An Examination of Greenhouse Gas Convergence in OECD Countries

Abstract

Global warming has become one of the most critical factors affecting the world, especially in the last decade. Therefore, it is of great importance to analyze the impact of global warming and take measures. The main factor leading to global warming is considered to be people’s consumption and production behaviors. The primary indicator of this is greenhouse gases. Relevant policy changes need to be made to control greenhouse gases. In this context, it is necessary to determine the differences in greenhouse gas emissions at the national level. To identify these differences, this study applies the convergence hypothesis, which has been the subject of numerous researchers since the 1980s. In this study, we analyzed the greenhouse gas intensity convergence for countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) using linear and nonlinear panel unit root tests. The results of this study show that the greenhouse gas emissions in the OECD countries do not converge to the OECD average.