On the asymmetric relationship between stock market development,energy efficiency and environmental quality: A nonlinear analysis

It has been widely documented in the literature that financial development drives up the impact of CO₂ emissions through increases in real economic activities and the consumption of polluting fossil fuel energy. However, when dealing with stock market development, such upward effects on economic growth, energy efficiency, and carbon emissions seems to give away to a positive impact especially in emerging markets. This paper contributes to this debate by exploring both the symmetric and asymmetric responses of CO₂ emission to changes in stock market development indicators. Using both the panel linear and nonlinear ARDL, our results demonstrate the asymmetric effects of stock market development indicator son carbon emissions in the context of emerging markets. In particular, the long-run elasticities results suggest that positive and negative shocks on stock market indicator decreases environmental quality by increasing carbon emissions. Based on these empirical findings, this study offers some crucial policy implications. Especially, policy makers should implement strong environmental policies in emerging markets economies to reduce carbon emissions of industrial companies without significantly affecting the development of financial markets.     

Green property finance and CO2 emissions in the building industry

Contributing about 40% of the world's annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the building industry is tasked with reducing its energy consumption and its carbon footprint in accordance with the Paris Agreement. This study investigates the relationship between green property finance and the building industry's CO₂ emissions across 98 high-income and developing economies for the period 2012–2018. Our results show that although green property finance expansions are significantly and negatively related to the industry's CO₂ emissions in the full sample, this result is more evident for developing nations. This is a significant outcome for these countries since many of them are experiencing rapid but unchecked population growth and strong oil consumption. Policies to maintain this development during the COVID-19 pandemic are crucial because this crisis has curtailed the availability of green finance facilities, which has either slowed down or reversed any progress made.     

Financing Renewable Energy Projects in Major Emerging Market Economies: Evidence in the Perspective of Sustainable Economic Development

This research paper aims to explore the role of FDI inflows and stock market development on the promotion of renewable energy consumption. Furthermore, study investigates the effect of renewable energy consumption on CO₂ emissions and economic output across a panel of Brazil, China, India, and South Africa. Study utilizes annual data from 1990 to 2012 and employs various robust panel econometric techniques. The findings confirm that both FDI inflows and stock market development play an important role in promoting renewable energy consumption. The results also reveal that renewable energy consumption helps to mitigate the growth of CO₂ emissions and promotes economic development.     

Income Growth,Energy Consumption,and Carbon Emissions: The Case of China

The paper examines the long-run relationship among per capita income, energy consumption, and carbon emissions in China during 1953–2008. We employ the Toda—Yamamoto procedure to test the Granger causality in a vector autoregressive (VAR) model with levels. We find strong evidence of bilateral Granger causality running between income and energy consumption and unilateral Granger causality running from carbon emissions to income. We further provide policy suggestions to address the energy and sustainable development dilemma in China. These include diversifying the energy mix and exploiting renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, transforming the economic growth pattern, and reducing the reliance on resource- and energy-intensive industries.     

Carbon Price in China: A CO2 Abatement Cost of Wind Power Perspective

As a result of rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, energy (especially fossil fuels) demand growth is increasing. Hence, China is facing the huge pressure of environmental protection and CO₂ emission reduction. The feed-in tariff (FIT) policy that promotes more wind power to substitute for thermal power and a well-functioning carbon price mechanism can significantly affect CO₂ abatement, and both can work in coordination to achieve emission reduction. Using panel model, we prove that FIT policy is more effective than other policies in promoting more wind power. Also the slowdown of economic growth, energy substitution, technological progress, and CO₂ mitigation requirement can stimulate the expansion of wind power. Additionally, based on the calculation of real abatement cost of wind power, we obtain the provincial and national average of carbon prices (239 CNY/ton and 242 CNY/ton). Specifically, 233-251 CNY/ton will be the range for reasonable carbon price in the future. We find that the carbon prices in this article are higher than those of the emissions trading scheme pilots in 2014 and 2015, due to the relatively high proportion of free allowance. Based on the above conclusions, we proposed some policy suggestions.     

