Estimating the environmental Kuznets curve for ecological footprint at the global level: A spatial econometric approach

The national ecological footprint of both consumption and production are significantly spatially autocorrelated at global level. This violates the assumption of independently distributed errors of most conventional estimation techniques. Using a spatial econometric approach, this paper re-examine the relationship between economic growth and environmental impact for indicator of ecological footprint. The results do not show evidence of inverted U-shape Environmental Kuznets Curve. The domestic ecological footprint of consumption (or production) was obviously influenced by the ecological footprint of consumption (or production), income and biocapacity in neighborhood countries. We also found that the consumption footprint is more sensitive to domestic income, while production footprint is more sensitive to domestic biocapacity, which is often unnoticed in EKC hypothesis analyses that focus exclusively on the consumption-based or production-based indictors.     

Does income growth relocate ecological footprint?

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether countries tend to relocate their ecological footprint as they grow richer. The analysis is carried out for a panel of 116 countries by employing the production and import components of the ecological footprint data of the Global Footprint Network for the period 2004–2008. With few exceptions, the existing Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) literature concentrates only on the income-environmental degradation nexus in the home country and neglects the negative consequences of home consumption spilled out. Controlling for the effects of openness to trade, biological capacity, population density, industry share and energy per capita as well as stringency of environmental regulation and environmental regulation enforcement, we detect an EKC-type relationship only between per capita income and footprint of domestic production. Within the income range, import footprint is found to be monotonically increasing with income. Moreover, we find that domestic environmental regulations do not influence country decisions to import environmentally harmful products from abroad; but they do affect domestic production characteristics. Hence, our findings indicate the importance of environmental regulations and provide support for the “Pollution Haven” and “Race-to-the-Bottom” hypotheses.     

Economic growth and environmental impacts: An analysis based on a composite index of environmental damage

The conflict between economic growth and the environment is complex and sharper today than ever before. Indeed, the relationship between economic growth and the sustainability of ecosystems has been extensively discussed in the literature, but the results remain controversial.This paper reviews the use of single and composite indicators of environmental damage and questions whether the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis sufficiently mirrors the relationship between economic growth and ecological damage. Ecological Indicators are relevant when they potentially inform society about ecological developments in a reliable way. We use the modified composite index of environmental performance (mCIEP) to measure environmental damage, and GDP per capita to represent economic growth. The econometric model is developed using panel data composed of 152 countries and a period of 6 years. The model is estimated for the full sample, for three different sets of countries, by level of development, and a decomposition analysis is carried out, which corresponds to the study of the CIEP individual dimensions.Our results reveal that, at present, the EKC hypothesis is not proved. We conclude that it is critical to be clear that economic growth alone is not enough to improve environmental quality. Therefore, creating a consistent, coherent and effective environmental policy framework is essential in order to improve environmental quality that supports wellbeing and enables long-term economic development.     

经济发展对环境质量的影响——环境库兹涅茨曲线国内外研究进展

“环境库兹涅茨曲线 (Environm ental Kuznets Curve)”是指环境破坏与收入水平之间成倒 U形曲线关系 ,即随着经济发展和收入水平的提高 ,环境质量先破坏后好转。 2 0世纪 90年代初 ,揭开了 EKC研究的序幕 ;之后涌现大量实证研究和理论解释模型的探索 ;近年来的研究在前人的基础上视野更加宽阔 ,更注重理论模型的完善。从实证研究、计量模型和解释理论等 3条线索回顾了近年来国内外的主要研究进展 ,认为现有研究在计量模型、数据处理、指标选取等方面虽然取得了巨大进展 ,但仍存在许多不足 ;EKC研究要得到更进一步发展必须突破这些局限     

Investigating the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in seven regions: The role of renewable energy

The aim of this research is to investigate how renewable energy consumption effects pollution and whether the relationship between income and pollution formulates the inverted U-shaped relationship which signals the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). To realize the aims of this study, non-stationary panel data techniques were utilized to examine the seven selected regions. According to Pedroni and Fisher type cointegration tests, the variables were cointegrated. Moreover, the dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) and the vector error correction model Granger causality revealed that renewable energy consumption has a significant negative effect on pollution in Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, and the Americas. However, the tests revealed that renewable energy consumption has no significant effect on pollution in the Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the results in general indicated that the existence of the EKC hypothesis is determined by the significance of the renewable energy consumption. Therefore, the EKC hypothesis was only found in the regions where their renewable energy has a significant correlation with pollution in both the short run and the long run. Furthermore, a number of policy recommendations were provided for the investigated regions.     

