Exploring the interplay between renewable energy, agriculture, clean technologies, natural resources, and environmental sustainability

Resource depletion and environmental risks are more than ever at the heart of societal and economic debates. Renewable energy and new technologies are emerging as solutions for environmental sustainability. Following the STIRPAT model, this study aims to evaluate the interplay between renewable energy consumption (henceforth, REC), agriculture, clean technologies, natural resources rents (NRR), and environmental sustainability. We analyzed two perspectives on the role of clean technologies: unconditional (single) and conditional (interaction with REC). The main value of this research is that it adds to the expanding body of knowledge on the subject. The dataset of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 1990 to 2021 is used to achieve this purpose. Driven by the KSA’s need for sustainable practices, this study uses a strong empirical analysis to investigate both short- and long-term links between these variables, involving time series data analysis, unit root tests, bounds tests for cointegration, and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) analysis. The Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) is used to check the direction of causality. This work closes a gap in existing research by combining these variables in a novel way, offering empirical proof of their collective impact on environmental sustainability. The empirical finding reveals a strong link between REC and environmental sustainability indicators. This study presents original empirical proof and policy suggestions for KSA decision-makers that enhancing clean technologies can be a valuable strategy to support renewable energy and reduce dependence on natural resources; this will help enhance environmental sustainability. Consequently, the KSA policymakers must take action to expand investments in clean technologies and renewable energy.