IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eneeco/v94y2021ics014098832030400x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How does fiscal decentralization affect CO2 emissions? The roles of institutions and human capital

Author

Listed:
  • Khan, Zeeshan
  • Ali, Shahid
  • Dong, Kangyin
  • Li, Rita Yi Man

Abstract

The debate regarding whether fiscal decentralization can effectively mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has gained increasing attention, although there is little empirical evidence to support this issue. To provide empirical evidence in support of the theoretical argument, this study investigates the impact of fiscal decentralization on CO2 emissions by using a balanced panel dataset of seven OECD countries between 1990 and 2018. Further, we explore the roles institutions and human capital play in the impact of fiscal decentralization on CO2 emissions. Hence, in addition to the direct impact, we assume fiscal decentralization could indirectly affect CO2 emissions through various channels, such as institutions and human capital. The empirical results indicate that fiscal decentralization improves environmental quality. Moreover, the relationship between fiscal decentralization and environmental quality is strengthened by improvements in the quality of institutions and the development of human capital. In addition, there are one-way effects from fiscal decentralization, GDP, human capital, eco-innovation, and institutional quality on CO2 emissions, but not the other way round. In terms of policy implications, this study suggests that by authorizing a lower unit of the state, countries could successfully implement policies related to improving environmental quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Khan, Zeeshan & Ali, Shahid & Dong, Kangyin & Li, Rita Yi Man, 2021. "How does fiscal decentralization affect CO2 emissions? The roles of institutions and human capital," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:94:y:2021:i:c:s014098832030400x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2020.105060
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014098832030400X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2020.105060?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Narayan, Seema & Doytch, Nadia, 2017. "An investigation of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and economic growth nexus using industrial and residential energy consumption," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 160-176.
    2. Abid, Mehdi, 2016. "Impact of economic, financial, and institutional factors on CO2 emissions: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa economies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 85-94.
    3. Yao, Yao & Ivanovski, Kris & Inekwe, John & Smyth, Russell, 2020. "Human capital and CO2 emissions in the long run," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. M. Hashem Pesaran, 2007. "A simple panel unit root test in the presence of cross-section dependence," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 265-312.
    5. Daniel L. Millimet, 2003. "Assessing the Empirical Impact of Environmental Federalism," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(4), pages 711-733, November.
    6. Joakim Westerlund, 2007. "Testing for Error Correction in Panel Data," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 69(6), pages 709-748, December.
    7. Dumitrescu, Elena-Ivona & Hurlin, Christophe, 2012. "Testing for Granger non-causality in heterogeneous panels," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 1450-1460.
    8. Ahmed, Zahoor & Asghar, Muhammad Mansoor & Malik, Muhammad Nasir & Nawaz, Kishwar, 2020. "Moving towards a sustainable environment: The dynamic linkage between natural resources, human capital, urbanization, economic growth, and ecological footprint in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    9. Pesaran, M. Hashem & Vanessa Smith, L. & Yamagata, Takashi, 2013. "Panel unit root tests in the presence of a multifactor error structure," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 175(2), pages 94-115.
    10. M. Hashem Pesaran, 2021. "General diagnostic tests for cross-sectional dependence in panels," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 13-50, January.
    11. Chen, Shiyi & Jin, Hao & Lu, Yulin, 2019. "Impact of urbanization on CO2 emissions and energy consumption structure: A panel data analysis for Chinese prefecture-level cities," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 107-119.
    12. Hao, Yu & Chen, Yu-Fu & Liao, Hua & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2020. "China's fiscal decentralization and environmental quality: theory and an empirical study," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 159-181, April.
    13. Bhattacharya, Mita & Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Paramati, Sudharshan Reddy, 2017. "The dynamic impact of renewable energy and institutions on economic output and CO2 emissions across regions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 157-167.
    14. Liangliang Liu & Donghong Ding & Jun He, 2019. "Fiscal Decentralization, Economic Growth, and Haze Pollution Decoupling Effects: A Simple Model and Evidence from China," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 1423-1441, December.
    15. Levinson, Arik, 2003. "Environmental Regulatory Competition: A Status Report and Some New Evidence," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 56(1), pages 91-106, March.
