Economic growth and the environment: reassessing the environmental Kuznets Curve for air pollution emissions in OECD countries

This paper tests the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for four local (SO $$_{x}$$ x , NO $$_{x}$$ x , CO, VOC) and two global (CO $$_{2}$$ 2 , GHG) air pollutants. Using a panel data set of thirty OECD countries, the paper finds that the postulated inverted U-shaped relationship between income and pollution does not hold for all gases. A meaningful EKC exists only for CO, VOC and NO $$_{x}$$ x , where for CO $$_{2}$$ 2 the curve is monotonically increasing. For GHG there is indication of EKC, but most countries are still on the increasing path of the curve. SO $$_{x }$$ x emissions follow a U-shaped curve. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015