh, M.T. Ahmadi Shadmehri, N. Nazeer, S. Zangoei, and F. Dehdar. 2023. The Role of Renewable Energy Consumption on Environmental Degradation in EU Countries: Do Institutional Quality, Technological Innovation, and GDP Matter? Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30: 44607–44624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25428-4. (in persian)
[26] A. A. Awosusi, K. Kutlay, M. Altuntaş, B. Khodjiev, E.B. Agyekum, M. Shouran, M. Elgbaily, and S. Kamel. 2022. A Roadmap Toward Achieving Sustainable Environment: Evaluating the Impact of Technological Innovation and Globalization on Load Capacity Factor. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19: 3288. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063288.
[27] E. Uche, N. Das, P. Bera, and J. Cifuentes-Faura. 2023. Understanding the Imperativeness of Environmental-Related Technological Innovations in the FDI – Environmental Performance Nexus. Renewable Energy 206: 285–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2023.02.060.
[28] X. Liu, V.O. Olanrewaju, E.B. Agyekum, M.F. El-Naggar, M.M. Alrashed, and S. Kamel. 2022. Determinants of Load Capacity Factor in an Emerging Economy: The Role of Green Energy Consumption and Technological Innovation. Frontiers in Environmental Science 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1028161.
[29] S. Kihombo, Z. Ahmed, S. Chen, T.S. Adebayo, and D. Kirikkaleli. 2021. Linking Financial Development, Economic Growth, and Ecological Footprint: What is the Role of Technological Innovation?. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28: 61235–61245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14993-1.
[30] B. Yang, A. Jahanger, and M. Ali. 2021. Remittance Inflows Affect the Ecological Footprint in BICS Countries: Do Technological Innovation and Financial Development Matter? Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 (18): 23482–23500. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12400-3.
[31] M. A. Destek, and M. Manga. 2021. Technological Innovation, Financialisation, and Ecological Footprint: Evidence from BEM Economies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 (17): 21991–22001. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11845-2.
[32] T. S. Adebayo, and D. Kirikkaleli. 2021. Impact of Renewable Energy Consumption, Globalisation, and Technological Innovation on Environmental Degradation in Japan: Application of Wavelet Tools. Environment, Development and Sustainability 23 (11): 16057–16082. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01322-2.
[33] Z. W. Su, M. Umar, D. Kirikkaleli, and T.S. Adebayo. 2021. Role of Political Risk to Achieve Carbon Neutrality: Evidence from Brazil. Journal of Environmental Management 298: 113463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113463.
[34] M. Usman, and N. Hammar. 2021. Dynamic Relationship Between Technological Innovations, Financial Development, Renewable Energy, and Ecological Footprint: Fresh Insights Based on the STIRPAT Model for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Countries. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 (12): 15519–15536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11640-z.
[35] S. K. Rout, M. Gupta, and M. Sahoo. 2022. The Role of Technological Innovation and Diffusion, Energy Consumption and Financial Development in Affecting Ecological Footprint in BRICS: An Empirical Analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 29 (17): 25318–25335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17734-6.
[36] L. C. Voumik, S. Ghosh, M. Rashid, M. K. Das, M. A. Esquivias, & O. Rojas, (2024). The effect of geopolitical risk and green technology on load capacity factors in BRICS. Utilities Policy, 88, 101757.
[37] M. Aydin, Y. Sogut, & A. Erdem, (2024). The role of environmental technologies, institutional quality, and globalization on environmental sustainability in European Union countries: new evidence from advanced panel data estimations. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(7), 10460-10472.
[38] Z. Fang, T. Wang, & C. Yang, (2024). Nexus among natural resources, environmental sustainability, and political risk: Testing the load capacity factor curve hypothesis. Resources Policy, 90, 104791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.104791.
[39] M. Anas, W. Zhang, S. Bakhsh, L. Ali, C. Işık, J. Han, & M. Huang, (2023). Moving towards sustainable environment development in emerging economies: The role of green finance, green tech‐innovation, natural resource depletion, and forested area in assessing the load capacity factor. Sustainable Development.
[40] S. Moeinaddini, M. R. Zare Mehrjerdi, S. Amirtaimoori, & H. Mehrabi Boshrabadi, (2024). The Effect of Natural Resource Rent on the Environmental Quality (Case Study: A Selection of MENA Countries). Journal of Environmental Studies, (), -. https://doi.org/10.22059/jes.2024.359287.1008413. (in persian)
[41] F. Abdollahi, & S. Ghaderi, (2023). Investigating the Impact of Natural Resources and Human Capital on Iran's Ecological Footprint. Governance and Development Journal, 3(1), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.22111/jipaa.2023.399117.1124. (in persian)
[42] H. parsasharif, H. AMIRNEJAD, & M. Taslimi, (2021). Investigating and Determining the Factors Affecting the Ecological Footprint of Selected Asian and European Countries. Agricultural Economics Research, 13(2), 155-172. (in persian)
[43] B. Le Cook, & W. G. Manning. (2013). Thinking beyond the mean: a practical guide for using quantile regression methods for health services research. Shanghai archives of psychiatry, 25(1), 55. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1002-0829.2013.01.011.
[44]R. Koenker. (2005). Quantile regression (Vol. 38). Cambridge university press.
[45] https://data.footprintnetwork.org.
[46] https://www.oecd.org/en/data.html.
[47] https://data.worldbank.org/
[48] https://ourworldindata.org/
[49] https://data.worldbank.org/
[50] B. H. Baltagi. (2008). Forecasting with panel data. Journal of forecasting, 27(2), 153-173.
[51] D. Xu, S. Salem, A.A. Awosusi, G. Abdurakhmanova, M. Altuntas, D. Oluwajana, D. Kirikkaleli, O. Ojekemi, 2022. Load capacity factor and financial globalization in Brazil: the role of renewable energy and urbanization. Front. Environ. Sci. 9, 823185 https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.823185.
[52] U. Mehmood, S. Tariq, M.U. Aslam, E.B. Agyekum, S.E. Uhunamure, K. Shale, M. Kamal, M.F. Khan, 2023. Evaluating the impact of digitalization, renewable energy use, and technological innovation on load capacity factor in G8 nations. Sci. Rep. 13 (1), 9131. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36373-0.
[53] S. Yao, S. Zhang, X. Zhang, 2019. Renewable energy, carbon emission and economic growth: a revised environmental Kuznets Curve perspective. J. Clean. Prod. 235, 1338–1352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.07.069.
[54] A. A. Alola, F.V. Bekun, S.A. Sarkodie, 2019. Dynamic impact of trade policy, economic growth, fertility rate, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on ecological footprint in Europe. Sci. Total Environ. 685, 702–709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.139.
Volume 12, Issue 2 - Serial Number 24
September 2025
Pages 139-150

  • Receive Date 16 June 2024
  • Revise Date 02 May 2025
  • Accept Date 10 May 2025