• Energy Research

Tourism contributions to economic growth and well-being have been widely acknowledged; however, its impacts on the environment demand an integrated approach to policy improvement across institutions in the emerging economies for the development of sustainable tourism practices. This study investigates the causal relationship between tourism, economic growth (GDP, capital investment), energy consumption, and environmental pollutants in developing economies, explicitly focusing on the case of Pakistan. Various econometric procedures and techniques were applied to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings suggest that economic growth support tourism development. Tourists’ arrivals have a significant positive impact on energy consumption, capital investment, and CO2 emissions; besides, environmental pollutant (CO2) causes negative effects on tourism. The results suggest that a 1 unit increase in tourism increases CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.26 units in the long-run. A 1 unit increase in capital investment increases CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.21 units, and a 1 unit increase in energy consumption increases CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.51 units in the long-run. In the short-run, a 1 unit increase in tourism, capital investment, and energy consumption rises CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.045, 0.04, and 0.08 units, respectively. Sustainable tourism remains a sole option in developing economies to enhance the competitiveness of tourism as a tool for friendly developments. Thus, tourism policies are needed to be integrated with overall economic, environmental, and energy policies to encourage the shift towards sustainable tourism development to minimize environmental pollution.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been skyrocketing the field of photovoltaics (PVs), displaying remarkable efficiencies and emerging as a greener alternative to the current commercial technologies. With the ongoing European Green Deal and the REPowerEU Plan, the European Union (EU) emphasizes the need of creating a novel, strong PV value and know-how chain, which PSCs could provide. Here, we provide a map of the EU-funded projects related to PSCs and rationalize them into seven main research domains. Furthermore, drawing on the identified frame, we conduct a worldwide patenting activity analysis, with a focus on the European context, to highlight the development trends of the technological outcomes originating from research on PSCs. Overall, our analysis delineates the current stage of PSC research and technology development, which can become a reference for not only researchers and technologists but also stakeholders and policymakers aiming at developing a European sovereignty in this fast-moving field.

Abstract Eco-innovations are being recognized as fundamental means to foster sustainable development, as well as to create new business opportunities. Nowadays, the eco-innovation concept is gaining ground within both academic and practitioner studies with the attempt to better understand the main dynamics underlying its nature and guide policymakers and companies in supporting its development. This paper contributes to the extant literature on eco-innovation by providing a comprehensive overview of the evolution of a specific type of eco-innovations that are playing a crucial role in the current socio-economic agenda, namely low-carbon energy technologies. Accordingly, we focus our attention on the related patenting activity of different countries and organizations over time, as well as on influencing policy initiatives and events. Hence, we collected 131,661 patents granted at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (U.S.PTO.) between 1971 and 2010, and belonging to the “Nuclear power generation”, “Alternative energy production”, and “Energy conservation” technological classes, as indicated by the International Patent Classification (IPC) Green Inventory. Our findings report the development trends of low-carbon energy technologies, as well as identify major related environmental programs, historical events, and private sector initiatives explaining those trends, hence revealing how these different circumstances have significantly influenced their development over time.

Tourism is considered a competent driver of development in emerging economies. This study assesses the role of tourism in shaping the fundamental pillars of development in developing economies by targeting the case of Pakistan. Various econometric techniques and approaches were used to investigate the causal relationships of tourism with economic growth, energy and agriculture development, and poverty. This study highlights the important role of tourism in the development of emerging economies. The findings of our study suggest that a 1% increase in tourism significantly enhances gross domestic product (GPD) by 0.051%, foreign direct investment by 2.647%, energy development by 0.134%, and agriculture development by 0.26%, and reduces poverty by 0.51% in the long run. Hence, policy-makers should be informed that through public interventions, tourism can advance development by the design and implementation of integrated policies in developing economies. In addition, policy consistency and coherence are essential for competitiveness, sustainability, and maximizing benefits from tourism.