<p>In the scheme of accomplishing sustainable development goals (SDGs), the MENA countries tend to be seen as leading nations to adopt sustainable green tracks. Researchers consider the SDGs to include three dimensions: socio-economic-environmental sustainability. Since they are interrelated, achieving any may be an appropriate basis for achieving other SDGs. However, there is not sufficient proof in the literature to argue for the idea that MENA’s SDGs are being driven mainly by the shift to clean fuels and green innovations. Therefore, via fossil energy, natural resources, and traditional digitalization as control regressors, the influence of the shift to clean fuels and green innovations on achieving environmental sustainability, increasing economic growth, and reducing the urban population is investigated in the MENA region. Utilizing econometric methodologies, including the quantile-on-quantile regression approach to analyze the accessible energy data for the years 1990–2023. The results show that achieving environmental sustainability, increasing economic growth, and reducing the urban population depending on the shift to clean energy and green innovation. While environmental sustainability is negatively affected by fossil energy, natural resources, and traditional digitalization. These conclusions indicate that policymakers responsible for setting greener paths into action ought to collaborate in their efforts to develop policies that mitigate climate change and promote eco-social sustainability to achieve the goals of the SDGs.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>