Asymmetric roles of innovation and renewable energy in shaping carbon emissions in China

Achieving sustained economic growth while reducing carbon emissions remains a central challenge for China's sustainability transition. Despite the rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity and innovation activity, carbon emissions continue to rise, suggesting that the environmental effects of technological progress and energy restructuring may be nonlinear and asymmetric. Understanding whether positive and negative changes in innovation and renewable energy exert different impacts on emissions is therefore fundamental for effective climate and development policies. This study examines the asymmetric relationships between innovation, renewable energy consumption, economic growth, trade openness, and CO2…