IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i23p6074-d1535306.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards Sustainability: Understanding Norway’s Ecological Footprint Through the Framework of the Environmental Kuznets Curve

Author

Listed:
  • Irina Georgescu

    (Department of Economic Informatics and Cybernetics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 0105552 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Ionuț Nica

    (Department of Economic Informatics and Cybernetics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 0105552 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Jani Kinnunen

    (Department of Information Systems, Åbo Akademi University, Tuomiokirkontori 3, 20500 Turku, Finland)

Abstract

With rising concerns about environmental sustainability, examining the economic-environmental nexus is essential. This study investigates the relationship between economic growth (GDP), renewable energy consumption (RENC), urbanization (URB), and foreign direct investment (FDI) with Norway’s ecological footprint from 1990 to 2023. Guided by the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, we aim to understand how these factors influence Norway’s environmental impact over time. Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the study captures both the short- and long-term effects of these variables on the ecological footprint, and model stability is confirmed through the Cumulative Sum of Squares (CUSUM) test. The findings reveal a U-shaped EKC pattern, where initial economic growth reduces the ecological footprint, but beyond a certain GDP threshold, environmental pressures increase. Renewable energy consumption is shown to lower the ecological footprint significantly, supporting Norway’s sustainability goals. Conversely, FDI is associated with increased environmental impact, potentially due to resource-intensive projects. These insights underscore the need for balanced policies that harmonize economic development with environmental preservation. Policymakers are encouraged to foster green FDI, prioritize renewable energy investments, and implement sustainable urban planning to maintain Norway’s trajectory toward ecological sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Irina Georgescu & Ionuț Nica & Jani Kinnunen, 2024. "Towards Sustainability: Understanding Norway’s Ecological Footprint Through the Framework of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-26, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:23:p:6074-:d:1535306
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/23/6074/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/23/6074/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Irina Georgescu & Jani Kinnunen, 2024. "Dynamic interactions between GDP, renewable energy, innovation, and CO2 emissions in Finland: a fourier-augmented ARDL analysis," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 1-23, December.
    2. 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.
    3. M. Hashem Pesaran & Yongcheol Shin & Richard J. Smith, 2001. "Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 289-326.
    4. Ionuț Nica & Irina Georgescu & Jani Kinnunen, 2024. "Evaluating Renewable Energy’s Role in Mitigating CO 2 Emissions: A Case Study of Solar Power in Finland Using the ARDL Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-29, August.
    5. Jani Kinnunen & Irina Georgescu & Ionuț Nica, 2024. "Evaluating the Environmental Phillips Curve Hypothesis in the STIRPAT Framework for Finland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-24, May.
    6. Raza, Ali & Ali, Mumtaz & Tursoy, Turgut & Seraj, Mehdi & Habeeb, Yusuf Olatunji, 2024. "Evaluating the Scandinavian economy's transition to a sustainable environment. Fresh evidence from newly developed CS-ARDL approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    7. Sebastian Kripfganz & Daniel C. Schneider, 2023. "ardl: Estimating autoregressive distributed lag and equilibrium correction models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 23(4), pages 983-1019, December.
    8. Camelia Delcea & Ionuț Nica & Irina Georgescu & Nora Chiriță & Cristian Ciurea, 2024. "Integrating Fuzzy MCDM Methods and ARDL Approach for Circular Economy Strategy Analysis in Romania," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-35, September.
    9. Buehn, Andreas & Farzanegan, Mohammad Reza, 2013. "Hold your breath: A new index of air pollution," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 104-113.
    10. Marie Sophie Hervieux & Olivier Darné, 2016. "Production and consumption-based approaches for the environmental Kuznets curve using ecological footprint," Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(3), pages 318-334, September.
    11. Hinsene Lemma Wegari & Sisay Tolla Whakeshum & Negese Tamirat Mulatu, 2023. "Human capital and its impact on Ethiopian economic growth: ARDL approach to co-integration," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 2186046-218, December.
    12. Irina Georgescu & Ionuț Nica, 2024. "Evaluating the Determinants of Deforestation in Romania: Empirical Evidence from an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model and the Bayer–Hanck Cointegration Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-28, June.
