IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v13y2020i10p2641-d361505.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Environmental Kuznets Curve and the Energy Mix: A Structural Estimation

Author

Listed:
  • Anelí Bongers

    (Department of Economics, University of Malaga, 29013 Malaga, Spain)

Abstract

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis establishes the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between income and environmental deterioration. This paper studies the relationship between the energy mix and pollutant emissions and uses an environmental dynamic general equilibrium model to carry out a structural estimation of the EKC hypothesis. The model considers a three-input production function, including energy. Energy is a composite of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. The flow of pollutant emissions depends on fossil fuels’ consumption, which accumulates in a pollution stock, resulting in a negative externality that adversely impacts aggregate productivity. Simulations of the model support the existence of a steady-state EKC relationship between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the stock of pollution, where the negative slope side of the curve is very flat. We find that (i) the EKC hypothesis is only fulfilled when the elasticity of substitution between fossil fuel and renewable energy is high enough; (ii) the higher the elasticity of the productivity to the stock of pollution, the lower the optimal stock of pollution as a function of output; and (iii) emissions efficiency has a positive impact on the environment in the short-run, but negative in the long-run.

Suggested Citation

  • Anelí Bongers, 2020. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve and the Energy Mix: A Structural Estimation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-21, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:10:p:2641-:d:361505
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/10/2641/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/10/2641/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. anonymous, 1995. "Does the bouncing ball lead to economic growth?," Regional Update, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, issue Jul, pages 1-2,4-6.
    2. John, A & Pecchenino, R, 1994. "An Overlapping Generations Model of Growth and the Environment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 104(427), pages 1393-1410, November.
    3. Grossman, G.M & Krueger, A.B., 1991. "Environmental Impacts of a North American Free Trade Agreement," Papers 158, Princeton, Woodrow Wilson School - Public and International Affairs.
    4. Konstantinos Angelopoulos & George Economides & Apostolis Philippopoulos, 2010. "What is the best environmental policy?Taxes, permits and rules under economic and environmental uncertainty," Working Papers 119, Bank of Greece.
    5. William Brock & M. Taylor, 2010. "The Green Solow model," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 127-153, June.
    6. Fischer, Carolyn & Springborn, Michael, 2011. "Emissions targets and the real business cycle: Intensity targets versus caps or taxes," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 352-366.
    7. Holtz-Eakin, Douglas & Selden, Thomas M., 1995. "Stoking the fires? CO2 emissions and economic growth," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 85-101, May.
    8. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    9. Kaika, Dimitra & Zervas, Efthimios, 2013. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory—Part A: Concept, causes and the CO2 emissions case," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1392-1402.
    10. Frauke Urban & Johan Nordensvärd, 2018. "Low Carbon Energy Transitions in the Nordic Countries: Evidence from the Environmental Kuznets Curve," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, August.
    11. Kaika, Dimitra & Zervas, Efthimios, 2013. "The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory. Part B: Critical issues," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1403-1411.
    12. Garth Heutel, 2012. "How Should Environmental Policy Respond to Business Cycles? Optimal Policy under Persistent Productivity Shocks," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 15(2), pages 244-264, April.
    13. Andreoni, James & Levinson, Arik, 2001. "The simple analytics of the environmental Kuznets curve," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(2), pages 269-286, May.
    14. Thai-Ha Le, Youngho Chang, and Donghyun Park, 2020. "Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Consumption, Economic Growth, and Emissions: International Evidence," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2), pages 73-92.
    15. Jonathan Heathcote & Kjetil Storesletten & Giovanni L. Violante, 2010. "The Macroeconomic Implications of Rising Wage Inequality in the United States," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 118(4), pages 681-722, August.
    16. David I. Stern, 2012. "Interfuel Substitution: A Meta‐Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 307-331, April.
    17. Panayotou, Theodore, 1997. "Demystifying the environmental Kuznets curve: turning a black box into a policy tool," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(4), pages 465-484, November.
