Dominance of Fossil Fuels in Japan’s National Energy Mix and Implications for Environmental Sustainability

Despite the drive for increased environmental protection and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), coal, oil, and natural gas use continues to dominate Japan’s energy mix. In light of this issue, this research assessed the position of natural gas, oil, and coal energy use in Japan’s environmental mitigation efforts from the perspective of sustainable development with respect to economic growth between 1965 and 2019. In this regard, the study employs Bayer and Hanck cointegration, fully modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS), and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) to investigate these interconnections. The empirical findings from this study revealed that the utilization of natural gas, oil, and coal energy reduces the sustainability of the environment with oil consumption having the most significant impact. Furthermore, the study validates the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in Japan. The outcomes of the Gradual shift causality showed that CO2 emissions can predict economic growth, while oil, coal, and energy consumption can predict CO2 emissions in Japan. Given Japan’s ongoing energy crisis, this innovative analysis provides valuable policy insights to stakeholders and authorities in the nation’s energy sector.

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Does Green Energy Complement Economic Growth for Achieving Environmental Sustainability? Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13010180 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 180

Author(s):

Montassar Kahia ◽

Anis Omri ◽

Bilel Jarraya

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Least Square ◽

Ekc Hypothesis ◽

Renewable Energy Consumption ◽

Ordinary Least Square

This study extends previous environmental sustainability literature by investigating the joint impact of economic growth and renewable energy on reducing CO2 emissions in Saudi Arabia over the period 1990–2016. Using the fully modified ordinary least-square (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least-square DOLS estimators, we find that economic growth increases CO2 emissions in all estimated models. Moreover, the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is only supported for CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption. The invalidity of the EKC hypothesis in the most commonly used models implies that economic growth alone is not sufficient to enhance environmental quality. Renewable energy is found to have a weak influence on reducing the indicators of environmental degradation. We also find that the joint impact of renewable energy consumption and economic growth on the indicators of CO2 emissions is negative and insignificant for all the estimated models, meaning that the level of renewable energy consumption in Saudi Arabia is not sufficient to moderate the negative effect of economic growth on environmental quality. Implications for policy are also discussed.

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Analisis Hubungan Pariwisata dan Pertumbuhan Ekonomi terhadap Emisi CO2 di Indonesia

Indicators : Journal of Economic and Business ◽

10.47729/indicators.v1i2.36 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 131-140

Author(s):

Mela Dipa Sekar Putri ◽

Rida Oktayanti ◽

Suci Amalia ◽

Hilda Amalia

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Least Square Method ◽

Least Square ◽

Kuznets Curve ◽

Annual Data ◽

Ordinary Least Square ◽

Foreign Tourism ◽

Regression Techniques ◽

Relationship Of

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine how the relationship of tourism's influence and economic growth on CO2 emissions. In this case the data used by researchers is the researchers took some data on the number of foreign tourists coming to Indonesia and the economic growth that exists in Indonesia to CO2 emissions in Indonesia. This study also examines the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis between tourism income and CO2 emissions. To achieve this goal, researchers used econometric regression techniques. The method used is using the OLS (Ordinary Least Square) method and data using annual data (time series). In the results obtained get 2 results namely the level of economic growth (x1) has a positive and significant effect on the level of CO2 emissions in Indonesia and the number of foreign tourism (X2) has a positive and significant effect on the level of CO2 emissions in Indonesia.

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Environmental implication of coal and oil energy utilization in Turkey: is the EKC hypothesis related to energy?

Management of Environmental Quality An International Journal ◽

10.1108/meq-10-2020-0220 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Adewale Alola ◽

Ulrich Tiamgne Donve

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Extended Period ◽

Primary Energy ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Kuznets Curve ◽

