Human capital and energy consumption: Evidence from OECD countries
Yao Yao,
Kris Ivanovski,
John Inekwe and
Russell Smyth
Energy Economics, 2019, vol. 84, issue C
Abstract:
We examine the effect of human capital on energy consumption for a panel of OECD economies over the period 1965–2014. Our preferred results, which account for cross-sectional dependence and structural breaks, suggest that a one standard deviation increase in human capital reduces aggregate energy consumption by 15.36%. When we distinguish between clean and dirty energy consumption, we find that human capital generates significant positive externalities for the environment. Specifically, we find that a one standard deviation increase in human capital is associated with a 17.33% decrease in dirty energy consumption and an 85.54% increase in clean energy consumption. Our findings reinforce the social benefits of investing in human capital and suggest a promising avenue for energy conservation without impeding economic growth.
Keywords: Human capital; Energy consumption; Cross-section dependence; Panel data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C33 J24 O50 Q43 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (97)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:84:y:2019:i:c:s0140988319303299
DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2019.104534
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