An Analysis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve Using Time Series Data
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Authors
Egge, John
Issue Date
2007
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The environmental Kuznets curve attempts to describe the progression of a
country's environmental quality as it develops economically. This curve suggests that
pollution will first increase and then decrease as development proceeds. Thus far, the
majority of the empirical literature supporting the Environmental Kuznets Curve
hypothesis has been drawn from cross-sectional and panel data. For various reasons, the
use of cross-section data in environmental Kuznets curve analysis is problematic, and
time-series data is preferred. This paper analyzes historical time series emissions
estimations for several countries at different stages of development to determine if the
environmental Kuznets curve accurately describes how individual countries behave.
Additionally, data from Poland, a country formerly in the soviet bloc is analyzed to
determine what effect, if any, a population's willingness to pay for environmental quality
will have on its environmental Kuznets curve. The data analyzed in this paper suggests
that the environmental Kuznets curve is an adequate description of what happens to a
country's emissions as it develops. However, there are some problems in the traditional
regression form used in the model. Additionally, the data from Poland does support the
hypothesis that a country's pollution levels are, in part, determined by it's citizen's
willingness to pay for environmental quality, and not solely by the composition of its
output.
Description
33 p.
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