Towards high-quality energy development: role of trade liberalization

This paper aims to develop a high-quality energy development (HQED) index. To achieve this aim, the SYS-GMM method is applied to investigate the impact of trade liberalization (TL) on HQED in the region, and to analyze its mechanisms. The empirical results are as follows. Firstly, TL has a significant positive effect on HQED in the region, with a 1% increase in the degree of TL leading to an improvement of HQED by 0.0927%. Secondly, external mechanism test reveals that TL promotes regional HQED by raising energy prices and improving the structure of energy consumption. Internal mechanism test shows that TL is effective in enhancing the availability, cleanliness, and affordability of energy. Lastly, the influence of TL on HQED varies due to various factors such as energy endowment and resource allocation, exhibiting an inverted U-shaped relationship at different levels. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to promote TL and improve HQED.