Journal Article

Analyzing the environmental Kuznets curve for the EU countries: the role of ecological footprint

Destek, Mehmet Akif, Dogan, Eyup, Ulucak, Recep

2018

Overview

A great majority of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) literature use CO 2 emissions to proxy for environmental degradation. However, this is an important shortage in application of the EKC concept because environmental degradation cannot be captured by CO 2 emissions only. By using a broader proxy, ecological footprint, this study aims to investigate the presence of environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for the EU countries. The annual data from 1980 to 2013 is examined with second generation panel data methodologies which take into account the cross-sectional dependence among countries. The results show that there is U-shaped relationship between the real income and ecological footprint. In addition, non-renewable energy increases the environmental degradation while renewable energy and trade openness decrease the environmental degradation in the EU countries. Policy implications are further discussed.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Aquatic Pollution / Carbon dioxide / Carbon Dioxide - analysis / Carbon dioxide emissions / Carbon sequestration / Data processing / Dependence / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecological footprint / Ecological monitoring / Economic Development / Economic models / Ecotoxicology / energy / Energy-Generating Resources / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental degradation / Environmental Health / Environmental Kuznets curve / Environmental Policy / Environmental science / European Union / greenhouse gas emissions / Income / issues and policy / Models, Theoretical / Renewable Energy / renewable energy sources / Renewable resources / Research Article / trade / Waste Water Technology / Water Management / Water Pollution Control