IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/qualqt/v59y2025i1d10.1007_s11135-024-01945-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis still valid for OECD countries? A comprehensive analysis across multiple sources

Author

Listed:
  • Müzeyyen Merve Şerifoğlu

    (Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye)

  • Pelin Öge Güney

    (Hacettepe University)

Abstract

This study aims to explore the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from different resources and economic growth for the period 1990–2021. Our study focuses on Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries, which is characterized by leading economies, representing a substantial portion of the world’s economic activity and renowned for its rigorous policy analysis and comprehensive data. Furthermore, we examine the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and renewable energy consumption on GHG emissions. To achieve this, we apply two-step System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation methodology as our principal approach. Additionally, we tested the robustness of our findings by applying alternative methodologies, two-stage least squares (2SLS) and generalized least squares (GLS). Our results confirm the existence of the EKC hypothesis for both total GHG emissions and emissions categorized by sources. Additionally, FDI has been found to increase the GHG emissions from all sources, namely energy, industry, and agricultural production and waste consumption. On the other hand, it has been shown that as renewable energy increases the GHG emission decreases. These findings are helpful for policymakers to build sound policies to reduce environmental degradation. We suggest that policymakers should promote the development of renewable energy resources and support clean energy technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Müzeyyen Merve Şerifoğlu & Pelin Öge Güney, 2025. "Is the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis still valid for OECD countries? A comprehensive analysis across multiple sources," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 547-573, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:59:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11135-024-01945-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-024-01945-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11135-024-01945-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11135-024-01945-3?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.

    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:spr:qualqt:v:59:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11135-024-01945-3. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.