    18. Shafik, Nemat, 1994. "Economic Development and Environmental Quality: An Econometric Analysis," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 46(0), pages 757-773, Supplemen.
    19. Shafik, Nemat & Bandyopadhyay, Sushenjit, 1992. "Economic growth and environmental quality : time series and cross-country evidence," Policy Research Working Paper Series 904, The World Bank.
    20. Annicchiarico, Barbara & Di Dio, Fabio, 2015. "Environmental policy and macroeconomic dynamics in a new Keynesian model," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 1-21.
    21. Abid Rashid Gill & Kuperan K. Viswanathan & Sallahuddin Hassan, 2018. "A test of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for carbon emission and potential of renewable energy to reduce green house gases (GHG) in Malaysia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1103-1114, June.
    22. Jones, Larry E. & Manuelli, Rodolfo E., 1995. "Growth and the effects of inflation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 19(8), pages 1405-1428, November.
    23. Selden Thomas M. & Song Daqing, 1994. "Environmental Quality and Development: Is There a Kuznets Curve for Air Pollution Emissions?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 147-162, September.
    24. Stern , David I., 1998. "Progress on the environmental Kuznets curve?," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 173-196, May.
    25. Dogan, Eyup & Seker, Fahri, 2016. "The influence of real output, renewable and non-renewable energy, trade and financial development on carbon emissions in the top renewable energy countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1074-1085.
    26. Kijima, Masaaki & Nishide, Katsumasa & Ohyama, Atsuyuki, 2010. "Economic models for the environmental Kuznets curve: A survey," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1187-1201, July.
    27. Garth Heutel, 2012. "How Should Environmental Policy Respond to Business Cycles? Optimal Policy under Persistent Productivity Shocks," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 15(2), pages 244-264, April.
    28. Tahvonen, Olli & Salo, Seppo, 2001. "Economic growth and transitions between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1379-1398, August.
    29. Stokey, Nancy L, 1998. "Are There Limits to Growth?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 39(1), pages 1-31, February.
    30. Rashid Gill, Abid & Viswanathan, Kuperan K. & Hassan, Sallahuddin, 2018. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and the environmental problem of the day," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 1636-1642.
    31. Dinda, Soumyananda, 2004. "Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 431-455, August.
    32. Dogan, Eyup & Seker, Fahri, 2016. "Determinants of CO2 emissions in the European Union: The role of renewable and non-renewable energy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 429-439.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eleni Zafeiriou & Spyridon Galatsidas & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Stavros Tsiantikoudis & Athanasios Batzios, 2023. "Environmental Degradation by Energy–Economic Growth Interlinkages in EU Agriculture," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-14, May.
    2. MARINESCU Ștefana & MAHDAVIAN Seyed Mohammadreza & RĂDULESCU Magdalena, 2022. "Globalization, Energy Mix, Renewable Energy, and Emission: Romanian Case," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bucharest Economic Academy, issue 02, June.
    3. Bongers, Anelí & Casas, Pablo, 2022. "The circular economy and the optimal recycling rate: A macroeconomic approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    4. Haider Mahmood & Nabil Maalel & Muhammad Shahid Hassan, 2021. "Probing the Energy-Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis in Oil and Natural Gas Consumption Models Considering Urbanization and Financial Development in Middle East Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-24, May.
    5. Tomasz Rokicki & Aleksandra Perkowska, 2020. "Changes in Energy Supplies in the Countries of the Visegrad Group," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-17, September.
    6. Kerong Zhang & Liangyu Jiang & Yanzhi Jin & Wuyi Liu, 2022. "The Carbon Emission Characteristics and Reduction Potential in Developing Areas: Case Study from Anhui Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-28, December.
    7. Batara Surya & Andi Muhibuddin & Seri Suriani & Emil Salim Rasyidi & Baharuddin Baharuddin & Andi Tenri Fitriyah & Herminawaty Abubakar, 2021. "Economic Evaluation, Use of Renewable Energy, and Sustainable Urban Development Mamminasata Metropolitan, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-45, January.
    8. Liang, Chao & Wang, Qi, 2023. "The relationship between total factor productivity and environmental quality: A sustainable future with innovation input," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    9. George E. Halkos & Eleni-Christina Gkampoura, 2021. "Examining the Linkages among Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Electricity Production and Economic Growth in Different Income Levels," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-24, March.

