Is the Environmental Kuznets Curve Still Valid: A Perspective of Wicked Problems

Jingling Chen, Tao Eric Hu and Rob van Tulder
Additional contact information
Jingling Chen: Department of Business, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
Tao Eric Hu: Department of Accounting Information Systems, California State University, Northridge, CA 91330-8372, USA
Rob van Tulder: Partnerships Resource Center, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: Historically, academia has paid much attention to environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) associated hypotheses, and the EKC per se has triggered conflicting reactions since first posited. Yet, all controversies seem not to have any base framework to address further pollution-related strategies. Built upon an extensive critical review of the extant EKC literature, this paper attempts to address the gap by introducing the theory of wicked problems that can be used to reframe the extant EKC research. Integrating and synthesizing the theories and empirical findings of the extant EKC literature, this paper develops a conceptual framework (a research agenda), and suggests that, given humans’ bound rationality and societal uncertainties, the EKC pattern may not be valid for the situations of more wicked pollution. Mainly focusing on this type of pollution, the paper contributes to the EKC study in proposing a set of causal relationships built upon the attitudes of societal sectors. The paper points to the necessity of distinguishing the less wicked pollution situations from the more wicked ones that require different practical and academic strategies to deal with. The former can be addressed along with economic growth, and the latter requires proactive attitudes, proactive leadership, and strong organization of societal sectors. In doing so, we hope to advance the conversation surrounding EKC studies and the abatement practice adaption. Contributions of this study and future research avenues for empirical verifications of the theory are then discussed.

Keywords: environmental Kuznets curve; wicked problems; societal sector; collaboration; triggering event (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/17/4747/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/17/4747/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:17:p:4747-:d:262560

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().