Exploring the Impact of Economic Growth on the Environment: An Overview of Trends and Developments

Abstract

In our modern world, energy keeps the global economy running, and economic growth concerns are profoundly interrelated with environmental quality issues. Interestingly, scientists engage with empirical research to identify the impacts and causalities at the interface of economic activities, energy supply, and demand. The importance of the present study lies in a discussion of all contemporary research efforts bridging two strands of empirical literature in environmental economics: developments in energy growth nexus discussion and the environmental Kuznets curve. Furthermore, it highlights the inclusion of untested explanatory variables and the impacts on environmental degradation levels. In the context of the EKC hypothesis, the most popular indicators are greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and carbon dioxide emissions in conceptualizing environmental degradation. A review of relevant empirical studies disclosed additional research opportunities that can consider currently untested and less visible proxies of economic growth. For both strands in the literature, results differ based on the group of countries investigated, the econometric models adopted, the format of data, e.g., time series or panel analyses, the time frames due to data availability, and the proxies used to conceptualize energy, environmental degradation, and economic growth. Practical implications indicate that environmental degradation can be avoided or significantly limited within sustainable economic growth to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase the use of renewables in the energy mix. Furthermore, one particular implication is the concept of energy efficiency to reduce relevant demand to produce the same outcome or task.

Carbon Emission Prediction and the Reduction Pathway in Industrial Parks: A Scenario Analysis Based on the Integration of the LEAP Model with LMDI Decomposition

“…According to the additive decomposition principle of the LMDI model, the carbon emission influence of each driving factor from the base year (year 0) to the target year (year t) is displayed in Equations ( 3)- (8). The carbon emission contribution rate represents the ratio of the carbon emission influence of each driving factor to the carbon emission increment (∆C).…”

“…Climate change, environmental pollution, and energy security have emerged as global challenges, posing severe threats to human survival and development [5,6]. In such a milieu, the globe has reached the consensus to develop a low-carbon economy; it is also one of China's critical measures to address climate change issues [7,8]. Presently, China is amidst rapid urbanization and industrialization, making the industry the chief consumer of energy and producer of carbon emissions.…”

The Role of the Energy Use in Buildings in Front of Climate Change: Reviewing a System’s Challenging Future

“…Consequently, this approach helps to reach results concerning the sensitivity of the growth process against energy conservation measures. In particular, concerns are visible regarding the optimum equilibrium between use-users and demand-growth (Ekonomou & Halkos, 2023). Hence, we obtain feedback for regulating energy consumption and limiting greenhouse emissions and fossil fuel resource depletion in the presence of climate change.…”

The Role of the Energy Use in Buildings in Front of Climate Change: Reviewing a System’s Challenging Future

“…Consequently, this approach helps to reach results concerning the sensitivity of the growth process against energy conservation measures. In particular, concerns are visible regarding the optimum equilibrium between use-users and demand-growth [81] (Ekonomou and Halkos, 2023). Hence, we obtain feedback for regulating energy consumption.…”