A step towards environmental mitigation: Do tourism, renewable energy and institutions really matter? A QARDL approach

Adverse changes in environmental conditions due to unprecedented industrialization have been attracting the attention of policymakers, researchers, and activists. For developing nations like Pakistan, sustainability issues become even more severe because of unplanned growth and lack of resources. In this study, we have applied the QARDL model to analyze the impact of renewable energy, institutional quality, tourism, and GDP on the ecological footprint in Pakistan from 1995 to 2017. The results of this study suggest that increased utilization of renewable energy and tourism improve the environment in Pakistan, whereas institutional quality and GDP are positive and significant at all quantiles, revealing that upsurge in GDP and institutional quality are directly related to environmental conditions at all the quantiles. These results also validate the presence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan can play a notable part in attaining sustainability by effi-cient management of the environment through promoting sustainable tourism, utilization of renewable energy, and enhancement of institutional quality. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Adverse environmental changes caused by unprecedented industrialization have attracted attention, particularly in developing nations like Pakistan. This study in Pakistan from 1995 to 2017 showed that increased use of renewable energy and tourism has positive impacts on the environment, while higher GDP and institutional quality are directly related to environmental conditions, confirming the presence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve. The government can promote sustainability by managing the environment efficiently through sustainable tourism, renewable energy, and improved institutional quality.