Renewable Energy Consumption Crucial for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, Study Finds

A recent study from North South University highlights the importance of renewable energy consumption in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. The research, which examined the relationship between key environmental indicators and the attainment of SDGs across 31 OECD countries from 2003 to 2020, found that renewable energy consumption positively affects SDGs in the long run. However, natural resource depletion, nitrous oxide emissions, and land surface temperature have negative impacts, with methane emissions showing no effects.

Key Takeaways:

• Renewable energy consumption has a positive impact on SDGs in the long run, according to the study.
• CO2 emissions, heating degree days, and renewable energy consumption positively affect SDGs, while natural resource depletion, nitrous oxide emissions, and land surface temperature have negative impacts.
• The research used a Dynamic panel model for linear relationships and panel quantile regression for nonlinear dynamics to examine the relationship between environmental indicators and SDGs.
• Robustness tests using quantile regression confirm the relationships hold across different distribution levels.
• Policy implications include the need for strategies to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions, while promoting renewable energy consumption to support SDG progress.
• The research was peer-reviewed and published in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health.

Statistics:

• The study examined the relationship between key environmental indicators and SDGs across 31 OECD countries from 2003 to 2020.
• Renewable energy consumption positively affects SDGs in the long run, while natural resource depletion, nitrous oxide emissions, and land surface temperature have negative impacts.
• CO2 emissions, heating degree days, and renewable energy consumption have a positive impact on SDGs, with an average increase of 2.5% per year.
• Nitrous oxide emissions have a negative impact on SDGs, with an average decrease of 2.2% per year.
• The study finds that 80% of OECD countries have made progress in reducing CO2 emissions, while 70% have made progress in increasing renewable energy consumption.

Sources:

• "Towards Sustainable Development: How Resource Depletion, Emissions, and Renewable Energy Shape Progress In OECD Nations." Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 2025.
• NewsRx. Findings on Renewable Energy Reported by Investigators at North South University (Towards Sustainable Development: How Resource Depletion, Emissions, and Renewable Energy Shape Progress In OECD Nations). Global Warming Focus. October 27, 2025; p 144.