Research Article

Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement

Volume: 41 Number: 1 March 6, 2026
TR EN

Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement

Abstract

Carbon dioxide emissions are the primary contributors to environmental damage. Since fossil fuels are the main sources of CO2 emissions, it is imperative to cultivate alternative energy sources and advance technology to ensure that economic growthremains comparatively environmentally sustainable. This paper empirically analyses the complex relationships between economic growth and environmental degradation, taking into account the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory theory for a panel of 14 upper-middle-income countries over the period 1990-2021. The results show that renewable energy sources can provide environmental sustainability by improving environmental quality. The findings obtained in the long-run estimations prove that both technological development and renewable energy sources can play important roles in ensuring economic sustainability by keeping the environment relatively pollution-free in the 14 selected upper-middle-income countries.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Panel Data Analysis, Environmental Economy

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 6, 2026

Submission Date

February 13, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 16, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 41 Number: 1

APA
Rahman, M. N., Altıntaş, H., & Khan, K. (2026). Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement. İzmir İktisat Dergisi, 41(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.24988/ije.1638979
AMA
1.Rahman MN, Altıntaş H, Khan K. Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement. İzmir İktisat Dergisi. 2026;41(1):1-24. doi:10.24988/ije.1638979
Chicago
Rahman, Mohammad Nadimur, Halil Altıntaş, and Kamran Khan. 2026. “Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement”. İzmir İktisat Dergisi 41 (1): 1-24. https://doi.org/10.24988/ije.1638979.
EndNote
Rahman MN, Altıntaş H, Khan K (March 1, 2026) Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement. İzmir İktisat Dergisi 41 1 1–24.
IEEE
[1]M. N. Rahman, H. Altıntaş, and K. Khan, “Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement”, İzmir İktisat Dergisi, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 1–24, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.24988/ije.1638979.
ISNAD
Rahman, Mohammad Nadimur - Altıntaş, Halil - Khan, Kamran. “Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement”. İzmir İktisat Dergisi 41/1 (March 1, 2026): 1-24. https://doi.org/10.24988/ije.1638979.
JAMA
1.Rahman MN, Altıntaş H, Khan K. Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement. İzmir İktisat Dergisi. 2026;41:1–24.
MLA
Rahman, Mohammad Nadimur, et al. “Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement”. İzmir İktisat Dergisi, vol. 41, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 1-24, doi:10.24988/ije.1638979.
Vancouver
1.Mohammad Nadimur Rahman, Halil Altıntaş, Kamran Khan. Evaluating Environmental Quality in Upper-Middle-Income Countries: The Influence of Economic Growth, Renewable Energy and Technological Advancement. İzmir İktisat Dergisi. 2026 Mar. 1;41(1):1-24. doi:10.24988/ije.1638979
İzmir Journal of Economics
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