## 1 Introduction  
The urgent need to expand electricity access in developing nations is widely recognized. However, there is concern that efforts to achieve universal electricity access might conflict with climate change mitigation goals. India is one of the world's largest energy consumers and is rapidly expanding its electricity infrastructure to meet growing demand, especially in rural and underserved areas. India seeks to provide universal access to electricity; therefore, understanding the environmental consequences of different energy sources becomes essential. According to [PERSON] [1], India has been a leader in addressing rural energy issues. By the end of 2012, the national electricity grid had reached 92% of rural villages, covering about 880 million people. In hard-to-reach areas, off-grid solutions based on renewable energy sources have been implemented. These policies have helped reduce the number of people without access to electricity globally. However, India still has the largest number of households without electricity, with more than a quarter of the population (311 million people) lacking access, mostly in poor rural areas. Many households with access to electricity do not benefit from a reliable source. India faces major challenges from the perspective of economic development and environmental sustainability. Rapid growth of the economy and the population has led to a rapid increase in energy demand, which has the effect of increasing \(CO_{2}\) emissions. Also, as we have seen previously, access to electricity, especially in rural areas, remains an essential problem, because many households do not benefit from a reliable source of energy. The source of electricity, whether fossil fuels, renewables, or a mix of both, directly affects \(CO_{2}\) emissions. India's electricity generation mix is evolving, and increased access to electricity might shift the demand for various energy sources. India is considered the third largest emitter of \(CO_{2}\) worldwide [2], and the topic of our study is even more current considering the fact that it is expected that the demand for electricity will increase in the coming years. In the current context of the effects of climate change, India's need to launch \(CO_{2}\) neutrality agendas has become essential [3]. This study assesses the impact of foreign direct investment, GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita, renewable energy consumption, and urbanization on \(CO_{2}\) emissions in India over the period 1990-2023. In the context of rapid economic growth and intense urbanization, India faces significant challenges related to environmental sustainability. On the one hand, foreign investment and economic growth bring economic benefits and contribute to rising living standards. On the other hand, these developments can amplify \(CO_{2}\) emissions and exacerbate climate change problems. Also, in this research, we use an ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lag) model to investigate the complex relationships between these factors and \(CO_{2}\) emissions, while analyzing whether India is on the trajectory described by the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). We also analyze the role of renewable energy consumption in reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable development. This article provides comprehensive insight into how economic and energy policies can influence \(CO_{2}\) emissions, contributing to discussions on sustainable development and environmental protection in the Indian context. Our study is organized into several sections. In Section 2 we will present a synthesis of previous studies on the relationships among \(CO_{2}\) emissions, economic growth, access to energy, and foreign direct investment, with a special focus on the Indian context. The theoretical and empirical perspectives underlying the EKC and the use of ARDL models in environmental studies are reviewed. Section 3 details the methodology used in the study, including the specification of the ARDL model, the variables used, and the transformations applied.