    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. Ionuț Nica & Irina Georgescu & Jani Kinnunen, 2024. "An Autoregressive Distributed Lag and Environmental Kuznets Curve Approach: Linking CO 2 Emissions and Electricity Access in India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-22, December.
    2. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Manh-Tung Ho & Hong-Kong To Nguyen & Minh-Hoang Nguyen, 2019. "The trilemma of sustainable industrial growth: evidence from a piloting OECD’s Green city," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Bartosz Jóźwik & Antonina Gavryshkiv, 2022. "Wpływ podatku środowiskowego na emisję gazów cieplarnianych w państwach Grupy Wyszehradzkiej," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1, pages 66-78.
    4. Adebayo, Tomiwa Sunday & Awosusi, Abraham Ayobamiji & Bekun, Festus Victor & Altuntaş, Mehmet, 2021. "Coal energy consumption beat renewable energy consumption in South Africa: Developing policy framework for sustainable development," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 1012-1024.
    5. Bartosz Jóźwik & Antonina-Victoria Gavryshkiv & Phouphet Kyophilavong & Lech Euzebiusz Gruszecki, 2021. "Revisiting the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Case of Central Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.
    6. Mohamed Ouédraogo & Daiyan Peng & Xi Chen & Shujahat Haider Hashmi & Mamoudou Ibrahima Sall, 2021. "Dynamic Effect of Oil Resources on Environmental Quality: Testing the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis for Selected African Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-23, March.
    7. Okon Emmanuel O., 2021. "Nigeria: Is There an Environmental Kuznets Curve for Fluorinated Gases?," Open Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 57-71, January.
    8. Nasreen, Samia & Anwar, Sofia & Ozturk, Ilhan, 2017. "Financial stability, energy consumption and environmental quality: Evidence from South Asian economies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 1105-1122.
    9. Felician A. Kitole & Jennifer K. Sesabo & Olufunmilola F. Adesiyan & A. O. Ige & Temitope O. Ojo & Chijioke U. Emenike & Nolwazi Z. Khumalo & Hazem S. Kassem & Khalid M. Elhindi, 2024. "Greening the Growth: A Comprehensive Analysis of Globalization, Economic Performance, and Environmental Degradation in Tanzania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Sinha, Avik & Shahbaz, Muhammad, 2018. "Estimation of Environmental Kuznets Curve for CO2 emission: Role of renewable energy generation in India," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 703-711.
    11. Carmen van der Merwe & Martin de Wit, 2021. "An In-Depth Investigation into the Relationship Between Municipal Solid Waste Generation and Economic Growth in the City of Cape Town," Working Papers 07/2021, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics, revised 2021.
    12. Kanjilal, Kakali & Ghosh, Sajal, 2013. "Environmental Kuznet’s curve for India: Evidence from tests for cointegration with unknown structuralbreaks," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 509-515.
    13. Ajayi, Patricia & Ogunrinola, Adedeji, 2020. "Growth, Trade Openness and Environmental Degradation in Nigeria," MPRA Paper 100713, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Iorember, Paul Terhemba & Usman, Ojonugwa & Jelilov, Gylych, 2019. "Asymmetric Effects of Renewable Energy Consumption, Trade Openness and Economic Growth on Environmental Quality in Nigeria and South Africa," MPRA Paper 96333, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2019.
    15. Gopal Gopakumar & Ritika Jaiswal & Mayank Parashar, 2022. "Analysis of the Existence of Environmental Kuznets Curve: Evidence from India," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(1), pages 177-187.
    16. Oktay KIZILKAYA, 2017. "The Impact of Economic Growth and Foreign Direct Investment on CO2 Emissions: The Case of Turkey," Turkish Economic Review, KSP Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 106-118, March.
    17. Jayanthakumaran, Kankesu & Verma, Reetu & Liu, Ying, 2012. "CO2 emissions, energy consumption, trade and income: A comparative analysis of China and India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 450-460.
    18. Arup Roy & Ranjan DasGupta, 2024. "Economic Development, Energy Consumption, and Environmental Deterioration: A Non-Linear Evidence from India," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 22(3), pages 721-747, September.
    19. Ozturk, Ilhan & Acaravci, Ali, 2010. "CO2 emissions, energy consumption and economic growth in Turkey," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(9), pages 3220-3225, December.
    20. Armenia Androniceanu & Irina Georgescu & Ionuț Nica & Nora Chiriță, 2023. "A Comprehensive Analysis of Renewable Energy Based on Integrating Economic Cybernetics and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model—The Case of Romania," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-28, August.

    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:17:y:2024:i:23:p:6074-:d:1535306. 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.