Ekc Hypothesis ◽

Content Type ◽

Energy Mix ◽

The Government

PurposeIn spite of the drive toward environmental sustainability and the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs), coal, oil and natural gas energy utilization has remained the Turkey's largest energy mix. In view of this concern, this study examined the role of coal and oil energy utilization in environmental sustainability drive of Turkey from the framework of sustainable development vis-à-vis income expansion over an extended period of 1965–2017.Design/methodology/approachIn this regard, the authors employ carbon emission as an environmental and dependent variable while the Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDPC), coal and oil energy consumption are the explanatory variables employed in the study.FindingsThe study found that both energy mixes (coal and oil) have a detrimental impact on the environment in both the short and long run, but oil consumption exerts a less severe impact as compared to coal energy. In addition, sustainable development via income growth is not feasible because the income–environmental degradation relationship follows a U-shaped pattern (invalidating the Environmental Kuznets curve, EKC hypothesis) especially when coal and oil remained the major source of lubrication to the economy. At least the EKC hypothesis is unattainable in Turkey as long as the country's major energy mix or primary energy (coal and oil) is in use, thus the application of other socioeconomic, macroeconomic policies might be essential.Research limitations/implicationsConsidering the lingering energy challenge associated with Turkey, this novel insight further presented useful policy perspectives to the government and stakeholders in the country's energy sector.Originality/valueThis evidence (the U-shaped relationship) is further ascertained when the aggregate primary energy is employed. Thus, this study provides a novel insight that attaining a sustainable economic growth in Turkey remained a herculean task as long as a more aggressive energy transition approach is not encouraged.

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Does Social Businesses Development Affect Bioenergy Industry Growth under the Pathway of Sustainable Development?

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041989 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1989 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mohd Alsaleh ◽

Muhammad Abdulwakil ◽

Abdul Abdul-Rahim

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Alternative Energy ◽

Business Development ◽

Least Square ◽

Female Employment ◽

Social Market Economy ◽

Social Business ◽

Industry Growth ◽

Ordinary Least Square

The Treaty of European Union (EU) sets out the EU vision for sustainable development of Europe based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment. This led us to ask whether or not social business development stimulates the development of the bioenergy sector in the EU28 countries. Given the increasing rates of energy insecurity, environmental pollution, poverty, and unemployment, countries are switching to alternative energy sources that might promote social business development, climate change, and environmental quality. In this scenario, the bioenergy industry has received the attention of scholars and policymakers alike. The role social business development can play in the growth of the bioenergy industry remains uncertain, therefore, further investigation is necessary. This study, therefore, explores the relationships between the bioenergy industry and social business development indicators related to zero emissions, zero poverty, and zero unemployment for EU28 region countries from 1990 to 2018. Empirical evidence is based on the use of a new economic model, dynamic panel co-integration simulations (Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square, Dynamic Ordinary Least Square, and Pooled Ordinary Least Square). The results reveal a negative relationship between EU28′s bioenergy industry growth and carbon dioxide emissions, vulnerable employment, and unemployment rate, suggesting that bioenergy industry growth helps reduce pollution and unemployment. Likewise, bioenergy industry growth increases food supply, economic growth, and female employment and might be the best alternative to fossil fuels. Necessary policy related to bioenergy industry growth can be formulated, especially in achieving the sustainable development goals for social businesses.

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Impact of Renewable Energy on Economic Growth and CO2 Emissions—Evidence from BRICS Countries

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr9081281 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 1281

Author(s):

Qinghua Fu ◽

Susana Álvarez-Otero ◽

Muhammad Safdar Sial ◽

Ubaldo Comite ◽

Pengfei Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Least Square ◽

Energy Resources ◽

Renewable Energy Resources ◽

Ordinary Least Square ◽

Brics Countries ◽

Production And Consumption ◽

The Impact

The global focus on the use of renewable energy resources was mainly reignited by the signing of the Kyoto Protocol Agreement in 1997. Since then, the world has seen a great deal of progress in terms of the production and consumption of renewable energy. This in turn is rapidly powering economic growth and social development around the globe. Contrary to popular belief, the use of renewable energy is not limited to developed countries only. The developing countries are also rapidly endorsing renewable energy as a vital engine of economic growth and societal development. In this regard, even though renewable energy production and consumption are in their infancy in BRICS, these countries are taking concrete steps towards the development of renewable energy resources. The results of previous studies have indicated that with an increase in the GDP of a country its carbon footprint also tends to increase; the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) countries are no exception in this regard. One of the main challenges in research related to measuring the contribution of renewable energy towards economic growth is the use of a singular model or techniques that may not be appropriate for the generalization of the results. This study intends to overcome this challenge by application of multiple econometric-based models which include the “Cross Dependency” test, the unit root test, and “CIPS” (cross-sectional augmented IPS). Besides these the second generation, stochastic models based upon econometrics, such as the DOLS test (dynamic ordinary least square) and the FMOLS (fully modified ordinary least square) are also applied for verification of the contribution of renewable energy towards the economic growth of the BRICS countries. The novelty of the study mainly stems from fact that these models are seldom applied in tandem and especially in the BRICS countries. The results of the study indicate that the existence of the bi-directional relationship between the use of renewable energy and economic growth is mainly indicated by the increase in GDP, thus lending support to the feedback hypothesis. Moreover, the conservation hypothesis was proven by the existence of a unidirectional causality relationship between the use of renewable energy and CO2 emissions. Alongside these, the study also included sensitivity analysis to gauge the impact of the growth of GDP on the CO2 emissions of BRICS countries, and regression analysis was performed to create an EKC curve which was used to gauge not only the sensitivity but also to help in highlighting the impact of using renewable energy in controlling and reducing CO2 emissions, thus proving the EKC theory. Thus, it can be deduced that increase in CO2 emissions is of major concern for the BRICS countries, which has led them to increase the production of renewable energy. Based upon the findings of the present study it is recommended that policymakers should encourage the use of renewable energy by offering incentives in financial terms, such as interest-free or low-interest loans, subsidies and feed-in tariffs.

