Journal: Innovation and Green Development

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Publisher

Elsevier

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ISSN

2949-7531

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2024 - 20254
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Publications 1 - 4 of 4
  • Economic crises and the erosion of sustainability: A global analysis of ESG performance in 100 countries (1990–2019)
    Item type: Journal Article
    Leung, Chun Kai; Ko, Jeremy; Chen, Xiaoxian (2025)
    Innovation and Green Development
    This study investigates the relationship between national economic crises and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance across 100 countries from 1990 to 2019. While ESG frameworks have gained prominence in assessing sustainability, limited attention has been given to the role of economic instability in shaping national ESG outcomes. By drawing on insights from geography, sociology, and development studies, this research explores how economic disruptions affect the ESG dimensions of sustainability. Using a fixed-effects regression model and multiple robustness checks, the findings indicate that economic crises are associated with significant declines in national ESG performance, with developing countries being more adversely affected than developed ones. The disaggregated analysis reveals that social and environmental dimensions are particularly vulnerable during crises, while governance performance also suffers. Among the different types of crises, sovereign debt and currency crises exert the most severe impacts, reflecting their broader structural consequences on national sustainability efforts. This study highlights the interdependence between economic stability and ESG outcomes, underscoring the need for further research into the mechanisms linking economic disruptions and sustainability metrics. The findings provide policymakers with insights for designing strategies that mitigate the adverse effects of economic crises on sustainability in an increasingly volatile global context.
  • Regional disparities and trends in national ESG performance across africa: A comparative analysis (1990–2020)
    Item type: Journal Article
    Ko, Jeremy; Leung, Chun Kai; Dodoo, Albert Nii; et al. (2025)
    Innovation and Green Development
    This study examines national ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance across 24 African countries over three decades (1990–2020), employing a disaggregated approach to assess sustainability outcomes. Building on the World Bank's Sovereign ESG Framework and using the entropy weight method, the research assigns weightings of 42.13 % to environmental factors, 30.39 % to social factors, and 27.47 % to governance factors. By segmenting the period into three decade-based intervals, the study systematically captures long-term trends and short-term disruptions in sustainability performance. The analysis reveals notable regional disparities and temporal shifts in ESG scores, with significant improvements in social and governance dimensions in some regions contrasted by modest gains or even declines in environmental indicators. These outcomes highlight the challenges of measuring sustainability in contexts marked by heterogeneous institutional capacities and diverse socio-economic dynamics. Furthermore, the study identifies that formal metrics often overlook grassroots sustainability practices rooted in informal networks. The findings underscore the need for tailored policy interventions that integrate both conventional and non-traditional sustainability measures, thereby providing nuanced insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to bridge gaps in conventional ESG frameworks. This research not only contributes to the academic discourse on national sustainability assessments but also offers practical recommendations for enhancing regional ESG strategies in Africa.
  • Weathering the storm: Analyzing the impact of extreme climate events on energy consumption across 141 countries
    Item type: Journal Article
    Leung, Chun Kai; Ko, Jeremy; Guo, Chunlan (2025)
    Innovation and Green Development
    The paper examines the effects of extreme weather events -specifically floods, extreme temperatures, bushfires, and droughts- on per capita energy consumption across 141 countries from 1990 to 2023. While existing research often aggregates various natural disasters or focuses on localized contexts, this study offers a comprehensive global perspective, analyzing how distinct types of extreme weather impact energy consumption patterns. Employing a fixed-effects panel regression model, the findings reveal that floods correlate with increased energy consumption, particularly in developing countries, whereas droughts are associated with decreased energy use. In contrast, extreme temperatures and bushfires do not exhibit a statistically significant impact on energy consumption. Robustness checks using alternative models, such as the Tobit model and two-stage least squares regression, confirm the reliability of these results. The analysis suggests that floods escalate energy demand due to the extensive recovery and mitigation efforts required, while droughts diminish consumption through their detrimental effects on agriculture, industry, and hydropower production. These findings hold significant implications for energy policy and climate resilience, underscoring the necessity to enhance the adaptability of energy systems, improve energy efficiency, and extend support to developing nations facing climatic stressors. This study contributes to the understanding of how extreme weather events shape energy dynamics, providing insights for the formulation of targeted policies aimed at ensuring sustainable development in the face of climate challenges.
  • War and warming: The effects of climate change on military conflicts in developing countries (1995–2020)
    Item type: Journal Article
    Ko, Jeremy; Lee, Harry F.; Leung, Chun Kai (2024)
    Innovation and Green Development
    Numerous studies have explored the links between climate change and military conflicts. This study delves into the types and intensities of conflicts likely caused by climate change in developing countries from 1995 to 2020. Through a country-year panel analysis, it isolates the impact of rising global greenhouse gas emissions on conflict occurrence. Findings consistently show a significant positive association between greenhouse gas emissions and military conflicts, especially low-intensity and internationalized intrastate conflicts. Additional tests confirm these results' robustness, including heterogeneity analysis, substitution of key explanatory variables, sensitivity analysis, and alternative analytical methods. The analysis highlights how environmental scarcity due to climate change drives small-scale conflicts within countries, while geopolitics and environmental scarcity also lead to internationalized intrastate wars. The study recommends that developed countries and the international community support developing countries in building resilience against climate change and advocates for collaborative efforts to mitigate its adverse effects on global security.
Publications 1 - 4 of 4