Strategy towards sustainable energy transition: The effect of environmental governance, economic complexity and geopolitics

The Paris Agreement and COP27 have been actively working towards a transition to clean energy (SDG-7) and the restoration of the green environment (SDG-13). Therefore, this study was situated within a comprehensive policy framework. This study aims to investigate the effects of environmental governance and economic complexity on energy transition in 20 OECD countries selected for analysis from 1990 to 2021. This study employs the novel MMQR model to account for slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependency. Additionally, an asymmetric analysis was conducted to examine the mediating and moderating roles of geopolitical risk in the relationship between environmental governance, economic complexity, and energy transition. The primary findings of this study indicate that (1) environmental governance and economic complexity have a stimulating effect on energy transition at different levels of quantiles. Strict environmental policies have played a critical role in the transition to clean energy. Furthermore, the interaction between environmental governance and geopolitical factors negatively impacts energy transition at various quantiles; (2) economic complexity demonstrates a positive association with energy transition, as countries with high economic complexity possess the necessary resources, capabilities, and resilience to effectively address the challenges and seize the opportunities associated with transitioning to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. However, the interaction of economic complexity with geopolitics transforms the positive influence of geopolitics into a negative influence on energy transition. The novel nonparametric panel Granger causality test establishes a significant causal relationship, revealing that environmental governance and economic complexity can support energy transition by creating a favorable environment for clean energy adoption, fostering innovation, facilitating effective planning and implementation, enhancing economic resilience, and promoting international collaboration.