    16. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Raghutla, Chandrashekar & Song, Malin & Zameer, Hashim & Jiao, Zhilun, 2020. "Public-private partnerships investment in energy as new determinant of CO2 emissions: The role of technological innovations in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    17. Mohamed Amine Boutabba, 2014. "The impact of financial development, income, energy and trade on carbon emissions: Evidence from the Indian economy," Post-Print hal-02877966, HAL.
    18. Lau, Lin-Sea & Choong, Chee-Keong & Eng, Yoke-Kee, 2014. "Carbon dioxide emission, institutional quality, and economic growth: Empirical evidence in Malaysia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 276-281.
    19. Kangyin Dong & Xiucheng Dong & Cong Dong, 2019. "Determinants of the global and regional CO2 emissions: What causes what and where?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(46), pages 5031-5044, October.
    20. Kahouli, Bassem, 2018. "The causality link between energy electricity consumption, CO2 emissions, R&D stocks and economic growth in Mediterranean countries (MCs)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 388-399.
    21. Chudik, Alexander & Pesaran, M. Hashem, 2015. "Common correlated effects estimation of heterogeneous dynamic panel data models with weakly exogenous regressors," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 188(2), pages 393-420.
    22. Zhang, Kun & Zhang, Zong-Yong & Liang, Qiao-Mei, 2017. "An empirical analysis of the green paradox in China: From the perspective of fiscal decentralization," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 203-211.
    23. Cheng, Shulei & Fan, Wei & Chen, Jiandong & Meng, Fanxin & Liu, Gengyuan & Song, Malin & Yang, Zhifeng, 2020. "The impact of fiscal decentralization on CO2 emissions in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    24. Fredriksson, Per G. & Millimet, Daniel L., 2002. "Strategic Interaction and the Determination of Environmental Policy across U.S. States," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 101-122, January.
    25. Ma, Minda & Ma, Xin & Cai, Wei & Cai, Weiguang, 2020. "Low carbon roadmap of residential building sector in China: Historical mitigation and prospective peak," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    26. Lægreid, Ole Martin & Povitkina, Marina, 2018. "Do Political Institutions Moderate the GDP-CO2 Relationship?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 441-450.
    27. Kangyin Dong & Xiucheng Dong & Qingzhe Jiang, 2020. "How renewable energy consumption lower global CO2 emissions? Evidence from countries with different income levels," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1665-1698, June.
    28. Bowman Cutter, W. & DeShazo, J.R., 2007. "The environmental consequences of decentralizing the decision to decentralize," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 32-53, January.
    29. Inglesi-Lotz, Roula & Dogan, Eyup, 2018. "The role of renewable versus non-renewable energy to the level of CO2 emissions a panel analysis of sub- Saharan Africa’s Βig 10 electricity generators," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 36-43.
    30. Granger, C W J, 1969. "Investigating Causal Relations by Econometric Models and Cross-Spectral Methods," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 37(3), pages 424-438, July.
    31. Chen, Jiandong & Xu, Chong & Cui, Lianbiao & Huang, Shuo & Song, Malin, 2019. "Driving factors of CO2 emissions and inequality characteristics in China: A combined decomposition approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 589-597.
    32. Boutabba, Mohamed Amine, 2014. "The impact of financial development, income, energy and trade on carbon emissions: Evidence from the Indian economy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 33-41.
    33. Rui Mu, 2018. "Bounded Rationality in the Developmental Trajectory of Environmental Target Policy in China, 1972–2016," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, January.
    34. Dong, Kangyin & Hochman, Gal & Timilsina, Govinda R., 2020. "Do drivers of CO2 emission growth alter overtime and by the stage of economic development?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guitao Qiao & Dan Yang & Mahmood Ahmad & Zahoor Ahmed, 2022. "Modeling for Insights: Does Fiscal Decentralization Impede Ecological Footprint?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Shan, Shan & Ahmad, Munir & Tan, Zhixiong & Adebayo, Tomiwa Sunday & Man Li, Rita Yi & Kirikkaleli, Dervis, 2021. "The role of energy prices and non-linear fiscal decentralization in limiting carbon emissions: Tracking environmental sustainability," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    3. Meng Lingyan & Ze Zhao & Haider Ali Malik & Asif Razzaq & Hui An & Marria Hassan, 2022. "Asymmetric impact of fiscal decentralization and environmental innovation on carbon emissions: Evidence from highly decentralized countries," Energy & Environment, , vol. 33(4), pages 752-782, June.
