Exploring configurational effects of national environmental, social, and governance performance on energy efficiency: a dynamic qualitative comparative analysis

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) development and energy efficiency improvements are crucial for achieving national sustainability. However, the complex relationships among these initiatives are overlooked, and the synergies and underlying mechanisms of national ESG performance on energy efficiency remain unclear, limiting countries’ potential to improve energy efficiency. This study aims to explore the driving role of national ESG performance on energy efficiency. Based on the theoretical framework of ESG-energy efficiency and the energy efficiency calculation, the configurational effect analysis of ESG performance on energy efficiency is conducted using the dynamic qualitative comparative analysis (dynamic QCA) method with data from 61 countries spanning 2000–2020. Four equivalent ESG configurations for achieving high energy efficiency are identified; they constitute the SG-dominant, ESG-balanced, and EG-dominant modes for driving energy efficiency improvement. Governance (G) is the primary driving dimension. Corruption control and environmental protection are the critical driving conditions. The four ESG configurations are stable in the time dimension, but their explanatory strength varies across countries. The selection of ESG configurations should be combined with the national contexts and development strategy. The results reveal the ‘multiple conjunctural causation’ of ESG performance and energy efficiency, explaining the complex interconnections among the environmental, social, governance, and energy domains at the country level. This study offers an ESG perspective and differentiated ESG pathways for policymakers to develop energy efficiency policies and measures. It also provides strategic support for promoting coordinated development of environmental, social, governance, and energy domains in different national contexts.