Towards a sustainable development: the role of energy and institutions in combating CO2 emissions for the ASEAN-8

In this chapter, the authors discuss the importance of institutional quality in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developed countries, especially the goals related to environmental quality and climate change. The authors empirically investigate the role of institutional quality in mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and energy demand management for a panel of ASEAN-8 countries (viz. Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). The findings show that along with effective energy consumption, the role of different institutional elements is heterogeneous across countries. The authors thus discuss the need for policymakers to target country-specific institutional element in combating emissions.