On the dynamics of environmental performance in the European Union

Roberto Gomez-Calvet, David Conesa (), Ana Rosa Gómez-Calvet () and Emili Tortosa-Ausina
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David Conesa: Statistics and Operational Research Department, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
Ana Rosa Gómez-Calvet: Business Finance Department, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain

No 2014/20, Working Papers from Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain)

Abstract: This article evaluates the evolution of environmental performance in the context of the European Union (EU), over the period 1993–2010. The context is particularly relevant, due to the traditionally high concerns of the EU about these issues, which has triggered off several initiatives and regulations on environmental protection. In this setting, we conduct a two-stage analysis which develops environmental performance indicators in the first stage for each pair country-year, and evaluates its evolution in the second. More specifically, in the first stage we estimate specific efficiencies for three air-pollutants (CO2e, SO2, NOx), along with an eco-efficiency indicator, for which we use the slack-free directional distance functions in the Data Envelopment Analysis framework (as opposed to the more extended intensity r atios), whereas in the second stage we propose using a model of explicit distribution dynamics which takes into account how the entire distributions of these indicators evolve. Our results indicate that the dynamics underlying the evolution of the indicators analyzed are indeed remarkable. Although the eco-efficiency indicator has improved over the last two decades, it has been during the last decade when performance has shown a more convergent path. However, in the case of the more traditional indicators (CO2e, SO2, NOx) the abatement opportunities are still remarkable, especially in the case of SO2e.

Keywords: distribution dynamics; efficiency; energy; environmental performance; European Union (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q4 Q43 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 2014
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eff, nep-ene, nep-env and nep-eur
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jau:wpaper:2014/20

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