Institute of Energy Policy and Research, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
ASEAN Centre for Energy, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Jul;31(35):48388-48405. doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-34358-8. Epub 2024 Jul 19.
Renewable energy consumption is a crucial solution to addressing pressing environmental issues, particularly climate change and air pollution. Investigating the factors that drive its adoption is highly significant, as it provides policymakers and stakeholders with valuable insights to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources. Through this approach, we can minimise the negative consequences of our reliance on fossil fuels, thereby protecting the integrity of the environment. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to thoroughly investigate the main factors that influence renewable energy consumption and environmental change in six specifically chosen ASEAN countries. The stationarity of the 1990-2019 data was tested using panel data techniques such as Levin, Lin, and Chu (LLC), Im Pesaran (IPS), and the Shin W-stat test. According to the stationarity tests, after the first order, all variables exhibit stationarity. Additionally, Pedroni's co-integration test result confirmed that there was a long-term relationship among the variables. Different methods, such as dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), and pooled ordinary least squares (POLS), are used for cointegration estimating. The results suggest that there is a positive co-integration between renewable energy use and GDP in six ASEAN countries, indicating a long-term relationship. The positive relationship between GDP and renewable energy use suggests that economic growth is the primary driving force behind ASEAN's renewable energy adoption. However, factors like carbon emissions, population density, and foreign direct investment (FDI) negatively impact the demand for renewable energy. The limited availability of renewable energy in certain ASEAN countries may discourage foreign direct investment (FDI) due to the inverse relationship between FDI and renewable energy use. The studies also revealed that carbon emissions, which contribute to environmental pollution, do not motivate industries to invest in renewable energy. This finding would challenge the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. According to the EKC, there is a significant transition towards renewable energy as a response to environmental degradation. However, it is worth noting that several ASEAN countries have experienced economic growth while also experiencing higher levels of carbon emissions. Given that economic expansion might not be environmentally beneficial, this research has implications for ASEAN energy policies. The ASEAN region faces a challenge in investing in renewable energy due to the excessive dependence on fossil fuels. Therefore, an in-depth evaluation of the main factor behind ASEAN's environmental concerns, which promotes the adoption of renewable energy, can greatly influence policy decisions, particularly in attaining net zero emissions. Policymakers can utilise this comprehensive analysis to establish informed objectives for policies related to renewable energy and develop strategic plans, i.e. reforming fuel subsidies. The goal is to encourage the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable energy plans for the future in the ASEAN region.
可再生能源消耗是解决紧迫环境问题（特别是气候变化和空气污染）的关键解决方案。研究推动其采用的因素非常重要，因为这为政策制定者和利益相关者提供了有价值的见解，以加速向可再生能源的过渡。通过这种方法，我们可以最大限度地减少对化石燃料的依赖的负面影响，从而保护环境的完整性。因此，本研究的主要目标是深入研究影响六个选定的东盟国家可再生能源消耗和环境变化的主要因素。使用面板数据技术（如 Levin、Lin 和 Chu (LLC)、Im Pesaran (IPS) 和 Shin W 统计量）检验了 1990-2019 年数据的平稳性。根据平稳性检验，在一阶之后，所有变量都表现出平稳性。此外，Pedroni 的协整检验结果证实了变量之间存在长期关系。使用不同的方法，如动态普通最小二乘法（DOLS）、完全修正普通最小二乘法（FMOLS）和混合普通最小二乘法（POLS）进行协整估计。结果表明，六个东盟国家的可再生能源使用和 GDP 之间存在正协整关系，表明存在长期关系。GDP 和可再生能源使用之间的正相关关系表明，经济增长是东盟采用可再生能源的主要驱动力。然而，碳排放量、人口密度和外国直接投资（FDI）等因素对可再生能源的需求产生负面影响。某些东盟国家可再生能源的有限可用性可能会由于 FDI 与可再生能源使用之间的反比关系而阻碍外国直接投资（FDI）。研究还表明，导致环境污染的碳排放不会促使企业投资可再生能源。这一发现将挑战环境库兹涅茨曲线（EKC）假说。根据 EKC，随着环境退化的加剧，向可再生能源的重大转变是必要的。然而，值得注意的是，一些东盟国家在经历经济增长的同时也经历了更高水平的碳排放。鉴于经济扩张可能对环境无益，因此这项研究对东盟的能源政策具有启示意义。东盟地区在投资可再生能源方面面临挑战，因为其过度依赖化石燃料。因此，深入评估推动东盟环境问题的主要因素，促进可再生能源的采用，将对政策决策产生重大影响，特别是在实现净零排放方面。政策制定者可以利用这种全面分析，为可再生能源相关政策制定明确目标，并制定战略计划，例如改革燃料补贴。目标是鼓励东盟地区制定未来环保和可持续的能源计划。