The question mark over coal: Pollution,politics, and CO2

There is a growing concern about the effect of fossil-fuel burning, and the consequent increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration in the atmosphere. This increasing concentration is now well-documented, and although the evidence of actual or potential climate changes is not conclusive, the growth in energy consumption magnifies the importance of the possible dangers. This article highlights two aspects of the issue. The CO₂ increase will be mainly produced by coal. And whereas the increase in atmospheric CO₂ is now being imposed upon the world principally by the USA, the USSR, and Western Europe, the developing countries will probably be important contributors by early in the next century. Using world energy resource estimates and projections of the global production of CO₂ from fossil-fuel burning in the year 2025, the authors argue that it will be difficult to achieve an international consensus and commitment to deal with the issue. This is because of the relationship between economic growth, industrialisation, and the production of CO₂, and because of the distribution of the beneficial and harmful effects of any climatic change.     

How Efficient Is China’s Heavy Industry? A Perspective of Input–Output Analysis

Heavy industry accounts for nearly 65% of the energy consumption and over 60% of the electricity consumption of China. Under the framework of real savings and green GDP, the huge energy consumption and carbon emissions will bring in huge natural resource losses, and then affect the total factor productivity (TFP) seriously. When taking the input–output relationship into consideration, the natural resource losses of heavy industry will decrease significantly. As the upstream of the industrial chain, heavy industry offered a large number of subsidies to the downstream industries by providing energy, raw materials, and taking on carbon emissions. This article verified the transfer of natural resource losses among industries, and estimated the real TFP of heavy industry from input–output and traditional perspective, respectively. The results showed that there was an increasing trend in the growth rate of heavy industry’s TFP in the perspective of input–output.     

Foreign Direct Investments and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: New Evidence from Chinese Provinces

By employing a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR), this article analyzes the impacts of economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) on air pollutant emissions. The results reveal the regime-switching effects in the income-pollution relationship as well. Specifically, an inverted-U shape is found in the relationship between per capita income and two air pollutant emissions, soot and dust, which confirms the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Significant influence of FDI on EKC relationships is found, which provides the evidence that the pollution haven hypothesis holds to some extent.     

Global energy strategies: The implications of CO2

The author discusses the uncertainties and shortcomings that surround the current models of the carbon cycle, climatic change, and energy consumption; all are required in predicting the effect of carbon dioxide (CO₂) on climate. Using estimates of energy consumption in 2025 the author defines the boundaries of the problem: a global warming (preponderantly at the poles), and unpredictable (at present) regional climatic variations. The implications for energy policy are discussed, and it is concluded that all options must be kept open at present.     

Carbon Cap-and-Trade in China: A Comprehensive Framework

This article proposes a comprehensive framework to explore a possible carbon cap-and-trade scheme in China. By applying the case of China, our empirical results present the demand side and supply side of carbon-emission permits in the market and several other significant findings: (i) carbon dioxide (CO₂) marginal abatement cost varies a lot among different regions; (ii) in total, CO₂ emissions could have been reduced by 5.14 billion tons if all the provinces had achieved their anticipated environmental performance during 1997–2014; (iii) the equilibrium price of CO₂ trading is 241 RMB/ton, irrelevant to the original allocation of allowances.     

The Influential Factors on Outward Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from the “The Belt and Road”

ABSTRACT

In this article, we investigate the nonlinear impact on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) using panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model with the sample of 12 countries along “The Belt and Road Initiative” in the period of 2010–2015. We find that both overall economic freedom (EF), the interaction of EF and institutional instance, bilateral trade, GDP, and patent significantly influence OFDI. We also demonstrate that EF and economic development exert the inverted “U” effect on OFDI in the different regime. Accordingly, policies specifically designed to increase development of OFDI should be required to address the negative effects considering the differences of EF and economic development.     

