Education, green technology, and clean energy as indicators of sustainability and resilience in BRICS economies

This study investigates how education, green technology, and clean energy function as explicit indicators of sustainability and ecological resilience in BRICS economies over the period 1995–2021. Moving beyond income-centered Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) analyses, the study employs advanced econometric techniques, including cross-sectional dependence tests, panel unit root analysis, and panel cointegration to examine long-run indicator–environment linkages between socioeconomic drivers and CO2 emissions. A panel quantile regression framework reveals that higher educational investment and increased clean energy utilization consistently reduce CO2 emissions across emission quantiles, reinforcing their role as robust sustainability and resilience indicators aligned with SDG objectives. In contrast, economic growth, population expansion, and green technology adoption are associated with higher emissions, reflecting short-term transition costs and structural constraints in emerging economies. Robustness checks using Driscoll–Kraay standard errors, generalized least squares, and the generalized method of moments confirm the stability and consistency of the estimated effects. Furthermore, Dumitrescu–Hurlin causality analysis demonstrates bidirectional causal relationships between GDP and CO2 emissions, as well as between clean energy and emissions, underscoring the dynamic feedback mechanisms linking growth, energy transition, and environmental outcomes. By integrating education, technology, and energy variables into an indicator-based sustainability framework, this study contributes to sustainability science by clarifying transmission pathways through which human capital formation and energy transformation enhance ecological resilience. The findings offer actionable policy insights for strengthening sustainability strategies and guiding BRICS economies toward balanced growth and long-term environmental resilience.