The Impact of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption on Environmental Sustainability in Central Asian Countries

Authors

  • Ergash Ibadullaev

    Economics Department, Mamun University, Urgench 220100, Uzbekistan

  • Yuldoshboy Sobirov

    Department of Accounting, Mamun University, Urgench 220100, Uzbekistan

  • Nodira Namazova

    Department of Social Sciences, Bukhara State Medical Institute, Bukhara 200126, Uzbekistan

  • Gulistan Musaeva

    Department of Uzbek Language and Literature, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, Tashkent 100000, Uzbekistan

  • Oybek Xudayarov

    Department of Bank Account and Audit, Tashkent State University of Economics, Tashkent 100066, Uzbekistan

  • Tukhtabek Rahkimov

    Department of Economics, Urgench State University, Urgench 220100, Uzbekistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i2.12599
Received: 29 October 2025 | Revised: 27 November 2025 | Accepted: 8 December 2025 | Published Online: 18 March 2026

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of non-renewable energy production, renewable energy production, and population size on per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Central Asian (CA) countries over the period 2000–2024, utilizing the Panel ARDL–PMG (Pooled Mean Group) estimation technique. The analysis provides both long-run and short-run country-specific insights into the determinants of emissions, offering a nuanced understanding of environmental dynamics in the region. The long-run results reveal that non-renewable energy production is positively and significantly associated with per capita greenhouse gas emissions, indicating that reliance on fossil fuels continues to drive environmental degradation. In contrast, renewable energy production is found to have a negative long-run effect, suggesting that investments in clean energy sources can effectively mitigate emissions over time. Population size also exhibits a negative long-run association with per capita emissions, reflecting potential demographic influences on energy consumption patterns. Short-run estimates demonstrate heterogeneous effects across countries: in two Central Asian nations, non-renewable energy production substantially increases per capita emissions, whereas in the other two, it reduces emissions. Similarly, renewable energy production has a positive short-run impact in three countries, a negative impact in one, and an insignificant effect in another. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing country-specific dynamics and adopting tailored energy and environmental policies. The study contributes to regional policy discussions by highlighting the need for a balanced transition towards renewable energy while addressing the unique socio-economic contexts of each country.

Keywords:

Renewable Energy; Non-Renewable Energy; Environmental Sustainability; CA; CO2; Greenhouse Gas Emissions

References

[1] Saidmamatov, O., Tetreault, N., Bekjanov, D., et al., 2023. The nexus between agriculture, water, energy and environmental degradation in Central Asia–empirical evidence using panel data models. Energies. 16(7), 3206.

[2] Mehta, K., Ehrenwirth, M., Trinkl, C., et al., 2021. The energy situation in Central Asia: a comprehensive energy review focusing on rural areas. Energies. 14(10), 2805.

[3] Apergis, N., Kuziboev, B., 2023. The validity of Okun’s Law in the case of Central Asia: the role of weather and energy factors. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 30(47), 104223–104232.

[4] Jaiswal, K.K., Roy Chowdhury, C., Yadav, D., et al., 2022. Renewable and sustainable clean energy development and impact on social, economic, and environmental health. Energy Nexus. 7, 100118.

[5] Kuziboev, B., Rajabov, A., Ibadullaev, E., et al., 2024. The role of renewable energy, tax revenue and women governance in environmental degradation for developing Asian countries. Energy Nexus. 13, 100262.

[6] Kuziboev, B., Ibadullaev, E., Saidmamatov, O., et al., 2023. The role of renewable energy and human capital in reducing environmental degradation in Europe and Central Asia: panel quantile regression and GMM approach. Energies. 16(22), 7627.

[7] Majeed, M.T., Luni, T., 2019. Renewable energy, water, and environmental degradation: a global panel data approach. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences. 13(3), 749–778.

[8] Magazzino, C., Toma, P., Fusco, G., et al., 2022. Renewable energy consumption, environmental degradation and economic growth: the greener the richer? Ecological Indicators. 139, 108912.

[9] Karimi Alavijeh, N., Ahmadi Shadmehri, M.T., Nazeer, N., et al., 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(15), 44607–44624.

[10] Alola, A.A., Özkan, O., Usman, O., 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, 2847.

[11] Ansari, A., College, J.J., Koderma, J., et al., 2017. Environmental impacts of non-renewable energy sources. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts. 5(1). Available from: https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT1133009.pdf

[12] Noor, M., Khan, D., Khan, A., et al., 2023. The impact of renewable and non-renewable energy on sustainable development in South Asia. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 26(6), 14621–14638.

