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Can Public Debt Mitigate Environmental Debt? Theory and Empirical Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Mohamed Boly
  • Jean-Louis Combes

    (LEO - Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orleans [2022-...] - UO - Université d'Orléans - UT - Université de Tours - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)

  • Maxime Menuet

    (LEO - Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orleans [2022-...] - UO - Université d'Orléans - UT - Université de Tours - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)

  • Alexandru Minea

    (LEO - Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orleans [2022-...] - UO - Université d'Orléans - UT - Université de Tours - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne, Carleton University)

  • Pascale Combes Motel

    (LEO - Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orleans [2022-...] - UO - Université d'Orléans - UT - Université de Tours - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)

  • Patrick Villieu

    (LEO - Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orleans [2022-...] - UO - Université d'Orléans - UT - Université de Tours - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between public debt and environmental debt—reflecting CO carbon concentration. First, using an endogenous growth model in which pollution abatement spending can be financed by public debt, we show that public debt and environmental debt are complementary in the long run and usually substitutes in the short run. Second, these predictions are empirically confirmed: in particular, a 1% increase in the public debt ratio leads to an increase of 0.74% in cumulative CO per capita in the long run. Our findings emphasize the difficulty of defining policies that jointly serve both the economic (fiscal) and the environmental goals, due to the short- and long-run conflicting environmental effects of policies that either reduce or do not constrain public debt.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Boly & Jean-Louis Combes & Maxime Menuet & Alexandru Minea & Pascale Combes Motel & Patrick Villieu, 2022. "Can Public Debt Mitigate Environmental Debt? Theory and Empirical Evidence," Post-Print hal-03573000, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03573000
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2022.105895
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://univ-orleans.hal.science/hal-03573000
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    Cited by:

    1. Marion Davin & Mouez Fodha & Thomas Seegmuller, 2024. "Pollution, public debt, and growth: The question of sustainability," Working Papers hal-04620026, HAL.
    2. Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline & Mouez Fodha, 2023. "Debt, tax and environmental policy [Dette, taxe et politique environnementale]," Post-Print halshs-04181981, HAL.
    3. Robbie Maris & Mark Holmes, 2023. "Economic Growth Theory and Natural Resource Constraints: A Stocktake and Critical Assessment," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 56(2), pages 255-268, June.
    4. Matilda Baret & Maxime Menuet, 2024. "Fiscal and Environmental Sustainability: Is Public Debt Environmentally Friendly?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(6), pages 1497-1520, June.
    5. Stephen K. Dimnwobi & Kingsley I. Okere & Bernard C. Azolibe & Kingsley C. Onyenwife, 2023. "Towards a Green Future for Sub-Saharan Africa: Do electricity access and public debt drive environmental progress?," Working Papers 23/043, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    6. Dong, Xiaojun & Yu, Xiaowen & Shi, Tao & Qiao, Dan, 2024. "Nexus between carbon emissions and local debt risk: Evidence from China's prefecture-level cities," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    7. Yacouba Coulibaly, 2023. "Can Resource-backed Loans Mitigate Climate Change ?," Working Papers hal-04072352, HAL.
    8. Stephen K. Dimnwobi & Kingsley I. Okere & Bernard C. Azolibe & Kingsley C. Onyenwife, 2023. "Towards a Green Future for Sub-Saharan Africa: Do electricity access and public debt drive environmental progress?," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 23/043, African Governance and Development Institute..

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental debt; Public debt; CO2 emissions; Panel data; Welfare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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