Why do some emerging economies proactively accelerate the adoption of renewable energy?

► Fully modified ordinary least square, dynamic ordinary least square, and Granger causality methods are used. ► Income and pollutant emission determine renewable energy consumption in Brazil, China, India and Indonesia. ► While income alone determines renewable energy consumption in Philippines and Turkey. ► Bi-directional causality runs between renewable energy and income and between renewable energy and pollutant emission.