Politická ekonomie X:X | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.1489

Democracies Prioritize Sustainability as Energy Use Declines

Aribah Aslam, Ghulam Ghouse, Ishaq Bhatti
Aribah Aslam (corresponding author), Department of Economics, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
Ghulam Ghouse, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan
Ishaq Bhatti , La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

We develop a theoretical framework to characterize the relationship between democracy and energy use on a global scale. We utilize generalized method of Moments (GMM) model to control endogeneity on balanced, global panel dataset encompassing 61 countries across six geographic regions. Contradictory to conventional understanding that democracies may have positive association with energy use, our findings reveal that democracy has a significant negative association with energy use. We put here that democracies prioritize Sustainability as energy use declines, globally. These novel results are justified because often democracies can foster a culture of environmental awareness through active civil societies and open public discourse. This can lead to public pressure on governments to enact stricter environmental regulations and prioritize energy conservation. Our results highlight that the previously under-explored connections between democracy, social capital, and energy consumption, paving the way for future research and policy development.

Keywords: Population, natural environment, democracy level, social capital, energy use

Received: April 29, 2024; Revised: December 25, 2024; Accepted: January 14, 2025; Prepublished online: November 7, 2025 

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