Greening south Asia: Investing in sustainability and innovation to preserve natural resources and combat environmental pollution

Abstract

Over the past few years, South Asian economies have witnessed consistent growth. Despite the region's vast wealth in natural resources, the impacts of climate change are evident across its diverse climatic zones. The integration of Green Finance (GIFN), Environmentally Friendly Investments (EFI), and Green Technology Innovation (GTI) can significantly alter the trajectory for South Asian nations. These mechanisms not only support economic growth targets but also mitigate the escalating environmental pollution in the region. Consequently, this study was undertaken to assess the potential of NTR, GIFN, EFI, and GTI in addressing CO2 emissions within the South Asian economic framework. Utilizing the Method of Moments of Quantile Regression (MMQR) on the dataset revealed that NTR has a positive impact on CO2 emissions. Conversely, GIFN, EFI, and GTI demonstrated negative impacts on CO2 emissions. Based on these findings, there's a pressing need for robust governance and policy enforcement by regional institutions to enhance environmental well-being.