Human Capital, Trade Competitiveness and Environmental Efficiency Convergence Across Asia Pacific Countries

Abstract

This study mainly investigates 14 Asia Pacific economies’ environmental efficiency. Departing from previous studies ignoring environmental technology heterogeneity, we evaluate environmental efficiency through metafrontier super epsilon based model (EBM). We compare environmental efficiency convergence across different regions via unit root test and truncated regressions. We analyze how trade competitiveness impact environmental efficiency. We also explore effect of green technology and human capital on environmental efficiency from the perspective of endogenous growth. Our findings indicate that stochastic and absolute β-convergence tendencies were confirmed. Human capital can enhance environmental efficiency convergence. Trade competitiveness showed a mixed impact on environmental efficiency convergence, confirming scale, composition and technical effects. It is better to enhance human capital, strengthening environmental regulations under international competition as well as relentlessly pursuing green industrialization across Asia Pacific countries.

Eco-Efficiency, Environmental and Sustainable Innovation in Recycling Energy and Their Effect on Business Performance: Evidence from European SMEs

“…These barriers are significant in understanding SMEs' performance while implementing eco-efficiency actions. If SMEs face any of the above obstacles, the circumstances can halt the whole process of them undertaking eco-efficiency actions and pursuing sustainability [42]. For example, SMEs with insufficient knowledge of sustainable materials or methods or a lack of access to the proper administrative resources are less likely to undertake advanced resource efficiency actions.…”