Study on the long-term and short-term effects of globalization and population aging on ecological footprint in OECD countries

Population aging has become a global phenomenon. Whereas, the ecological consequences of population aging are rarely addressed in current research. In this context, this study contributes to the existing literature by providing new empirical evidence on how population aging along with globalization, economic growth, energy consumption, natural resource rent, and human capital affect ecological footprint for selected 27 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries during 1970–2017. This study utilizes an advanced econometric approach, Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator for empirical estimation, that allows heterogeneity in the slope parameters and dependencies across countries. The long-term results disclose that globalization (overall) decreases the ecological footprint. On the other hand, financial and political globalization poses a favorable impact on environmental quality, while economic and social globalization is found to increase environmental degradation. Population aging has a statistically significant negative effect on the ecological footprint, but its non-linear term increases the ecological footprint. Additionally, economic growth, energy consumption, and natural resource rent exacerbate environmental deterioration. In contrast, human capital decreases ecological footprint. Based on the empirical results, important policy implications have been provided.     

The studies of ecological environmental quality assessment in Anhui Province based on ecological footprint

Under the dual pressures of the socio-economic development and the increase in population density, the ecological environmental quality issues in Anhui Province have become increasingly prominent, which seriously handicap the sustainable development of regional economy, and it is more important to evaluate ecological environmental quality. By using the data of ecological environment, society, economy and population in Anhui Province, this paper measures ecological footprint, ecological environmental carrying capacity and ecological deficit and surplus in Anhui Province based on ecological footprint. The results show that ecological environmental quality in Anhui Province is not in the best state of the coordinated development, and the relationship between the supply and the demand of per ecological footprint almost is not in balance.     

Relationships among carbon emissions,economic growth,energy consumption and population growth: Testing Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for Brazil,China, India and Indonesia

This study examines the impacts of income, energy consumption and population growth on CO₂ emissions by employing an annual time series data for the period 1970–2012 for India, Indonesia, China, and Brazil. The study used the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds test approach considering both the linear and non-linear assumptions for related time series data for the top CO₂ emitter emerging countries in both the short run and long run. The results show that CO₂ emissions have increased statistically significantly with increases in income and energy consumption in all four countries. While the relationship between CO₂ emissions and population growth was found to be statistically significant for India and Brazil, it has been statistically insignificant for China and Indonesia in both the short run and long run. Also, empirical observations from the testing of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis imply that in the cases of Brazil, China and Indonesia, CO₂ emissions will decrease over the time when income increases. So based on the EKC findings, it can be argued that these three countries should not take any actions or policies, which might have conservative impacts on income, in order to reduce their CO₂ emissions. But in the case of India, where CO₂ emissions and income were found to have a positive relationship, an increase in income over the time will not reduce CO₂ emissions in the country.     

Estimation of environmental Kuznets curve for SO2 emission: A case of Indian cities

Interaction between environmental degradation and economic growth is a growing matter of interest among policymakers. Here we have estimated Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for 139 Indian cities considering SO₂ emissions. Study has been done for 2001–2013, and the data have been segregated by residential and industrial areas, and as well as low, medium, and high income areas. By virtue of different forms of EKC being found, policy level decisions have been designed. Moreover, non-rejection of EKC hypothesis reemphasized the impact of growth catalyzing economic policy decisions on environment.     

Testing Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis in Asian countries

The aim of this study is to test the Environmental Kuznet Curve (EKC) hypothesis for 14 Asian countries spanning the period 1990–2011. We focused on how both income and policies in these countries affect the income–emissions (environment) relationship. The GMM methodology using panel data is employed in a multivariate framework to test the EKC hypothesis. The multivariate framework includes: CO₂ emissions, GDP per capita, population density, land, industry shares in GDP, and four indicators that measure the quality of institutions. In terms of the presence of an inverted U-shape association between emissions and income per capita, the estimates have the expected signs and are statistically significant, yielding empirical support to the presence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis.     

