Considering relatively high but recently decreasing environmental quality in the LAC countries with regard to the world, this study uncovers the progress of environmental quality, which is proxied by load capacity factor (LCF). In this context, the study considers renewable energy, trade openness, income, and globalization as explanatory indicators; uses data from 1990 to 2018; applies pooled mean group autoregressive distributed lag (PMG-ARDL) approach as the main model; and performs panel Toda-Yamamoto (PTY) causality test as robustness model. This is important because the LAC countries have ecological reserves, whereas many countries have an ecological deficit. For this reason, the investigation of the LAC countries has significance for the environmental quality in the world. Also, this study has novelty in terms of examining LAC countries and using the LCF as the environmental quality. The results present that (i) renewable energy has an improving impact on the LCF in both the short run and the long run; (ii) trade openness has a stimulating impact on the LCF in the long run; (iii) however, globalization and economic growth have a degrading impact on the LCF in the long run. Hence, it can be drawn from the results that renewable energy and trade openness have a critical impact on preserving and developing environmental quality. In line with the empirical findings, it can be proposed that LAC countries should utilize renewable energy effectively, improve trade volume through trade openness, increase renewable energy technology import, and expand the use of renewable energy in foreign trade activities. Thus, effective renewable energy and foreign trade policies can promote the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the LAC countries.

This study intends to shed light on the environmental impacts of energy decisions in South Korea by analyzing the correlation between energy consumption patterns and environmental indicators such as carbon dioxide emissions. In 2021, global CO₂ emissions increased by 6%—to the highest ever level of 36.3 billion tons—according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This increase in CO₂ emissions is a big problem for all countries around the world. The aim of this article is an analyze the impact of fossil fuels, renewable energy, and nuclear energy on South Korea’s environment based on the STIRPAT (stochastic impact by regression on population, affluence, and technology) model. Exploring the intricate nexus between economic and energy indicators and environmental outcomes, this study employs the STIRPAT model to analyze the influence of GDP, population dynamics, fossil fuels, renewable energy, and nuclear energy on South Korea’s environment. The yearly data from 1972 to 2021 are analyzed in this paper using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. The reliability of this study is also examined by employing FMOLS (fully modified ordinary least squares) and CCR (canonical cointegrating regression) estimators. This study confirms the findings of previous research by showing that the rising South Korea GDP and population can lead to higher CO₂ emissions and that a strategy switching to renewable energy can cut down on CO₂ emissions in Korea, as it exhibits a coefficient of −0.085 *. The robustness results of FMOLS and CCR’s findings support baseline ARDL findings.

The blue economy has emerged as a central pillar of sustainable development, yet empirical evidence on its macroeconomic contribution remains limited, particularly for advanced maritime economies. This study investigates the impact of key blue economy factors on economic development within the ANZUS bloc, comprising Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Using balanced panel data spanning 1995–2021, the analysis applies the pooled mean group autoregressive distributed lag (PMG‐ARDL) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) models to explore dynamics between blue economy indicators and economic growth. The empirical results reveal a stable long‐run cointegration relationship among the variables. Renewable energy consumption and fisheries production have positive and statistically significant long‐run effects on economic development, while non‐renewable energy consumption shows a positive but statistically insignificant association. Specifically, a 1% increase in renewable energy consumption and fisheries production leads to approximately 1.33% and 1.72% increases in economic development, respectively. Tourism has a positive short‐run effect but a negative long‐run association, suggesting that tourism‐led growth requires stronger sustainability and resilience policies. The error correction term indicates that approximately 93% of short‐run disequilibrium is corrected within one period. FMOLS estimates confirm the positive long‐run association of renewable energy and the negative association of tourism. The fisheries coefficient remains positive but becomes substantially smaller and statistically insignificant, indicating that the strength of the fisheries result is sensitive to the estimator employed. This study contributes to the literature by providing a macroeconomic assessment of blue economy determinants within a strategic maritime alliance. From a policy perspective, the findings suggest that coordinated blue economy strategies emphasising clean energy transitions, sustainable fisheries management and resilience‐oriented tourism can support long‐term sustainable development in advanced coastal economies.