[13] Imran, M., Ali, S., Shahwan, Y., et al., 2022. Analyzing the effects of renewable and nonrenewable energy usage and technological innovation on environmental sustainability: evidence from QUAD economies. Sustainability. 14(23), 15552.

[14] Shahsavari, A., Karimi, A., Akbari, M., et al., 2023. Environmental impacts and social cost of non-renewable and renewable energy sources: a comprehensive review. Journal of Renewable Energy and Environment. 11(1), 12–27.

[15] Saqib, N., 2022. Green energy, non-renewable energy, financial development and economic growth with carbon footprint: heterogeneous panel evidence from cross-country. Economic Research–Ekonomska Istraživanja. 35(1), 6945–6964.

[16] Xing, L., Khan, Y.A., Arshed, N., et al., 2023. Investigating the impact of economic growth on environment degradation in developing economies through STIRPAT model approach. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 182, 113365.

[17] Lohwasser, J., Bolognesi, T., Schaffer, A., 2025. Impacts of population, affluence and urbanization on local air pollution and land transformation—a regional STIRPAT analysis for German districts. Ecological Economics. 227, 108416.

[18] Polat, İ.H., Yapraklı, S., Çamkaya, S., 2024. Impact of nuclear and renewable energy on CO₂ emissions in OECD countries under the STIRPAT model: evidence from the CS-ARDL model. International Journal of Contemporary Economics and Administrative Sciences. 14(1), 258–283.

[19] Sabyrbekov, R., Overland, I., Vakulchuk, R., 2023. Climate Change in Central Asia: Decarbonization, Energy Transition and Climate Policy. Springer Nature: Cham, Switzerland.

[20] Jahanger, A., Usman, M., Balsalobre-Lorente, D., 2022. Autocracy, democracy, globalization, and environmental pollution in developing world: fresh evidence from STIRPAT model. Journal of Public Affairs. 22(4), e2753.

[21] Yılmaz, E., Sensoy, F., 2022. The relationship between growth and exports: what if the impact is negative? Evidence from Turkey. Journal of Economics, Finance and Accounting. 9(3), 104–112.

[22] González-Torres, M., Pérez-Lombard, L., Coronel, J.F., et al., 2021. Revisiting Kaya Identity to define an emissions indicators pyramid. Journal of Cleaner Production. 317, 128328.

[23] Aziz, S., Chowdhury, S.A., 2023. Analysis of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions using the STIRPAT model: a case study of Bangladesh. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 25(5), 3945–3965.

[24] Pattak, D.C., Tahrim, F., Salehi, M., et al., 2023. The driving factors of Italy’s CO2 emissions based on the STIRPAT model: ARDL, FMOLS, DOLS, and CCR approaches. Energies. 16(15), 5845.

[25] Pesaran, M.H., Shin, Y., Smith, R.J., 2001. Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships. Journal of Applied Econometrics. 16(3), 289–326.

[26] Pesaran, M.H., Smith, R.P., 1995. Estimating long-run relationships from dynamic heterogeneous panels. Journal of Econometrics. 68(1), 79–113.

[27] Pesaran, M.H., Shin, Y., Smith, R.P., 1999. Pooled mean group estimation of dynamic heterogeneous panels. Journal of the American Statistical Association. 94(446), 621–634.

[28] Pesaran, M.H., 2006. Estimation and inference in large heterogeneous panels with a multifactor error structure. Econometrica. 74(4), 967–1012.

[29] Pesaran, M.H., 2004. General diagnostic tests for cross-sectional dependence in panels. Empirical Economics. 60, 13–50.

[30] Pesaran, M.H., Shin, Y., Smith, R.J., 1996. Testing for the existence of a long-term relationship. Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge: Cambridge, MA, USA. Available from: https://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:cam:camdae:9622

[31] European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2023. Transition Report 2023–24: Transitions Big and Small—Central Asia Country Assessment. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: London, UK. Available from: https://www.ebrd.com/content/dam/ebrd_dxp/assets/pdfs/office-of-the-chief-economist/transition-report-archive/transition-report-2023/country-assessments-2023-24/central-asia/Transition-Report-2023-24-Central-Asia.pdf

[32] Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2023. Trade Facilitation in Central Asia. OECD Publishing: Paris, France. Available from: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2023/12/trade-facilitation-in-central-asia_93190ff4.html

Downloads

How to Cite

Ibadullaev, E., Sobirov, Y., Namazova, N., Musaeva, G., Xudayarov, O., & Rahkimov, T. (2026). The Impact of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption on Environmental Sustainability in Central Asian Countries. Research in Ecology, 8(2), 122–134. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i2.12599

Issue

Article Type

Article