    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. Sabuj Kumar Mandal & Devleena Chakravarty, 2017. "Role of energy in estimating turning point of Environmental Kuznets Curve: an econometric analysis of the existing studies," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 19(2), pages 387-401, October.
    2. Esteve, Vicente & Tamarit, Cecilio, 2012. "Threshold cointegration and nonlinear adjustment between CO2 and income: The Environmental Kuznets Curve in Spain, 1857–2007," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 2148-2156.
    3. Pascalau, Razvan & Qirjo, Dhimitri, 2017. "TTIP and the Environmental Kuznets Curve," MPRA Paper 80192, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Dinda, Soumyananda, 2004. "Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 431-455, August.
    5. Simone Marsiglio & Alberto Ansuategi & Maria Carmen Gallastegui, 2016. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve and the Structural Change Hypothesis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 63(2), pages 265-288, February.
    6. Roxana Pincheira & Felipe Zuniga, 2021. "Environmental Kuznets curve bibliographic map: a systematic literature review," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(S1), pages 1931-1956, April.
    7. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    8. Richard T. Carson, 2010. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve: Seeking Empirical Regularity and Theoretical Structure," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 4(1), pages 3-23, Winter.
    9. David I. Stern, 2017. "The environmental Kuznets curve after 25 years," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 7-28, April.
    10. Wang, Sophie Xuefei & Fu, Yu Benjamin & Zhang, Zhe George, 2015. "Population growth and the environmental Kuznets curve," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 146-165.
    11. Stern, David I., 2014. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Primer," Working Papers 249424, Australian National University, Centre for Climate Economics & Policy.
    12. Carson, Richard T, 2009. "Searching for Empirical Regularity and Theoretical Structure: The Environmental Kuznets Curve," University of California at San Diego, Economics Working Paper Series qt4m6263c2, Department of Economics, UC San Diego.
    13. Halkos, George, 2011. "Environment and economic development: determinants of an EKC hypothesis," MPRA Paper 33262, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Tchapchet Tchouto, Jules-Eric, 2023. "An empirical assessment on the leveraging evidence of economic complexity under environmental kuznets curve hypothesis: A comparative analysis between Nordic and Non-Nordic European countries," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 2(4).
    15. Pei-Zhi Liu & Seema Narayan & Yi-Shuai Ren & Yong Jiang & Konstantinos Baltas & Basil Sharp, 2022. "Re-Examining the Income–CO 2 Emissions Nexus Using the New Kink Regression Model: Does the Kuznets Curve Exist in G7 Countries?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, March.
    16. Martin Neve & Bertrand Hamaide, 2017. "Environmental Kuznets Curve with Adjusted Net Savings as a Trade-Off Between Environment and Development," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 39-58, March.
    17. Sushama Murty, 2014. "On the environmental Kuznets curve with fossil-fuel induced emission: Theory and some illustrative examples," Discussion Papers 1406, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    18. Sushama Murty, 2014. "Necessary and sufficient conditions for an environmental Kuznets curve with some illustrative examples," Discussion Papers 1407, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    19. Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2004. "Trade, Growth, and the Environment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(1), pages 7-71, March.
    20. Javier Capó Parrilla, 2009. "Curva de Kuznets ambiental: Evidencia para Europa," CRE Working Papers (Documents de treball del CRE) 2009/3, Centre de Recerca Econòmica (UIB ·"Sa Nostra").

    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:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:10:p:2641-:d:361505. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.