Rethinking renewable energy sustainability: The hidden carbon footprint of critical metals
Küçük Resim Yok
Tarih
2025
Yazarlar
Dergi Başlığı
Dergi ISSN
Cilt Başlığı
Yayıncı
Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
Erişim Hakkı
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
Özet
As the global energy transition accelerates, the environmental sustainability of renewable energy technologies faces growing scrutiny. This study employs the external connectedness decomposition methodology of Gabauer and Gupta (2018) to analyze the pairwise dynamics between global CO2 concentrations and the prices of critical metals-aluminum, copper, nickel, and zinc-integral to renewable energy systems. Using a TVP-VAR model, we uncover that while renewable technologies promise reduced carbon emissions, the energy-intensive production of these metals significantly contributes to CO2 emissions, creating a paradox at the heart of sustainability. The findings reveal CO2 as a highly reactive and influential variable within the system, amplifying the complex interdependencies between energy transitions and material production. This research underscores the urgent need for innovative policies and technologies that decouple metal production from carbon emissions, ensuring that renewable energy transitions align with global climate goals.
Açıklama
Anahtar Kelimeler
Renewable energy, Carbon emissions, Metal prices, External connectedness, Sustainable production
Kaynak
Renewable Energy
WoS Q Değeri
Q1
Scopus Q Değeri
Q1
Cilt
250
