Eco-Innovation and Its Influence on Renewable Energy Demand: The Role of Environmental Law

Abstract

There is a consensus among the empirics regarding the positive role of renewable energy in mitigating the effects of climate change. Hence, it is vital to search for the factors that can promote renewable energy demand. As a result, this analysis investigates the impact of educational attainment, environmental law, and innovation on renewable energy consumption (REC) in China. From empirical estimates, we confer that the long-run estimates attached to the environment-related taxes and environmental policy stringency are positive and significant, implying that both these factors increase the REC in China in the long run. Similarly, the estimated coefficients of environment-related technologies and patent applications are significantly positive, confirming that environmental and other technologies give rise to REC in the long run. Likewise, the long-run estimates of education are significantly positive in both models, which confer that REC increases along with an increase in average years of schooling. Lastly, the estimates of CO2 emissions are significantly positive in the long run. These results imply that policymakers should invest in research and development activities that are crucial for promoting eco-innovation and renewable energy demand. In addition, strict environmental laws should be introduced to induce firms and businesses to invest in clean energy.