Advancing SDG 7 & 13 in China: Investigating energy use, policy stringency, and environmental technologies for a low-carbon future.

China is the most significant carbon emitter on the planet in terms of global environmental stability; this represents a clear and present danger. Hence, there is a need to establish a separate model that can help policymakers devise more effective mitigation policies to ensure sustainability in emissions and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, in light of these circumstances, this research seeks to delve deep into the relationships between natural resource depletion (NRD), environmental policy stringency (EPS), climate change mitigation technologies (CCMT) and energy use impacts on CO2 emissions in China from 1990 to 2022 employing different econometric tools like Augmented ARDL (A-ARDL), and Cumulative Fourier Frequency Granger causality (CFFGC) tests their influence on carbon emissions from various facets. The results reveal that natural resource depletion, the stringency of environmental policy, climate change mitigation technologies, and energy use all contribute to both short-term and long-term carbon emissions. In addition, CFFGC reveals stark evidence of bidirectional causality among variables. The outcome suggests that key policy implications include promoting renewable energy integration, stronger environmental regulations, and innovative climate-friendly technologies and energy efficiency measures to tackle carbon emissions in line with SDGs 7, 9, and 13.