Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Sustainable Development, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
In advanced European economies facing persistent environmental pressures, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires aligning technological transformation with ecological constraints. This study examines the asymmetric effects of medium- and high-technology (M&HTEC) industries on environmental sustainability in the EU-5 economies using an asymmetric CS-ARDL framework grounded in the Porter Hypothesis and the Load Capacity Curve. Environmental sustainability is measured by the ecological footprint-to-biocapacity ratio, which captures progress toward SDG 12 and SDG 13. The results reveal a clear asymmetric pattern: negative shocks to M&HTEC significantly and persistently deteriorate environmental sustainability, whereas positive shocks do not generate statistically significant improvements. These findings suggest that technological upgrading alone does not automatically enhance environmental outcomes and highlight the vulnerability of sustainability performance to industrial contractions. In contrast, renewable energy use consistently strengthens environmental sustainability, reinforcing the strategic importance of SDG 7. The identified nonlinear growth–environment relationship further indicates that income thresholds and structural transformation play a decisive role in sustainability transitions. Overall, the study contributes to the SDG-oriented sustainability literature by demonstrating that resilient, sustainability-aligned technological systems are essential for sustaining long-term progress toward SDGs 9, 7, and 13 in advanced European economies.