Environmental degradation, energy consumption and sustainable development: Accounting for the role of economic complexities with evidence from World Bank income clusters

The anthropogenic consequences of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, economic growth, air transport have been assessed enormously in the literature. However, given complexities many economies world today, it is important to reassess ecological concerns these factors light Environmental Kuznets Curve framework. Therefore, this current study investigates global assessment using data from World Bank Development database 1995 2016. Evidence method employed, sys-GMM, revealed that index increases carbon emission low-income groups while significantly decreases for upper-middle high-income groups. For combined group, EKC hypothesis holds, ECI hampers emissions. other variables, worthy note (1) growth contributes high contents across income group especially low-income, upper-middle-income group; (2) effects on positive lower-middle-income negative (3) use coal rents leads release all groups; (4) a significant increase utilization except lower-income decrease. From empirical assessment, vital policy directions are suggested.