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The Effect of Energy Consumption and Economic Growth on Environmental Sustainability in the GCC Countries: Does Financial Development Matter?

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14185897 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (18) ◽

pp. 5897

Author(s):

Hala Baydoun ◽

Mehmet Aga

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Financial Development ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Unit Root ◽

Kuznets Curve ◽

Causality Test ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Gcc Countries

Achieving environmental sustainability whilst minimizing the climate change effect has become a global endeavor. Hence, this study examined the effect of energy consumption, economic growth, financial development, and globalization on CO2 emissions in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The research utilized a dataset stretching from 1995 to 2018. In a bid to investigate these associations, the study applied cross-sectional dependence (CSD), slope heterogeneity (SH), Pesaran unit root, Westerlund cointegration, cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL), and Dumitrescu and Hurlin (DH) causality approaches. The outcomes of the CSD and SH tests indicated that using the first-generation techniques produces misleading results. The panel unit root analysis unveiled that the series are I (1). Furthermore, the outcomes of the cointegration test revealed a long-run association between CO2 emissions and the regressors, suggesting evidence of cointegration. The findings of the CS-ARDL showed that economic growth and energy consumption decrease environmental sustainability, while globalization improves it. The study also validated the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for GCC economies. In addition, the results of the DH causality test demonstrated a feedback causality association between economic growth and CO2 emissions and between financial development and CO2 emissions. Moreover, there is a one-way causality from energy consumption and globalization to CO2 emissions in GCC economies. According to the findings, environmental pollution in GCC countries is output-driven, which means that it is determined by the amount of energy generated and consumed.

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Investigating the Dynamic Impact of CO2 Emissions and Economic Growth on Renewable Energy Production: Evidence from FMOLS and DOLS Tests

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr7080496 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. 496 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Khan ◽

Panigrahi ◽

Almuniri ◽

Soomro ◽

Mirjat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Energy Production ◽

Clean Energy ◽

The Philippines ◽

Least Square ◽

Ordinary Least Square ◽

Renewable Energy Production ◽

Asean Countries

Understanding the dynamic nexus between CO2 emissions and economic growth in the sustainable environment helps the economies in developing resources and formulating apposite energy policies. In the recent past, various studies have explored the nexus between CO2 emissions and economic growth. This study, however, investigates the nexus between renewable energy production, CO2 emissions, and economic growth over the period from 1995 to 2016 for seven Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) methodologies were used to estimate the long- and short-run relationships. The panel results revealed that renewable energy production has a significant long term effect on CO2 emissions for Vietnam (t = −2.990), Thailand (t = −2.505), and Indonesia (t = −2.515), and economic growth impact for Malaysia (t = 2.050), Thailand (t = −2.001), and the Philippines (t = −2.710). It is, therefore, vital that the ASEAN countries implement policies and strategies that ensure energy saving and continuous economic growth without forsaking the environment. This study, as such, recommends that ASEAN countries should take measures to decrease the reliance on fossil fuels for achieving these objectives. Future research should consider the principles of circular economy and clean energy development mechanisms integrated with renewable energy technologies.

