Investigating the EKC hypothesis for China: the role of economic complexity on ecological footprint

Yilanci V., Pata U. K.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH, cilt.27, sa.26, ss.32683-32694, 2020 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 27 Sayı: 26
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11356-020-09434-4
  • Dergi Adı: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, IBZ Online, ABI/INFORM, Aerospace Database, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Environment Index, Geobase, MEDLINE, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.32683-32694
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: EKC hypothesis, Economic complexity, Economic growth, Bootstrap FARDL, Time-varying causality, China, ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE, CO2 EMISSIONS, ENERGY-CONSUMPTION, TECHNICAL PROGRESS, CARBON EMISSIONS, NATURAL-GAS, GROWTH, PANEL, POLICY, SUSTAINABILITY
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

This empirical study aims to test the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for China within the framework of (Narayan and Narayan Energy Policy 38(1):661-666, 2010) approach. To this end, the study employs a recently developed Fourier ARDL procedure and time-varying causality test over the period 1965-2016 to analyze the short- and long-term relationships between economic growth, economic complexity index, energy consumption, and ecological footprint. The findings of the Fourier ARDL procedure confirm the existence of cointegration among the series. Moreover, the results of this study demonstrate that energy consumption and ecological complexity increase ecological footprint in both the short- and long term. However, the short-term elasticity of economic growth is smaller than the long-term elasticity, implying that the EKC hypothesis is not valid for China. This finding is robust as it is confirmed by the time-varying causality test. The overall results illustrate that economic complexity has an increasing impact on ecological footprint, and economic growth is not effective to solve environmental problems in China. Therefore, the Chinese government should encourage a more environmentally friendly production process and cleaner technologies in exports to reduce environmental pollution.