Exploring the Impact of Renewable Energy, Fintech and Urbanization on Carbon Emissions: Empirical Insights from Short and Long Horizons

[Purpose] The transition to a green low－carbon economy has become essential for sustainable growth, making carbon emission reduction a major global challenge. Accordingly, this study aims to empirically examine the short－ and long－term impacts of renewable energy, fintech, and urbanization on carbon emissions. [Methodology] An ARDL(autoregressive distributed lag) model was employed to estimate the long－ and short－term dynamic relationships between carbon emissions and their determinants using time－series data from 1990 to 2022. [Findings] The ARDL estimation results indicate that carbon emissions are significantly influenced by renewable energy, fintech, and urbanization. Renewable energy and fintech increase carbon emissions in the short term but substantially reduce them in the long term. Urbanization effectively reduced carbon emissions across both time horizons. These results demonstrate the significant role of these factors in advancing the transition to a low－carbon economy. [Implications] This study has policy implications in that it provides empirical evidence for expanding renewable energy, promoting green fintech innovation, and developing sustainable urban planning to reach carbon neutrality.