Evaluating the advancement of sustainable development objectives in recently industrialized nations by tying gold prices, fossil fuel prices, and energy use

Rapid industrialization in recently industrialized countries (NICs) has exacerbated environmental degradation, raising urgent concerns about how energy consumption, gold prices, and fossil fuel prices contribute to this growing issue. This study aims to evaluate the asymmetric relationships between these factors and environmental degradation across 10 NICs, including Brazil, India, South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, Malaysia, and the Philippines, from 1995 to 2023. Using the CS-ARDL model, our study demonstrates that while energy costs and renewable energy consumption reduce environmental degradation, gold prices and fossil fuel consumption significantly increase ecological harm. Additionally, the study employs FGLS, CS-DL, AMG, and Driscoll-Kray to verify the robustness of these findings. Notably, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis holds true in these economies. Key results show that a 1 % increase in renewable energy use decreases emissions by 0.7 %, while a 1 % rise in gold prices correlates with a 0.5 % increase in pollution levels. These findings underscore the need for NICs to implement green investments, promote renewable energy, and initiate structural reforms to ensure sustainable development.