Moderating effects of energy poverty on financial inclusion, FinTech lending, and economic growth: Evidence from fsQCA, NCA, and econometric models

In the backdrop of ongoing global efforts toward sustainable development, understanding the intricate dynamics shaping economic growth is crucial. The study aims to comprehensively examine the interplay between financial inclusion, FinTech lending, energy poverty, and economic growth, with a specific focus on the moderating effects of energy poverty. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, utilizing fsQCA and NCA for qualitative assessments and a range of econometric models, including Pooled OLS, Fixed Effects, Random Effects, 2SLS, and 2 Step System GMM, for quantitative analyses. The fsQCA and NCA provide in-depth insights into sufficiency and necessity conditions, while econometric models offer robustness checks with quantitative validation. The study finds that high access to electricity leads to less energy poverty that moderates the impact of financial inclusion on economic growth. Further, the study reveals that energy poverty moderates the influence of FinTech lending on economic growth. The fsQCA and NCA results suggest that energy poverty is a sufficient and necessary moderator for high economic growth. Further, the econometric models show that digital financial inclusion with less access to electricity may hamper economic growth. Further, FinTech lending has positively influenced economic growth. Finally, energy poverty as a moderator of financial inclusion and economic growth, as well as FinTech lending and economic growth is evident across the econometric models. While the impact of financial inclusion on economic growth is investigated thoroughly, the moderating impact of energy poverty is unique in this study. Additionally, the hybrid methodology applied in this study is original in investigating the complex nexus between financial inclusion, FinTech lending, energy poverty, and economic growth. The structural change theory, particularly in energy usage and financial systems, is central to the study's theoretical framework that suggests sound interaction effects of energy poverty with financial inclusion and FinTech lending leads to stronger positive economic growth. Thus, practically, the study underscores the significance of prioritizing energy infrastructure investments and tailoring financial inclusion initiatives to sustainable economic development, offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.