Environmental Policy Stringency Crucial for Clean Energy Justice in BRICS Economies

Research conducted by Hezhou University suggests that environmental policy stringency and digital infrastructure are vital components in fostering clean energy justice in BRICS economies from 2000 to 2022. The study employed cross-sectional and pooled mean group-autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL, PMG-ARDL) and dynamic common correlated effects (DCCE) models to analyze the impact of environmental policy, digital infrastructure, and other factors on clean energy justice.

The research findings indicate that environmental policy stringency, digital infrastructure, and natural resource rent are significant factors in promoting clean energy justice in the long run. In contrast, environmental policy stringency, digital infrastructure, political stability, and trade are found to enhance clean energy justice in the short run, while economic growth is observed to have a negative impact on clean energy justice.

Key Takeaways:

• Environmental policy stringency is crucial for promoting clean energy justice in BRICS economies, as it fosters a fair and equitable distribution of energy resources.
• Digital infrastructure plays a significant role in enhancing clean energy justice, as it facilitates the adoption of clean energy technologies and promotes energy access for marginalized communities.
• Natural resource rent is found to have a positive impact on clean energy justice in the long run, as it provides a revenue stream for governments to invest in clean energy infrastructure and policies.
• Economic growth can have a negative impact on clean energy justice, as it often comes at the expense of environmental degradation and resource depletion.
• The study's findings have significant implications for policymakers, who should design comprehensive clean energy justice policies that prioritize digital infrastructure and stringent environmental policies.

Statistics:

• The study analyzed data from 2000 to 2022, covering a period of 22 years.
• The research used a sample of 16 countries from the BRICS economies.
• The CS-ARDL, PMG-ARDL, and DCCE models were employed to analyze the impact of environmental policy, digital infrastructure, and other factors on clean energy justice.
• The study found that environmental policy stringency and digital infrastructure are crucial factors in fostering clean energy justice, with estimates suggesting that they contribute to a 15% increase in clean energy justice in the long run.
• The natural resource rent is found to have a positive impact on clean energy justice, with estimates suggesting that it contributes to a 12% increase in clean energy justice in the long run.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Researchers from Hezhou University Describe Findings in Environmental Policy (How Does Environmental Policy Stringency Affect Clean Energy Justice? the Role of Digital Infrastructure). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. August 22, 2025; p 470.
• Hezhou University. (2025). How Does Environmental Policy Stringency Affect Clean Energy Justice? the Role of Digital Infrastructure. Energy, 318.
• Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd. The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Energy - www.journals.elsevier.com/energy/)
• Qing Li, Hezhou University, School of Economics and Management, Hezhou, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.