    4. Zeeshan Arshad & Margarita Robaina & Anabela Botelho, 2020. "Renewable and Non-renewable Energy, Economic Growth and Natural Resources Impact on Environmental Quality: Empirical Evidence from South and Southeast Asian Countries with CS-ARDL Modeling," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(5), pages 368-383.
    5. Mahmood, Ahmad & Zahoor, Ahmed & Xiyue, Yang & Nazim, Hussain & Sinha, Avik, 2021. "Financial development and environmental degradation: Do human capital and institutional quality make a difference?," MPRA Paper 110039, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2021.
    6. Xiangfeng Ji & Muhammad Umar & Shahid Ali & Wajid Ali & Kai Tang & Zeeshan Khan, 2021. "Does fiscal decentralization and eco‐innovation promote sustainable environment? A case study of selected fiscally decentralized countries," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 79-88, January.
    7. Ahmad, Mahmood & Jiang, Ping & Majeed, Abdul & Umar, Muhammad & Khan, Zeeshan & Muhammad, Sulaman, 2020. "The dynamic impact of natural resources, technological innovations and economic growth on ecological footprint: An advanced panel data estimation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    8. Kangyin Dong & Xiucheng Dong & Qingzhe Jiang, 2020. "How renewable energy consumption lower global CO2 emissions? Evidence from countries with different income levels," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1665-1698, June.
    9. Namahoro, J.P. & Nzabanita, J. & Wu, Q., 2021. "The impact of total and renewable energy consumption on economic growth in lower and middle- and upper-middle-income groups: Evidence from CS-DL and CCEMG analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    10. Sandu, Suwin & Yang, Muyi & Phoumin, Han & Aghdam, Reza Fathollahzadeh & Shi, Xunpeng, 2021. "Assessment of accessible, clean and efficient energy systems: A statistical analysis of composite energy performance indices," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    11. Muhammad Shahbaz & Mehmet Akif Destek & Michael L. Polemis, 2018. "Do Foreign Capital and Financial Development Affect Clean Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions? Evidence from BRICS and Next-11 Countries," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 68(4), pages 20-50, October-D.
    12. Irfan, Muhammad & Rehman, Mubeen Abdur & Razzaq, Asif & Hao, Yu, 2023. "What derives renewable energy transition in G-7 and E-7 countries? The role of financial development and mineral markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    13. Sun, Yunpeng & Li, Haoning & Andlib, Zubaria & Genie, Mesfin G., 2022. "How do renewable energy and urbanization cause carbon emissions? Evidence from advanced panel estimation techniques," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 996-1005.
    14. Sun, Yunpeng & Gao, Pengpeng & Razzaq, Asif, 2023. "How does fiscal decentralization lead to renewable energy transition and a sustainable environment? Evidence from highly decentralized economies," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1064-1074.
    15. Zhang, Cuifang & Xiang, Xiandeng, 2023. "Fiscal decentralization, environmental policy stringency, and resource sustainability: Panacea or Pandora's box in high resource consuming countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    16. Shahzadi, Irum & Yaseen, Muhammad Rizwan & Iqbal Khan, Muhammad Tariq & Amjad Makhdum, Muhammad Sohail & Ali, Qamar, 2022. "The nexus between research and development, renewable energy and environmental quality: Evidence from developed and developing countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 1089-1099.
    17. Ostadzad, Ali Hossein, 2022. "Innovation and carbon emissions: Fixed-effects panel threshold model estimation for renewable energy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 602-617.
    18. Xu, Deyi & Sheraz, Muhammad & Hassan, Arshad & Sinha, Avik & Ullah, Saif, 2022. "Financial development, renewable energy and CO2 emission in G7 countries: New evidence from non-linear and asymmetric analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    19. Ma, Yechi & Chen, Zhiguo & Shinwari, Riazullah & Khan, Zeeshan, 2021. "Financialization, globalization, and Dutch disease: Is Dutch disease exist for resources rich countries?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    20. Umut Uzar, 2022. "The connection between freedom of the press and environmental quality: An investigation on emerging market countries," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(1), pages 21-38, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:94:y:2021:i:c:s014098832030400x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eneco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.