Examining the energy trilemma index and the prospects for clean energy development

There is a need to balance energy costs, reliability, and sustainability and their impact on everyday lives. Accordingly, achieving net zero emissions goals requires businesses and individuals to understand the challenges of balancing these three components. This paper explores the impacts of the world energy trilemma and clean energy developments on environmental sustainability, considering the roles of financial inclusion and information and communication technology in South Africa from 1990 to 2019. The result explains that the world energy trilemma and clean energy developments are negatively associated with the ecological footprint, while energy use and economic growth are positively related to the environmental footprint. The world energy trilemma and clean energy development improve the environment, while energy use and economic growth deteriorate the environment. It is evident that welldesigned energy policies, in addition to reducing pollution, minimizing consumer costs, reducing dependence on foreign energy supplies, and lower consumer costs. Government policymakers should develop grant programs, demonstrations, tests, and tax incentives to promote sustainable development. Future research directions and limitations of the study are discussed.& COPY; 2023 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.