The impact of trade openness on global carbon dioxide emissions: Evidence from the top ten emitters among developing countries

This study aims to analyze the relationship between carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, trade openness, real income and energy consumption in the top ten CO₂ emitters among the developing countries; namely China, India, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand and Malaysia over the period of 1971–2011. In addition, the possible presence of the EKC hypothesis is investigated for the analyzed countries. The Zivot–Andrews unit root test with structural break, the bounds testing for cointegration in the presence of structural break and the VECM Granger causality method are employed. The empirical results indicate that (i) the analyzed variables are co-integrated for Thailand, Turkey, India, Brazil, China, Indonesia and Korea, (ii) real income, energy consumption and trade openness are the main determinants of carbon emissions in the long run, (iii) there exists a number of causal relations between the analyzed variables, (iv) the EKC hypothesis is validated for Turkey, India, China and Korea. Robust policy implications can be derived from this study since the estimated models pass several diagnostic and stability tests.     

The linkages between deforestation,energy and growth for environmental degradation in Pakistan

This study explores the validation of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for Pakistan using time series data from 1980–2013 with deforestation as an indicator (dependent variable) for environmental degradation, and four independent variables (economic growth, energy consumption, trade openness, and population) were also examined. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration and the VECM–Granger causality test were applied. The results confirmed the existence of cointegration among the variables both in long- and short-run paths. However, the diminishing negative impact of economic growth on deforestation in the long-run confirms the EKC hypothesis for deforestation in Pakistan. Moreover, economic growth and energy consumption Granger cause deforestation. A bidirectional causal effect is detected between economic growth and energy consumption, however, in the long-run, economic growth and trade openness Granger cause energy consumption. This study was designed with several significant tests to ensure the reliability of results for policy use and to contribute to future studies on the environment-growth-energy nexus.     

新疆生态足迹与环境压力的时空分异

提高生态现代化总体水平是改善区域生态环境承载力的核心和关键。利用生态环境质量指数和生态现代化指数(EM I)对我国西部生态环境脆弱区的新疆维吾尔自治区生态足迹和环境压力的变动态势进行了系统分析。结果表明:2004年新疆生态现代化指数在全国排名为27位,仍然为我国生态现代化水平落后的地区之一。1980—2005年,新疆综合现代化水平远低于高收入国家、世界平均水平和中等发达国家。1998年新疆人均生态足迹由25957hm2增加到2007年的40551hm2,人均生态承载力由3.1270hm2减少到2.8266 hm2。区域环境水平呈下降趋势。资源转化率、生态保护指数呈明显上升态势。环境治理指数呈剧烈变动,1996-2003年呈"N"型变动态势,区域生态脆弱性没有明显逆转。     

Economic growth and its impact on environment: A panel data analysis

This paper aims to explore the relationship between the economic growth and the pressure on nature from the environmental sustainability perspective. The pressure on nature is measured by the natural disinvestment component of the Adjusted Net Savings data of the World Bank; which is the sum of energy, mineral, net forest depletions and carbon dioxide damage, all measured in US dollars. Our panel consists of 213 countries and spans the period between 1970 and 2008. We employ a panel Fixed-Effects Instrumental Variable (IV) methodology. Regression analysis reveals that there is a positive relationship between income and pressure on nature, yet the effect is much stronger in middle-income than in low and high-income countries, and also differs across subcomponents. While increase in income decreases the pressure on forests, CO₂ damage and mineral extraction increase. We found that increasing trade, all else equal, increases the pressure on nature, hence our findings support Race-to-the-bottom hypothesis.     

基于国家生态足迹账户计算方法的福建省生态足迹研究

运用国家生态足迹账户计算方法(2010版),计算并分析2000-2009年福建省的生态足迹和生态承载力,旨在展示国外生态足迹计算方法研究的最新进展,更准确地揭示近年来福建省的生态足迹和生态承载力状况。结果表明:2000-2009年福建省人均生态足迹由1.2902 gha^**快速增长至2.4925 gha;人均生态承载力由0.9772 gha轻微下降为0.9363 gha;生态赤字持续快速扩大,支撑经济发展由需要1.32倍的福建生态承载力变为需要2.66倍;碳吸收地在生态足迹结构中始终占据首位且呈快速扩大趋势,是福建生态赤字的主导因素;生态效率年均增长率大大低于地区生产总值年均增长率,目前福建生态效率还远低于主要发达国家。     

