Abstract
As governments, business leaders, and other stakeholders discuss green recovery, this research examines the combined effects of energy poverty, renewable energy consumption, gross domestic product, gross domestic product square, natural gas consumption and trade freedom on CO2 emissions in developing countries during the period 2001–2019. A panel quantile regression is used to examine the heterogeneity of the distribution among various CO2 quantiles. This research contributes to understanding to what extent energy poverty and the other driver variables determine the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7): affordable and clean energy. The results show that energy poverty should be reduced as a priority in developing countries in order to achieve SDG7 and reduce CO2 emissions. Finally, the study reveals several implications for policymakers in the sample countries in order to achieve environmental sustainability by means of renewable energy, economic activity, and trade freedom.