Environmental Performance in the West African Economy: MM-Quantile and 2SLS Approach

Hammed Musibau, Maria Belen Yanotti, Rabindra Nepal and Joaquin Vespignani

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: The 2019 World Bank report on West Africa's coast indicates that over $3.8 billion is lost annually due to environmental issues, like erosion, flooding, and pollution. In this paper, the newly introduced environmental performance index (EPI) is incorporated into the neoclassical growth model to empirically address the impact of environmental performance on economic growth for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Using the novel Method of Moments-Quantile Regression methodology and 2SLS models, the empirical investigation finds a positive relationship between environmental performance and economic growth across quantiles for ECOWAS. Empirical results provide evidence supporting bidirectional relationships running from environmental performance to economic growth; from government size to economic growth; and from trade openness to economic growth across all quantiles. Results show that environmental performance, government size, labour, and capital stock have a positive impact on West African Economic Growth, while trade openness decreases economic growth. We find a 48% optimal threshold of environmental performance index (EPI) on economic Growth for ECOWAS countries. Based on the findings, policies to encourage improved environmental performance above the threshold estimated will go a long way to enhance West African economies.

Keywords: economic growth; environmental performance; ECOWAS; Moment of Method-QR estimator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E00 F40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-09-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-env and nep-gro
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Working Paper: Environmental performance in the West African economy: MM-quantile and 2SLS approach (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:110627

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