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Energy and Ecological Sustainability: Challenges and Panoramas in Belt and Road Initiative Countries

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10082743 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 2743 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Abdul Rauf ◽

Xiaoxing Liu ◽

Waqas Amin ◽

Ilhan Ozturk ◽

Obaid Rehman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Trade Openness ◽

Least Square ◽

Belt And Road Initiative ◽

Ordinary Least Square ◽

Long Run ◽

Fixed Capital Formation ◽

Belt And Road

Innovation and globalization fosters a tendency towards multiparty collaboration and strategic contacts among nations. A similar path was followed by the Chinese administration in 2013, with its “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI). The most important objective of the present fact-finding study was to demonstrate the links between economic growth, energy consumption, urbanization, gross fixed capital formation, trade openness, financial development and carbon emissions (ecological degradation) from a panel of 47 BRI economies, over a time span of 1980 to 2016. Dynamic panel estimations (dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) and fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS)) were engaged to examine the long-run links between the subjected variables. Synchronized outcomes for the full panel show that energy consumption, gross fixed capital formation, economic growth, financial development, and urbanization unfavorably led to environmental degradation (CO2 emissions). However, trade openness is negatively correlated with emissions. Furthermore, pairwise panel Granger causative estimations justified bi-directional links from all regressors towards CO2 emissions, except for trade openness, which had unidirectional ties with environmental quality. In cross-country, long-run assessments, different results were found, with CO2 emissions being greatly increased by economic growth in all countries and energy consumption in 30 countries; other predictors testified to some mixed interactions with CO2 emissions in the country-level examination. The reported investigation provides some noteworthy guiding principles and policy inferences aimed at governments and ecological supervisory administrations, suggesting assertive moves towards truncated used of carbon fossil fuels and dependency on renewable energy, establishing waste and water treatment plants, familiarizing themselves with the concept of a green economy, and making the general public aware of eco-friendly investments in BRI economies.

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Does Foreign Direct Investment Influence Renewable Energy Consumption? Empirical Evidence from South Asian Countries

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14123470 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 3470

Author(s):

Xueqing Kang ◽

Farman Ullah Khan ◽

Raza Ullah ◽

Muhammad Arif ◽

Shams Ur Rehman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Foreign Direct Investment ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

South Asian ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Direct Investment ◽

Least Square ◽

Asian Countries ◽

Ordinary Least Square ◽

The Relationship

In selected South Asian countries, the study intends to investigate the relationship between urban population (UP), carbon dioxide (CO2), trade openness (TO), gross domestic product (GDP), foreign direct investment (FDI), and renewable energy (RE). Fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) models for estimation were used in the study, which covered yearly data from 1990 to 2019. We used Levin–Lin–Chu, Im–Pesaran–Shin, and Fisher PP tests for the stationarity of the variables. The outcomes of the panel cointegration approach looked at whether there was a long-run equilibrium nexus between selected variables in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. The FMOLS approach was also used to assess the relationship, and the results suggest that there is a significant and negative nexus between FDI and renewable energy in south Asian nations. The study’s findings reveal a strong and favorable relationship between GDP and renewable energy use. In South Asian nations (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), the FMOLS and DOLS findings are nearly identical, but the authors used the DOLS model for robustification. According to the findings, policymakers in South Asian economies (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh) should view GDP and FDI as fundamental policy instruments for environmental sustainability. To reduce reliance on hazardous energy sources, the government should also reassure financial sectors to participate in renewable energy.

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Revisiting the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Case of Central Europe

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14123415 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 3415

Author(s):

Bartosz Jóźwik ◽

Antonina-Victoria Gavryshkiv ◽

Phouphet Kyophilavong ◽

Lech Euzebiusz Gruszecki

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Central Europe ◽

Environmental Kuznets Curve ◽

European Countries ◽

Kuznets Curve ◽

The European Union ◽

Ekc Hypothesis ◽

Central European ◽

Long Run

The rapid economic growth observed in Central European countries in the last thirty years has been the result of profound political changes and economic liberalization. This growth is partly connected with reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, the problem of CO2 emissions seems to remain unresolved. The aim of this paper is to test whether the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis holds true for Central European countries in an annual sample data that covers 1995–2016 in most countries. We examine cointegration by applying the Autoregressive Distributed Lag bound testing. This is the first study examining the relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth in individual Central European countries from a long-run perspective, which allows the results to be compared. We confirmed the cointegration, but our estimates confirmed the EKC hypothesis only in Poland. It should also be noted that in all nine countries, energy consumption leads to increased CO2 emissions. The long-run elasticity ranges between 1.5 in Bulgaria and 2.0 in Croatia. We observed exceptionally low long-run elasticity in Estonia (0.49). Our findings suggest that to solve the environmental degradation problem in Central Europe, it is necessary to individualize the policies implemented in the European Union.

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