Environment and Growth

Ryo Horii and Masako Ikefuji

No 2014.37, Working Papers from Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei

Abstract: This paper examines the implications of the mutual causality between environmental quality and economic growth. While economic growth deteriorates the environment through increasing amounts of pollution, the deteriorated environment in turn limits the possibility of further economic growth. In a less developed country, this link, which we call “limits to growth,” emerges as the “poverty-environment trap,” which explains the persistent international inequality both in terms of income and environment. This link also threatens the sustainability of the world’s economic growth, particularly when the emission of greenhouse gases raises the risk of natural disasters. Stronger environmental policies are required to overcome this link. While there is a trade-off between the environment and growth in the short run, we show that an appropriate policy can improve both in the long run.

Keywords: Environmental Kuznets Curve; Limits to Growth; Poverty-Environment Trap; Sustainability; Natural Disasters (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env and nep-gro
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Environment and Growth (2014)
Working Paper: Environment and Growth (2014)
Working Paper: Environment and Growth (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fem:femwpa:2014.37

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