Does structural change matter for sustainable development in newly industrialized countries? Fresh evidence from a new sustainability indicator

The economic gap between developed and developing economies has been diminishing due to the recent rapid economic growth performance of developing economies. While achieving this swift growth level, developing economies have structurally transformed their economies. However, the impact of this structural change on environmental sustainability remains unclear. Therefore, this study focuses on the impacts of structural change, energy structure, and economic growth on the load capacity factor, a comprehensive sustainability indicator, in newly industrialized countries during 2000–2020. To this end, second-generation panel data techniques, which account for cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity, are used to provide more robust and reliable estimates. The results show that economic growth, structural change, and fossil energy utilization decrease the load capacity factor while renewable energy utilization increases it. These findings underscore the need for energy efficiency and resource-conscious policies that align with environmental sustainability while promoting economic growth, highlighting their crucial role in the future of sustainable development. [Display omitted] •The impact of structural change on environmental sustainability is investigated.•Cross-section dependence-robust panel data methods are utilized.•Structural change reduces load capacity factor.•Cleaner energy utilization fosters load capacity factor.•Economic development and traditional energy utilization reduces load capacity factor.