A step towards a sustainable environment in top Asian countries: the role of higher education and technology innovation

The present study aims to examine a step toward a sustainable environment in top Asian Countries by incorporating the role of higher education and technology innovation. The sample data were collected from (1995 to 2019). However, the most-suited methodological approach i.e., the CS-ARDL technique is used to assess the long-run and short impact of these variables on each other; in addition, the modern theory of the EKC model is applied in the study to enhance the credibility of the results. As per the short-run estimation, determinants of higher education, GDP², and technology innovation are negatively associated with the environment (CO2 emission). Although the long-run results of CS-ARDL signify that technology innovation (GIN) represents a −0.312∗∗∗ coefficient value which indicates a negative and significant relationship with the environment, whereas, HE & GDP shows a positive association with the environment (CO2 emission) having the coefficient values of 0.249∗∗∗ and 0.437∗∗∗, respectively. While the factor of GDP² is negative in the long-run and positive in the short run, thus the EKC model is supported under this theoretical framework. Based on these explorations, the relevant implications are prescribed by the authors to get a sustainable environment in these top Asian countries.