The role of renewable energy use, natural resources, and technological innovation in curbing CO<sub>2</sub> emission in BRICS economies: evidence from the method of moments quantile regression approach
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, vol.14, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 14
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1814412
- Journal Name: FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, INSPEC, Directory of Open Access Journals, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest)
- Open Archive Collection: Digital Heritage Collection
- Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC) Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Substantial economic growth in growing countries has increased climatic difficulties in recent decades, endangering sustainability and the environmental quality. As a result, renewable energy usage, technical innovation, natural resources, and carbon pricing schemes have become important instruments for reducing the environmental impact and promotion green economic expansion. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, and the objectives of COP-27 and 28 all depend on these strategies. However, achieving equilibrium between ecological sustainability and socioeconomic progress is a major challenge for the BRICS economies. The objective of this study is to examine the nexus between renewable-energy use (REC), natural resources, financial development, economic expansion (GDP), technological innovation (TEC), trade openness, and CO2 emissions of BRICS nations from 1985 to 2022. Second-generation diagnostics are utilized to confirm multicollinearity, cross-sectional dependence, unit root, and co-integration test. Next, we estimate the method of moment quantile regression (MMQR) and FMOLS, DOLS, FEOLS, and Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality to check for robustness. The MMQR outcomes demonstrate that renewable energy use, nature resources, and technological innovation reduce CO2 emissions across all quantile-levels (0.1-0.9), while financial development, economic expansion, and trade openness augment CO2 emissions in BRICS nations. Based on these outcomes, the analysis provides several important policy-recommendations for the implementation of COP-27 and 28 commitments and SDGs 7, 9, 12, and 13.