Revisiting the environmental Kuznets curve: Evidence from West Africa
Open Access
- 6 May 2021
- journal article
- Published by LLC CPC Business Perspectives in Environmental Economics
- Vol. 12 (1), 64-75
- https://doi.org/10.21511/ee.12(1).2021.06
Abstract
This paper analyzes the revenue-pollution relationship by revisiting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for West African countries over the period of 1980–2014. The study approximates the income measurement by GDP per capita and uses carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NO2), and methane emissions as various environmental quality measures. The paper uses parametric and non-parametric estimation techniques to test the EKC hypothesis. The results support the existence of the U-inverted relationship between income and methane emission, on one hand, and between income and nitrogen dioxide emission on the other. The estimates also show a mixed result for the U-inverted hypothesis between income and carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, the verification of the curve depends on the estimation techniques and the measurement of the pollutant used. The obtained results led to the conclusion that the EKC hypothesis is validated for West African countries.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Estimation of Environmental Kuznets Curve in China: Nonparametric Panel ApproachComputational Economics, 2015
- Economic development and CO2 emissions: A nonparametric panel approachJournal of Public Economics, 2006
- The Environmental Kuznets Curve semi-parametrically revisitedEconomics Letters, 2005
- Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A SurveyEcological Economics, 2004
- On instrumental variable estimation of semiparametric dynamic panel data modelsEconomics Letters, 2002
- Is Free Trade Good for the Environment?American Economic Review, 2001
- Air quality and economic growth: an empirical studyEcological Economics, 2000
- Effects of population and affluence on CO2 emissionsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1997
- Environmental Impacts of a North American Free Trade AgreementPublished by National Bureau of Economic Research ,1991
- Impact of Population GrowthScience, 1971