Scientists Find That Only Technological Innovations Consistently Advance Environmental Sustainability
Renewable energy and labour productivity do not always contribute to environmental sustainability. Technological innovation is the only factor that consistently has a positive effect. This is the conclusion reached by an international team of researchers, including Natalia Veselitskaya, Leading Research Fellow at the HSE ISSEK Foresight Centre. The study has been published in Sustainable Development.
To assess the environmental impact of factors such as economic growth, demographic challenges, technological innovation, renewable energy, and labour productivity, the authors employed an unconventional methodology. This enabled a deeper analysis of the structure of economic–environmental relationships in the studied countries and revealed paradoxes that would likely remain hidden under a standard statistical approach.
The team used a combination of wavelet coherence analysis (WCA) and wavelet quantile regression (WQR). WCA makes it possible to observe how the correlation between variables changes over time and across different frequencies (capturing both short- and long-term fluctuations), while WQR shows how the effect varies depending on the state of the ecosystem itself.
The scientists identified a single consistently effective factor—technological innovation. It is the only driver that has unambiguously improved environmental performance, as reflected in the load capacity factor, across all the studied countries and over all time horizons.
Natalia Veselitskaya
'The introduction of environmental technologies helps increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions in all cases studied,' emphasised Veselitskaya. 'This is a key factor in decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.'
This finding is important for decision-makers, as support for innovation in green technologies yields predictable and consistent results regardless of national characteristics.
Labour productivity proved to be the most controversial factor. Companies, especially in carbon-intensive sectors, tend to use productivity gains to increase total output rather than reduce resource consumption. In a profit-driven economy, production scales up to the point where the benefits of improved efficiency are outweighed by the growth of the overall environmental footprint.
The study also showed that an increase in the use of renewable energy sources often does not lead to the expected positive outcomes. Rather than replacing carbon-based energy, renewables frequently supplement it, resulting in limited environmental benefits.
The publication of this study was prepared as part of the basic research project 'Trends and Factors of Sustainable Science and Technology Development' (HSE ISSEK, 2025).
See also:
HSE Researchers Make Aldehydes Perform Dual Function
Chemists from HSE University have discovered a way to carry out a reductive addition reaction without using an external reducing agent. Instead, the required 'resource' is supplied by the aldehyde itself, one of the reaction participants. This approach helps prevent unwanted side reactions, reduces toxicity, and simplifies the production and synthesis of organic molecules, including those used in the manufacture of medicines. The study has been published in Journal of Catalysis.
HSE Scientists Explain Why Findings in Autism Research Differ
Researchers from the Cognitive Health and Intelligence Centre at HSE University conducted the first-ever systematic review of studies on the specifics of emotion-from-motion perception in autism. The review showed that differences found between autistic and non-autistic individuals are largely associated with the experimental design and the types of tasks given to study participants. The review findings have been published in Research in Autism.
Tremors: Scientists Develop Method for Real-Time Tracking of Hazardous Underground Vibrations
Researchers from HSE MIEM and IPKON RAS have developed a new mathematical monitoring model that can identify the source of hazardous underground vibrations in real time. The technology could help reduce the risk of damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure located near quarries and mining sites. The paper has been published in Russian Mining Industry.
HSE Researchers Determine Which Internet Users Are More Likely to Fact-Check
Researchers at HSE University examined the strategies employed by Russian internet users to verify unreliable information and the factors that motivate them to do so. The study found that more than half of users who encounter potentially false information online attempt to verify it by locating the original source. The likelihood of fact-checking is influenced by several factors, including age, place of residence, social status, information literacy skills, and the use of AI. The findings have been published in Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes.
Tabular Data Anonymisation Solution for Safe Use in AI Systems Developed at HSE University
The AI and Digital Science Institute at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science has developed a tabular data anonymisation service designed to prepare corporate datasets for use in analytics and AI applications. The solution can identify personal data in structured datasets, apply consistent and reproducible anonymisation rules, and generate the artifacts required for quality control, auditing, and subsequent use of data in secure environments.
Population Lifespan Is Governed by Mathematical Laws
Researchers at HSE University and MSU have established a universal law governing the time to extinction of a population in a random environment. Their analysis of the evolution of branching processes—complex probabilistic systems—shows that, regardless of the initial population size, extinction follows strict mathematical laws. The results have been published in the Journal of Applied Probability.
Sociologists: Conservative Consumers Dominate Russian Middle Class
The Russian middle class cannot be regarded as a homogeneous and uniformly stable social group. Similar income levels often mask significant differences in financial strategies, lifestyles, and levels of economic security. This is the conclusion reached by sociologists at HSE University. The study has been published in Voprosy Ekonomiki.
Neurolinguists Assist in Awake Surgery on 11-Year-Old Patient with Epilepsy
Researchers at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain took part in a rare awake neurosurgical procedure performed on an 11-year-old patient with drug-resistant epilepsy. Working alongside surgeons at the Voyno-Yasenetsky Centre of Specialised Medical Care for Children in Solntsevo, they monitored the resection of a portion of the left temporal lobe, where the epileptic focus had been identified.
Scientists Explain How Emotions Shape Attitudes Toward Digital Governance
Today, interactions between citizens and government increasingly take place through digital governance platforms, including digital public services, AI-powered systems, and algorithmic decision-making tools. Until now, however, these technologies have largely been viewed as technical instruments, with their effectiveness assessed primarily in terms of efficiency and user-friendliness. The authors of a new study propose a broader perspective, arguing that digital governance should also be understood as an emotional experience that directly shapes citizens' trust in public institutions.
Neural Network Maps as a Method for Constructing Mathematical Models
Scientists from HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod and the Institute of Physics Belgrade, Serbia, are jointly exploring the application of machine learning techniques and neural networks to the study of nonlinear dynamics. Natalya Stankevich, Leading Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Topological Methods in Dynamics of the Faculty of Informatics, Mathematics, and Computer Science at HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod, spoke to the HSE News Service about this international project.