Greening Japan: Harnessing energy efficiency and waste reduction for environmental progress

The study explores the complex interactions between energy efficiency, municipal waste generation, and ecological footprint in Japan (1990Q2–2019Q4) using wavelet quantile correlation. Our findings reveal that energy efficiency reduces ecological footprint to varying degrees across different time horizons and quantiles. Eco-innovation has a mitigating impact on the environmental footprint, especially at lower and upper quantiles, showing significant growth and suppression trends. Meanwhile, economic growth and globalization produce asymmetric effects on Japan's ecological footprint, impacting it differently across the distribution. Municipal waste consistently drives ecological footprint across all quantiles. Policy options are discussed to address these crucial environmental challenges.