追踪物种丧失•聚焦生态超载•共享一个地球——《2006地球生命力报告》解读

世界自然基金会和环球足迹网络等2006年10月在中国北京联合发布《2006地球生命力报告》,用生命地球指数和生态足迹两个主要指标描绘了全球生物多样性的变化状态和人类所面临的环境压力。报告显示:生命地球指数1970～2003年总体下降约三分之一,其中陆栖指数减少约31%、海洋指数减少约27%、淡水指数减少约30%,生物多样性正快速持续地遭到损失;自1961年人类的生态足迹不断增加,1987年转入生态赤字下运行,此后生态超载不断加剧,2003年生态赤字达25.28%;化石燃料足迹增长最快,2003年几乎占到一半,达到48%;阿联酋、美国、加拿大等国家人均足迹最大,阿富汗最小,中国排名69位;北美、欧盟、中东和中亚、亚太区处于生态超载状态,非欧联盟、拉丁美洲和加勒比海地区、非洲处于生态盈余;过去40多年,人均足迹高收入国家增长2倍多,2003年达6.5gha,低收入国家一直在0.8gha以下徘徊,中收入国家也从未超过2.0gha。地球的经济怎样才可能在过度消耗中持续发展?3种预测情景也许会让我们走出生态超载的困境、走向可持续发展,共享"一个地球生活"的美好未来。整篇报告可以概括为4个主题:追踪物种丧失、聚焦生态超载、3种情景预测、一个地球生活。     

Environmental Kuznets curve estimation for NO2 emission: A case of Indian cities

Interaction between environmental degradation and economic growth is a growing matter of interest among policymakers. Here we have estimated environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for 139 Indian cities considering NO₂ emissions. Study has been done for 2001–2013, and the data have been segregated by residential and industrial areas, and as well as low, medium, and high income areas. By virtue of different forms of EKC being found, policy level decisions have been designed. Moreover, non-rejection of EKC hypothesis reemphasized the impact of growth catalyzing economic policy decisions on environment.     

能值生态足迹模型的改进——以海南为例

通过对比总结现有能值生态足迹模型研究成果,从能值密度、能值生态承载力、能值生态指标分类和整合等方面分析了模型存在的问题,在此基础上,构建了消费端和供给端构建足迹账户体系,并提出能值生态足迹和能值生态承载力模型的改进和优化。利用改进模型,实证分析了2000—2016年海南生态经济系统的变化特征。结果表明:(1)能源账户和生物产品账户足迹大幅增加。污染账户和建设用地账户足迹状态稳定。(2)生产承载力随着技术进步不断提高,而环境承载力随着人类对环境资源的占用强度增加不断下降。(3)海南生态环境整体表现为生态盈余,但污染账户、能源账户盈余缩减,2011年能源账户开始出现生态赤字。通过足迹账户的构建,能够更清晰地追踪各账户和各类土地能值生态足迹、能值生态承载力以及能值生态盈余/赤字产生的变化,能值生态足迹模型改进之后能够更客观反映区域生态经济系统状况,为地区有针对性开展环境管理和保护提供依据。     

Corporate environmental performance,environmental information disclosure,and financial performance: Evidence from China

As pollution emitters and energy users, firms are important causes of environmental problems, making it increasingly vital for them to strengthen their environmental management and information disclosure policies. However, firms doubt whether it pays to be green and whether it is worthwhile to disclose their environmental information, and there are hot debates on these questions in the literature. This paper analyzes the relationships among corporate environmental performance, environmental information disclosure, and financial performance in China, which witnessed rapid growth at the price of environmental degradation. With 950 observations from 475 Chinese listed companies between 2013 and 2014, we find a U-shaped nonlinear relationship between corporate environmental performance and environmental disclosure, an insignificant relationship between environmental performance and financial performance, and a negative relationship between environmental disclosure and financial performance, which is different from most findings in developed countries. The aforementioned results imply that Chinese firms have few motivations to disclose environmental information or improve environmental performance; therefore, mandatory disclosure of environmental information is necessary, and proper environmental policy should be made to punish environmental violations and encourage better environmental performance.