FinTech driven green energy transition foreign direct investment and ecological footprint in BRICST countries

The increasing emphasis on climate change and environmental sustainability worldwide has brought about the convergence and increased focus on financial technologies (FinTech) and green energy initiatives. In light of this, the study's objective is to investigate how FinTech moderates the relationship between the ecological footprint (EF) and green energy transition (GTE) in the BRICS-T nations between 1990 and 2021. This study examines how fintech moderated the GTE and EF in the BRICS-T from 1990 to 2021. We applied the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and used Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) as the main estimators for longitudinal analysis. In contrast, Driscoll-Kraay was used to verify the robustness of the results under cross-sectional dependence and heteroskedasticity. The results reveal that FinTech indirectly hinders EF by facilitating GTE. The outcomes also show that FinTech significantly constrains EF, while GDP and industrialization worsen EF. The results also confirm the important role of GTE and foreign direct investment (FDI) in reducing CO2 emissions in BRICS-T countries. Lastly, the paper offers policymakers useful recommendations for lowering EF in light of these outcomes. The study suggests establishing appropriate policies and strategies that encourage FinTech platforms to invest in green energy projects, including financial technology, promoting energy-efficient and low-carbon foreign direct investment, and encouraging GTE.