• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.887-908
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• 2022

In order to confirm the effects of economic growth and environmental improvement, this study analyzed the existence of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for SO₂ emission, greenhouse gas emission, and waste generation in OECD countries. As a result of panel analysis, the shape of the EKC were different depending on environmental pollutants. SO₂ generated peaks relatively early in economic growth, and the peak of greenhouse gas emissions was showed in higher income level. But both emissions showed the a complete inverted U-shaped curve decreasing after the peak. On the other hand, for waste, there was no environmental Kuznets curve that could confirm the peak. Therefore, this study confirmed that it is difficult to expect a voluntary reduction in all environmental pollutants, and additional global joint efforts are needed to pass the peak. In particular, since waste has a greater impact on population density and industrial structure than income level, additional policy efforts are needed to reduce generation and create a resource circulation system.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.53-76
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• 2010

This paper attempts to estimate and compare environmental Kuznets curves (EKC) for$CO_2$ emissions of five regions constituting South Korea. For this, panel data of $CO_2$ emission for these regions are constucted for the period 1990 - 2007. Close inter-dependency among these five regions is considered by using a seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model. In addition to real per-capita income, price index of energy sources and population dens ity are included as control variables. Results of estimates show the robust existence of EKC's in all these regions. EKC turning points of five regions range between 13.7 and 21.6 million Korean Won, showing a large variation. This difference among regions should be conisidered for the effective implementation of policies targeting the reduction of $CO_2$ emmission. In addition, the increase of energy price is found help reduce the $CO_2$ emmision while the rise of population density seems to lead to the increase of $CO_2$ emission.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.511-544
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• 2007

He purpose of this paper is to estimate environmental efficiency and grasp the relationship between trade and environmental efficiency for 61 countries. Furthermore, we examine the environmental Kuznets relationship between environmental efficiency and GDP per capita and 'pollution haven hypothesis' as well. This paper implies that trade-related variables such as trade composition, the share of polluting exports and openness of a country are important determinants of environmental efficiency and especially, we confirmed existence of 'environmental Kuznets curve' but could not accept 'pollution haven hypothesis' in that 'foreign direct investment (FDI)' improves the environmental performance of pensioner nations.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.437-457
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to explain the causes of the phenomenon that the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis suggests that the increasing the emissions level of environmental pollutants starting to decrease as a certain income level is reached, associating microeconomic variables such as awareness level. Effects of the level of awareness differs depending on the characteristics of the impacts of pollutants- either regional or global. Furthermore, the study identifies that the impacts on the change in emissions inventory differ. The study empirically examines and concludes that the turning point where the emission level of environmental pollutants starts to decrease is over- or under-estimated if the differing responses between the level of awareness and its effect on pollutants are ignored. In addition, the level of emissions starts to decrease at a lower level of income in case of regional effect from pollutant than the global effect from it. Finally, the study implies that investing more efforts and resources to improve the level of people's awareness on environmental quality is effective if the government is to alter the increasing path of emission level.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.571-595
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• 2010

This research applies an panel data stationarity and stochastic convergence test developed by Carrion-i-Silvestre et al. (2005), which has the advantage of considering multiple structural breaks and the presence of cross-section dependence in order to investigate the hypothesis that relative emission $CO_2$ per capita stochastically converge for 11 Asian countries from 1971~2007. We find that relative emission $CO_2$ per capita is stationary after the structural breaks and cross-section dependence are introduced into the model. We also investigate whether Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis exists in 11 Asian countries. For EKC test, using the panel cointegration tests of Banerjee and Carrion-i-Silvestre (2006) and Westerlund and Edgerton(2007), we find that relative emission $CO_2$ per capita and relative GDP per capita are cointegrated. However EKC hypothesis in 11 Asian countries is not supported.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.55-71
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• 2012

This paper attempts to estimate the energy price elasticity of per capita $CO_2$ emissions, which helps to understand the influence of recent energy price increase on the natural reduction of $CO_2$ emissions. For this purpose, this study researched panel data of twenty-nine OECD countries from 1978 to 2009 and adopted estimation models for testing the environmental Kuznets hypothesis. Estimation results show that the 1% increase of energy price index will cause a statistically significant decrease of per capita $CO_2$ emissions by 0.26 ~ 0.31%, which is substantial enough for policy consideration. Also Kuznet curves in estimation models were identifed, the turning points of income lie between 22.2~48.5 thousand US dollars, depending on model specifications.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.327-354
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• 2019

In this paper, we conducted panel data analysis considering spatial correlation between regions, which were not considered in previous papers in analyzing the causes of fine dust concentration in Korea. Many existing researchers implicitly assume the independence of the effects of incomes and other explanatory variables of adjoining countries(or regions). Using panel data on fine dust concentration, this paper has established that existing EKC can be established even when considering the spatial correlation of the region, and when these effects are not taken into account, it can be underestimated or overestimated on the effects and causes of fine dust concentration.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.89-112
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• 2016

In this paper, as a determining factor of the Environment Kuznets Curve hypothesis, we analyzed the impact of technological innovation. In this paper, in order to empirically validate the role of technological innovation to an inverted U-shaped Environments Kuznets Curve hypothesis, we utilize the 2SLS considering relationship between R&D and the GDP per capita. Also, using the Panel VAR (Panel Vector Auto Regression) model to analyze with what time lag R&D per capita has impact on the emissions of greenhouse gases per capita. Empirical results show that R&D per capita(proxy of innovation) is a important factor to explain Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, and that the external shock such as R&D per capita reduces greenhouse gas emissions per capita with about 3 time lag.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.269-286
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• 2009

The aim of the paper is to study environmental impacts of openness and trade in korea, and analyze the relationships between trade, development and environment. This study established endogenous determinants such as inflow FDI, level of environmental pollution and economic growth, and assumed a proposition that each individual variables are in two-way relationships among the three key variables such as the openness, the environment and GDP. To estimate a system of equations, a simultaneous equation model is used because the simultaneity problems are formidable. The results show that the more openness and economic growth increase, the more level of environmental quality improve. This study also found that FDI and openness, and economic growth bring along the level of environmental quality.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.59-86
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• 2013

We analyzed the correlation among the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission, energy consumption and economic growth for the 6 specific regions in Korea by using Panel approaches with the test of the EKC hypothesis. We also analyzed the effects of environmental regulation on GHG and economic growth. The results show that by testing of the EKC (Environmental Kuznets Curve) hypothesis model,the effects of the environmental regulation and the structure of industries on GHC emission have a significant result on the regional analysis for SOx. For the NOx and TSP, only TK region passed the turning point of the EKC among the 6 specific regions. And, for the Co, the Central, Honam and the PUKN region passed the turning point of the EKC. This is because GHG emissions by the environment regulation had a weak path effect and also regional industry structures had a weak relation with regional GHG emissions.