The environmental disclosures of the electricity generation industry: a global perspective

The electricity generation industry has been under close regulatory and public scrutiny for decades for the significant impacts its activities have on the environment. The industry is responsible for a large proportion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which has intensified public and regulatory scrutiny of late. Therefore, electricity generation firms face immense pressure to show environmental responsibility. Firms respond with environmental disclosures in their annual reports, in stand-alone-reports, and on websites. In this study, we use comprehensive disclosure indices to measure the quality (or comprehensiveness) of the CO₂ emissions related disclosure and the overall environmental disclosure of 205 electricity generation firms in 35 countries. We find that firms in countries with a high commitment towards the environment and a carbon emissions trading scheme (measures of social concern for environmental protection and emissions), are likely to disclose more comprehensive environmental information. In addition, we find that firm size, age of the assets, listing status, and media exposure influence disclosure. Environmental performance, measured by CO₂ emissions, is not significantly related to environmental disclosure among our sample firms. The theoretical implication of these findings is that social beliefs (that are different in different countries) prompt a legitimating disclosure response from firms that is not significantly affected by their performance against that social belief.     

Equity and Ecotax Reform in the EU: Achieving a 10 per cent Reduction in CO2 Emissions Using Excise Duties

This paper considers the distributional effects of imposing additional excise duties on energy products according to carbon content. The assumed duties escalate from 1999 to 2010 and achieve levels reducing CO₂ emissions by 10 per cent below baseline by 2010 for 11 EU member states. By 2010, real personal disposable incomes are 1.6 per cent above baseline and employment is 1.2 per cent above, assuming that the change is tax-revenue-neutral. The study concludes that the changes will be weakly regressive for nearly all the member states in the study if revenues are used to reduce employers’ taxes and strongly progressive if they are given back lump-sum to households. JEL classification: C53, D12, H22, Q48.     

运用税收手段 增强居民消费能力

改革开放以来,我国经济迅速发展,国内生产总值和居民收入不断增加,但由于收入分配不公等因素的影响,我国劳动者报酬、居民收入占GDP的比重持续下降,税收收入占GDP的比重不断上升,居民不同群体间的收入差距悬殊,导致居民消费能力不强,消费率降低。本文针对这一现实,着重研究了如何运用税收手段,调节分配,增加居民收入,扩大国内需求,促进经济发展。     

Technology and Realtor® Income

The ever-expanding use of the Internet and various other information technologies may directly impact the income levels of the real estate brokerage community. With a database of more than 6,000 usable observations from the 1999 National Association of Realtors® member profile, we examine the impact of technology usage on the incomes of Realtors®. In a two-step procedure, we first develop factor loadings, using factor analysis, for multifaceted technology usage by Realtors®. Then we perform a regression analysis of Realtors® income incorporating a variety of independent variables representing licensee (brokers and salespersons) demographics and brokerage firm characteristics as well as the factor score for technology usage. Our results show that the use of the Internet and other information technologies is positively related to the earnings of Realtors®. In a second regression analysis, we use our technology factor score to determine which of a variety of individual Realtor® demographic and brokerage firm characteristics are more related to technology usage than other characteristics. We find that technology usage increases with schooling, number of firms for which the agent has worked, marriage, franchise affiliation, firm size, ownership interest, and hours worked. By contrast, technology usage falls with age, and usage is lower for females and nonwhites. The results of this paper expand our knowledge concerning familiarity with and use of real estate technology and related income.     

Developing communications about CCS: three lessons learned

To curb the risks of climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change posits that global CO₂ emissions from the energy supply sector must be reduced to 90% below 2010 levels between 2040 and 2070. Electricity generation is the largest contributor to emissions from the energy supply sector. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) holds the promise of helping to reduce CO₂ emissions from coal-fired power plants, as part of a low-carbon portfolio that could also include energy efficiency, natural gas, renewables and nuclear power. To inform people’s decisions about whether or not to support the implementation of CCS, our team created brochures about 10 low-carbon technologies as well as a computer tool that helped users to develop technically realistic low-carbon portfolios. Here, we highlight three main lessons we learned in developing these communications about CCS: (1) when learning about CCS people also want to know about other alternatives; (2) using simple wording improves understanding, even about complex technologies; and (3) the time to communicate about CCS is now.     

