The impact of artificial intelligence adoption and financial accessibility on energy sustainability

Energy Strategy Reviews, 2025

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)

DOI 10.1016/j.esr.2025.101744

Data confidence 85 high

How this score is calculated

It is built from checkable properties of the record itself: whether the article has a DOI, how many independent sources confirmed its data, whether the required fields are filled in, and how recent the latest confirmation is. Disagreement between sources and a missing identifier lower it. A value of 80 or above means the record was published without further checking; 60 to 79 means it is published at reduced confidence, with a manual check advisable. A record verified by an editor by hand is never pushed below 90 by a recalculation. This scores our data about the article, not the article itself.

Abstract

This study examines the impact of digital innovation and financial access on energy sustainability in China's energy sector from 2010 to 2021, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and financial accessibility. Using a panel cointegration approach, the analysis finds that industrial robots—used as a proxy for AI implementation—have not effectively reduced fossil fuel consumption in Chinese industries. Additionally, access to finance does not appear to contribute significantly to lower fossil fuel use. The findings suggest that to facilitate a sustainable energy transition, policymakers should prioritize green finance and enhance accessible funding channels for green projects. Establishing regulations for environmentally responsible AI applications and promoting investments in sustainable technology through tax incentives and grants could further support AI-driven efficiency improvements and sustainable practices across the sector.