["Natural Resources Forum, EarlyView. ", "\nABSTRACT\nEnvironmental concerns, such as carbon emissions, are critical to address for attaining sustainable development goals because they significantly impact climate change, public health, and the sustainability of ecosystems. This study is grounded in ecological modernization theory (EMT) and considers green factors—renewable energy consumption (GRNE), adjusted net savings (GANS), and forest area (GFAL)—and blue factors—aquaculture (BACP) and fisheries production (BTFP)—of the economy and foreign direct investment in addressing environmental concerns and mitigating their impact on carbon emissions in South Asia. The novel panel quantile regression technique is applied to data from 1992 to 2022. The results reveal significant heterogeneity in the impact of these factors across different levels of carbon emissions. GRNE demonstrates a strong negative effect on emissions, especially in higher quantiles, underscoring its role in mitigating environmental degradation. GANS shows a significant reduction in emissions in mid‐level quantiles, but its impact diminishes in the highest quantiles. Conversely, GFAL has a counterintuitive positive relationship with emissions across most quantiles, suggesting deforestation or forest mismanagement in the region. BACP consistently reduces emissions in lower quantiles, while BTFP exhibits a positive relation with emissions, particularly in middle quantiles, likely due to the carbon‐intensive nature of fisheries. Finally, CFDI is associated with higher emissions in the middle‐ and higher quantiles, indicating that foreign investments may be directed toward polluting sectors. The slope equality test confirms that the coefficients are unequal across the specified quantiles, while symmetric quantile tests endorse asymmetrical effects. This study offers critical insights into how South Asia's energy consumption and resource management impact carbon emissions, highlighting the effectiveness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. Policymakers should consider these diverse/quantile specified effects when designing targeted strategies to reduce carbon emissions. Nevertheless, leveraging the strengths of green and blue factors in the economy and responsible investment practices can help attain the SDGs.\n"]