Cash-rich firms and carbon emissions

We investigate whether corporate cash holdings affect carbon dioxide emissions. Using a sample of 5402 firm-years observations from 943 U.S. firms during 2007–2017, we find that carbon emissions are lower in firms with higher corporate cash holdings. The effect of cash holdings on carbon emissions is more pronounced in firms with low leverage and less financial constraints. Our channel analysis further unveils that renewable energy consumption and carbon abatement investment are higher in cash-rich firms, which transmit lower carbon emissions. Our findings are robust to different identification strategies and alternative measures of cash holdings and carbon emissions. Overall, our paper provides novel evidence on the role of corporate cash holdings in mitigating carbon emissions.     

Can enhancing financial inclusivity lower climate risks by inhibiting carbon emissions? Contextual evidence from emerging economies

Climate change is regarded as a global concern whereby lowering climate risks, especially by curbing greenhouse gas emissions, has become a critically important policy agenda worldwide. Hence, this study assesses whether financial inclusion, alongside energy efficiency improvement, renewable energy use, economic growth, international trade, and urbanization, can mitigate carbon dioxide emissions in 22 emerging economies. Considering the period of analysis from 2008 to 2018 and utilizing econometric methods robust to handling cross-sectionally-dependent, heterogeneous, and endogenous panel data, the findings reveal that financial inclusion is directly associated with higher discharges of carbon dioxide. Contrarily, energy efficiency improvement and higher share of renewable energy in the aggregate energy consumption level inhibit carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, energy efficiency gains moderate the financial inclusion-emissions nexus by jointly reducing carbon emissions with greater financial inclusivity. Finally, the results indicate that economic growth, international trade, and urbanization trigger climate risks by boosting the emission figures. In light of these findings, several carbon dioxide-mitigating policies are recommended for neutralizing climate risks in emerging countries of concern.     

Aggregate accounting research and development expenditures and the prediction of real gross domestic product

The role of accounting information for public policy making has received increased attention in recent years. Konchitchki and Patatoukas, 2014a, Konchitchki and Patatoukas, 2014b demonstrate that growth in aggregate accounting earnings can predict future growth in nominal and real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We extend the micro to macro literature by decomposing earnings into the R&D and pre-R&D components. Using the Almon (1965) finite distributed lag model, we find that both components can predict future real GDP growth with different lead-lag structures. Importantly, this decomposition significantly increases the explanatory power of the predictive model using accounting information. Aggregate accounting R&D can predict real GDP through the personal consumption, business investment, and net export channels of GDP. Our study extends prior research on the forecasting usefulness of accounting information at the aggregate level and has practical implications for macro forecasting and for public policy making regarding innovative activities of publicly listed firms.     

Evaluating effects on the flow of electrical and electronic equipment and energy consumption due to alternative consumption patterns in China

In this paper, we evaluated the effects of consumer’s behavioural changes on usage and disposal of home appliances. With the model to estimate the product circulation, first we conducted the sensitivity analysis with the six parameters, namely urbanisation, household size, Gini coefficient, product lifetime and selection rate of used product and high energy efficiency product. Then, secondly we evaluated CO₂ emission and e-waste generation from four consumers’ different behavioural patterns, which are named as ‘Business As Usual’ (BAU), ‘Rapid Cycling’ (RC), ‘Chain of Users’ (CU) and ‘Quality and Wisdom’ (QW). As a result, the QW scenario was the best lifestyle in both criteria. Further, RC scenario had an advantage on the reduction in e-waste generation in one hand, but CU scenario reduced more CO₂ emission. During the transition era of China from materially poor to rich, it could be one of the solutions to utilise energy-efficient second-hand product to improve the living standards of the poor and replace technologically inferior product stocks in poor households.