Clean energy initiatives in Pakistan: Driving sustainable development and lowering carbon emissions through environmental innovation and policy optimization

The Sustainable Development Goals' main objective is to promote the use of clean energy in order to lessen climate change and global warming. In this scenario, the need to evaluate whether clean energy can promote sustainability is paramount. Against this background, this study examines how Pakistan's attempts to develop clean and renewable energy access, the upsurge in biofuel energy, and environmental innovations have affected carbon emissions from 1990 to 2022. This research used the dynamic Autoregressive Distribution Lag (DARDL) method to inquire about the long-term interaction between the influencers of CO₂ emissions. The study's outcome reveals that increasing clean fuels/technologies for cooking (CFTC), biofuel energy (BF), renewable energy consumption (REN), and environmental innovation (EI) promotes sustainable development by lowering CO₂ emissions. More specifically, the findings suggest that a 1% rise in CFTC reduces CO₂ by 0.23%, while a 1% escalation in BF drops CO₂ by 0.34%. Likewise, a 1% surge in REN and EI triggered reduction in CO₂ by 0.051% and 0.18%, respectively. According to the study, government policies must be improved to optimize clean energy infrastructure, accelerate the transition to cleaner technologies, and enhance renewable energy development. Pakistan can achieve emissions reductions and sustainability through targeted initiatives in these areas. It is crucial to persistently observe these intricate dynamics to ensure the dissemination of efficient climate measures.