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This study establishes the existence of a pattern of behavior, between economic growth and environmental degradation, consistent with the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for 17 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries between 1990 and 2012. Based on this EKC pattern, it shows that energy regulation measures help reduce per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To validate this hypothesis, we also add the explanatory variables: renewable energy promotion, energy innovation processes, and the suppression effect of income level on the contribution of renewable energy sources to total energy consumption. It aims to be a tool for decision-making regarding energy policy. This paper provides a two-stage econometric analysis of instrumental variables with the aim of correcting the existence of endogeneity in the variable GDP per capita, verifying that the instrumental variables used in this research are appropriate for our aim. To this end, it first makes a methodological contribution before incorporating additional variables associated with environmental air pollution into the EKC hypothesis and showing how they positively affect the explanation of the correction in the GHG emission levels. This study concludes that air pollution will not disappear on its own as economic growth increases. Therefore, it is necessary to promote energy regulation measures to reduce environmental pollution.

Sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI), which displays an intention to develop a product or service that contributes to economic, environmental, and social sustainability, has drawn growing institutional and academic attention, due to the general consideration that innovation is an essential part of achieving sustainability. For developments of this nature, it is considered that foreign direct investment (FDI) helps companies to meet the requirements demanded by SOI, however, they show different cooperation patterns, and so it is not known what path they must take to achieve it. In this context, this paper uses comparative analysis to try to shed light on the possible differences in the paths taken to achieve SOI by companies with and without FDI, taking into account their different form of knowledge management. To achieve this objective, it has been necessary to build new sustainability indicators (economic, environmental, and social) that allow the evaluation of the sustainability of these processes, considering the sustainability objectives that guided companies towards innovation. Using a logit model for 5897 Spanish companies during the period 2009–2014, this paper contributes both theoretically and empirically to emerging research into the opening of sustainable innovation. It provides a better understanding of the different channels for accessing knowledge for SOI, and examining these channels through absorptive capacity and cooperation, according to its age and size.

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Companies can contribute to sustainable development in a dynamic and globalized market, such as today’s, through Sustainability-Oriented Innovation (SOI). However, to do this implies meeting specific requirements and dealing with greater complexity because of the higher level of sophistication of cooperation networks for this kind of innovation. In this context, to meet the requirements demanded by SOI, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is considered fundamental. However, it is not known whether their capacity to focus more on heterogeneous knowledge sources, which, thanks to their cooperation networks, are broad and geographically diverse, would have a differential impact on SOIs. Through comparative analysis, this paper attempts to shed light on the possible network differences for companies, with and without FDI, looking to undertake SOI. It focuses on the knowledge framework and geographical scope stemming from cooperation for successfully undertaking sustainable developments. To this end, three networks had to be set up, which include diversity, scope, experience, and frequency of national, European, and global cooperation. The results lend strength to the theory that SOI is favored by European and global cooperation networks if companies have FDI, and by national networks if there is no foreign participation. For this, the role of absorptive capacity is key, understood as a joint analysis of R&D intensity and the skills and education of employees tasked with innovation, and the implementation of new organizational methods. Lastly, it is confirmed that having FDI allows companies to have qualified employees, and better methods and organizational practices in connection with an openness to innovation.

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This research aims to gauge the economic impact of the measures set out in the Strategic Infrastructure and Transport Plan, 2005–2020, as implemented by the Spanish government, on regional development. Contributing to regional development, this plan extends high capacity road networks and high performance rail networks in Spain between 2005 and 2020. To evaluate the plan, this research relies on an innovative technique based on panel data and accessibility indicators, which can quantify the plan's economic impact on regional development. Findings from the study provide a valuable tool for economic, geographic, and territorial assessments of policies implemented in the field of transport and infrastructure, whilst also pointing to guidelines for the design and development of further proposals and actions.