The interconnections between Renewable Energy, Economic Development and Environmental Pollution. A simultaneous equation system approach

Elias Soukiazis (), Sara Proença () and Pedro Cerqueira
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Sara Proença: CERNAS/ESAC Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra

No 2017-10, CeBER Working Papers from Centre for Business and Economics Research (CeBER), University of Coimbra

Abstract: The relationship between renewable energy sources and economic growth has attracted the interest of researchers in recent years. However, the analysis has focused mostly on measuring the impact of renewable energy consumption on economic performance (such as economic growth) that does not reflect the quality of standards of living. We employ a different approach measuring the impact of renewable energy consumption on the Human Development Index (HDI) that considers these qualitative characteristics associated with better health and educational standards along with income performance. Additionally, we develop a simultaneous equation system approach that describes the interrelations between economic variables, renewable energy and pollution emissions with feedback effect tendencies. We provide robust evidence using panel data for a set of 28 OECD countries over the period 2004-2015. The system of equations is estimated by 3sls considering a static and dynamic specification of the model. It is shown that renewable energy consumption along with human and physical capital are important factors for explaining the sustainable development level of the countries considered. Renewable energy consumption is mostly determined by higher levels of human capital, the R&D spending and the stage of countries’ development. Factors like the stage of development, total energy consumption, renewable energy consumption and standard levels of education are important elements for explaining environmental pollution (measured by CO2 emissions per capita). It is also established a non-linear relationship between the countries` stage of development and carbon emissions.

Keywords: Renewable energy; human development index; simultaneous equation system; panel data. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C33 O13 Q2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 27 pages
Date: 2017-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env and nep-reg
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Interconnections between Renewable Energy, Economic Development and Environmental Pollution: A Simultaneous Equation System Approach (2019)
Journal Article: The Interconnections between Renewable Energy, Economic Development and Environmental Pollution: A Simultaneous Equation System Approach (2019)
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