The paper investigates indicators to be used to assessing the ecological convergence of countries/regions. There are numerous empirical studies in the scientific literature on the convergence of environmental and economic indicators, which are considered as the key goal of efforts to reduce emissions in different countries. The convergence of these indicators is the basis of many scientific schools of climate change researches. When countries converge, they can work together to address environmental threats and agree on their emission reduction commitments. To this end, CO2 emissions are used in researches, but a critical analysis of scientific sources has shown that researchers are inclined to use the ecological footprint, which is a complex cumulative indicator. It is noted that the CO2 emission indicator reflects only part of the cumulative effects that result from extensive energy consumption [11]. In addition to CO2 emissions, the use of resources such as forests, soils, oil, gas and mining reserves also has a significant impact on the environment. For example, in developed countries there is a decrease in the number of specific pollutants per unit of output, which has been achieved by technological progress and the implementation of strict environmental legislation; however, wastewater pollution has shifted from nitrogen and sulfur oxides to solid waste, so total waste remains high and waste per capita may even remain stable. The above indicates that specific indicators of negative impact on the environment, including CO2 emissions, need to be supplemented with comprehensive cumulative indicators, which is the purpose of this article. It was found that the indicator of ecological footprint is a more adequate indicator, as it includes a set of variables of environmental pollution. In this regard, it is concluded that the use of ecological footprint in the study of ecological and economic convergence of countries/regions is relevant: based on the results of convergence tests of ecological footprint, country leaders can decide to conduct a common or differentiated environmental and economic policy to decrease environmental pollution.
Analysis of the drivers of CO2 emissions and ecological footprint growth in Australia
