Energy, R&D, and Industrialization in the EU
A Quantile‐Based Policy Framework for Achieving SDGs 7, 8, and 13
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12308815 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Aws AlHares (0000-0003-0052-0172, Department of Accounting and Finance Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University Khobar Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Kashif Raza Abbasi (0000-0002-6775-7468, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB) Bucharest Romania, corresponding author), Magdalena Rădulescu (0009-0000-3728-5706, ARUCAD Research Centre, Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design Mersin Northern Cyprus Turkey), Ousama Ben‐salha (0000-0002-0253-313X, Humanities and Social Research Center Northern Border University Arar Saudi Arabia), Rafael Alvarado (0000-0002-3213-5431, Esai Business School, Universidad Espíritu Santo Samborondon Ecuador) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-09 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sustainable Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0968-0802 • E-ISSN: 1099-1719 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sd.70881 |
| OpenAlex | W7134857610 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 57 |
Climate change is a serious issue that threatens environmental stability all around the world and puts more responsibility on the countries of the European Union (EU) to promote sustainable development goals. This paper examines the relationships between energy intensity, research and development (R&D) expenditure, industrialization, economic growth, and CO 2 emissions for EU countries from 1995 to 2022. The study uses novel panel econometric methods, such as the Method of Moment Quantile Regression (MMQR) and Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality tests, as well as other estimators to capture distributional heterogeneity and dynamic interdependencies among the variables, thereby enhancing robustness. The empirical results show that a high level of energy intensity increases CO 2 emissions across most quantiles, whereas R&D expenditure, industrialization, and economic growth reduce emissions, indicating that economic growth and environmental degradation move in opposite directions. Furthermore, one can find direct causal relationships in both directions between the main variables, indicating their interdependence in determining the environmental outcome. These findings indicate that the EU has been supported by structural change towards energy‐efficient, innovation‐driven economic activities in the mitigation of emissions. The study highlights the importance of strategic energy‐saving policies, continued investment in innovation, and environmentally responsive industrial policies to balance economic growth and environmental sustainability, thereby supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 7, 8, and 13
Climate change · Environmental degradation · Industrialisation · Interdependence · Investment (military · Panel data · Pollution haven hypothesis · Quantile regression · Sustainable development · COVID-19 impact on air quality · Energy, Environment, Economic Growth · Environmental Impact and Sustainability
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| Highly cited | No |
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