A Test for Parameter Homogeneity in CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>Panel EKC Estimations

This paper casts doubt on empirical results based on panel estimations of an “inverted-U” relationship between per capita GDP and pollution. Using a new dataset for OECD countries on carbon dioxide emissions for the period 1960–1997, we find that the crucial assumption of homogeneity across countries is problematic. Decisively rejected are model specifications that feature even weaker homogeneity assumptions than are commonly used. Furthermore, our results challenge the existence of an overall Environmental Kuznets Curve for carbon dioxide emissions.     

我国经济增长与大气污染物排放的关系——基于分省面板数据的经验研究

本文应用1998-2004年期间我国30个省(市、自治区)的面板数据,通过综合简化型模型,研究了3种大气污染物和经济增长之间的关系.实证研究发现在3种大气污染物与经济增长之间不存在倒U型环境库兹涅茨曲线.二氧化硫排放与经济增长之间呈倒N型曲线,与多数研究结果不相符;同时,第二产业比重、经济增长速度、单位GDP能耗和环境政策强度四个解释变量总体上对3个大气污染物的排放具有显著影响,并包含明确的政策含义.     

中国沿海地区省域经济发展与海洋环境污染关系的EKC模型检验

选取中国沿海 11个省(市、区) 2001-2016年的人均国民生产总值 (PGDP)和人均海洋生产总值 (PGOP)为经济指标、近岸海域劣于三类水质面积比重 (E)为环境污染指标、检验沿海地区整体和 11个省 (市、区)海洋环境库兹涅茨曲线(EKC)存在的可能性和形态。结果表明：(1)沿海地区整体存在海洋 EKC曲线、且以 PGDP为经济指标的拟合曲线呈 “U型”、以 PGOP为经济指标的拟合曲线呈“单调递减型”。 (2)沿海 11个省 (市、区)仅有山东、上海、广东 3省 (市)存在海洋 EKC曲线、且形态有所差异。 (3)不同指标选择和不同时段数据都会对海洋EKC曲线的存在性和形态产生影响。该研究拓展了EKC模型在海洋经济与生态环境关系的研究视角、研究结论可为促进陆域经济开发与海洋生态环境保护协调发展的策略制定提供现实参考。     

地方经济增长与环境质量——以山东省域为例的库兹涅茨曲线分析

对于不同地区、不同污染物而言,经济增长与环境质量之间的关系不尽相同,表现为环境库兹涅茨曲线呈现地域性和时间性差异。本文在回顾相关研究成果的基础上,采用山东省17个城市1995～2008年的面板数据,建立涵盖污染物排放指标和环境监测指标两大类、11种环境指标与人均GDP之间的计量经济模型,对环境质量变化与山东省经济增长的关系进行实证检验,比较污染排放指标与环境监测指标的检验结果,进而评估人口规模、产业结构、对外开放以及环境政策等控制变量对污染物排放和环境质量的影响。结果显示,尽管部分环境指标处于下行通道,但山东省环境目前整体状况和未来趋势不容乐观,应进一步加大节能减排力度,完善污染治理的体制机制,改善治理效果。     

Taking the “U” out of Kuznets: A comprehensive analysis of the EKC and environmental degradation

Unlike most Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) studies which focus on narrow measures of pollution as proxies for environmental quality, we test the validity of the EKC using the Ecological Footprint (EF), a more comprehensive measure of environmental degradation. We find no empirical evidence of an EKC relationship between the EF and economic development, and only limited support for such a relationship among the components of the EF. In addition, we discover that energy is largely responsible for the lack of an EKC relationship, and that energy consumption levels would have to be cut by over 50% in order for a statistically significant EKC relationship to emerge from the data. Overall, these results suggest that growth alone will not lead to sustainable development.     

大气环境资源的时空异质性及其经济含义

大气污染的治理不仅要考虑污染物排放量控制与污染损失减少的关系,还应该考虑污染物排放的时间和空间效应。本文首先从污染物排放和大气自然净化能力的平衡角度建立模型,描述了大气环境的污染和净化过程,揭示了大气环境资源的时空异质性、经济学概念及政策含义。然后从中国大气环境资源利用角度进行实证分析,以中国省会城市和50个样本城市的相关数据为例,发现大气环境资源时空异质性确实存在。最后提出有针对性的优化大气污染控制政策的方法和思路,包括污染物排放的空间转移策略和错峰排放机制。     

Macroeconomic conditions in the U.S. and congressional voting on environmental policy: 1970-2008

Using the Environmental Scorecard ratings of Congressmen and Senators published annually by the League of Conservation Voters, we explore empirically whether political support for pro-environment legislation, aggregated across each legislative body, is sensitive over time to changing economic conditions — that is, whether there is a political trade-off between economic conditions and the environment. Using LCV scorecard ratings from 1970 to 2008, we find evidence, consistent across both the House and Senate, that political support for the environment is related to per capita income, but this general tendency can be decomposed into sharp differences by party.     

Income growth and atmospheric pollution in Spain: An input-output approach

The relationships between economic growth and environmental pressures are complex. Since the early nineties, the debate on these relationships has been strongly influenced by the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, which states that during the first stage of economic development environmental pressures increase as per capita income increases, but once a critical turning point has been reached these pressures diminish as income levels continue to increase. However, to date such a delinking between economic growth and emission levels has not happened for most atmospheric pollutants in Spain. The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between income growth and nine atmospheric pollutants in Spain. In order to obtain empirical outcomes for this analysis, we adopt an input-output approach and use NAMEA data for the nine pollutants. First, we undertake a structural decomposition analysis for the period 1995-2000 to estimate the contribution of various factors to changes in the levels of atmospheric emissions. And second, we estimate the emissions associated with the consumption patterns of different groups of households classified according to their level of expenditure.     

Impact of FDI and trade on environmental quality in the CAFTA-DR region

This study investigates the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI), trade and industrial emissions in member countries of the Central American Free Trade Agreement–Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) between 1979 and 2010. Our model is based on extant literature about the Environmental Kuznets’ Curve framework. In this study, we consider sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) as our dependent variables. Our key independent variables are FDI and trade. Our study finds evidence that foreign investment and trade have had a negative impact on our selected emissions. However, our models also estimate turning points which are below the current GDP per capita values for all CAFTA-DR member countries. This is an encouraging trend in terms of the potential reduction in emissions in the region.     

新疆工业增长与环境污染关系的计量研究

通过对国内外经济增长与环境污染关系文献的梳理,可以发现很多学者在研究二者之间关系时都是通过拟合EKC曲线来说明,用单一指标来测量环境的污染程度,选取指标过于主观;且在进行协整检验时,数据过少却没有对检验的临界值进行修正。本文采用改进熵值分析方法对工业废水排放量、工业二氧化硫排放量、工业烟尘排放量、工业粉尘排放量、工业固体废物排放量五类环境指标进行客观赋权构建工业环境综合指标,以克服单一指标无法代表环境整体的缺点;引入小样本DF蒙特卡罗模拟的临界值,以克服数据不足的问题,进行协整检验研究新疆工业增长和环境污染的关系;同时进行线性、U型和N型三种模型的拟合。研究结论为：新疆工业增长与环境污染之间存在长期均衡关系,同时新疆存在具有自身特点的U型特征的EKC曲线。新疆应按照＂共同但有区别＂的原则制定发展规划,逐步转变发展方式,实现工业与环境的协调。