Technological changes and carbon neutrality targets in European countries: A sustainability approach with Fourier approximations

Ugur Korkut Pata, Mustafa Tevfik Kartal and Shahriyar Mukhtarov

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2024, vol. 198, issue C

Abstract: The diffusion of net-zero technologies is highly recommended as European Union (EU) countries aim for carbon neutrality by 2050. Germany, France, and the Netherlands are EU countries that invest heavily in environmental patents, and the relationship between patent development and carbon reduction in these countries provides important clues for carbon neutrality goals. Therefore, this study examines the effects of technological change (environmental patents), human capital, and income on carbon (CO2) emissions for three EU member countries over the period 1974–2019 under the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. For this purpose, the study applies the Fourier-ADL approach and various time series estimators. The results of the study show that the EKC hypothesis is valid for EU countries and that human capital contributes to carbon reduction. Moreover, environmental patents contribute to CO2 mitigation in Germany, but environmental patents do not have a significant effect on emission reduction in France and the Netherlands. These results suggest that France and the Netherlands should invest more in environmental patents and, like Germany, benefit from the CO2 reduction effects of environmental patents.

Keywords: Carbon neutrality; Environmental patents; Income; Human capital; Technological change; EU countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C32 O33 Q55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:198:y:2024:i:c:s0040162523006790

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122994

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