Catalyzing green transformation: mitigating oil price impact on CO2 emissions in Saudi Arabia via renewable energy transition

Summary: Exploring the relationship between international oil prices, income, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Saudi Arabia, this study examines if renewable energy consumption plays a lowering tool in international oil prices' impact on CO2 emissions, employing conventional econometric methods and the functional coefficient approach. The study reveals that the interaction between renewable energy consumption and international oil prices has a negative and statistically significant impact on CO2 emissions. This emphasizes the potential for Saudi Arabia to reduce carbon emissions by prioritizing renewable energy projects. In addition, a positive and statistically significant relationship between income and CO2 emissions is found, emphasizing the need to decouple economic growth from emissions growth. Furthermore, an interesting decoupling effect between oil price elasticity of CO2 emissions and per capita GDP is noted from the early 2000s–2015. This indicates that economic growth driven by rising oil prices can be managed to mitigate environmental impact, showcasing Saudi Arabia's commitment to sustainable development. Policy recommendations involve intensifying efforts to promote renewable energy implementation, lowering fossil fuel dependence in power generation, and incentivizing emissions reduction for a more sustainable energy future.