Macroeconomics

Energy consumption

Demography

Engineering

Ecology

Biology

Economic system

Sustainability

Panel data

Dividend

Economics

Market economy

Energy intensity

Industrialisation

Emerging markets

Urbanization

Political science

Econometrics

Population

Sustainable development

Demographic dividend

Sociology

Sustainable growth rate

Economic growth

Finance

Electrical engineering

Journal of Cleaner Production

This study investigates how sustainable economic development in emerging nations could be enhanced by realizing opportunities presented by the demographic dividend, the digital economy, and ensuring energy efficiency. To date, the linkage between demographic dividend, digital innovation, energy intensity, and sustainable economic growth has not been examined in detail. As such, the focus of this study is to investigate the dynamic linkages among these variables in thirty emerging economies employing advanced econometric methods utilizing panel estimations for the period of 1995–2018. Long-run results suggest that demographic dividend and digitalization stimulate sustainable economic growth in all quantiles. Moreover, energy intensity and economic sustainability are negatively associated with sustainable economic growth, while urbanization, capital formation, and industrialization are positively related. The policy implications of this study suggest that realizing the opportunities of the demographic dividend and the use of digital innovation in the energy sector will boost economic performance in the digital economy era. Furthermore, the findings lay the basis for policymakers to formulate policies better to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) objectives.

Dynamic links among the demographic dividend, digitalization, energy intensity and sustainable economic growth: Empirical evidence from emerging economies