IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v10y2023i1d10.1057_s41599-023-02197-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pollution, income inequality and green finance in the new EU member states

Author

Listed:
  • Mihaela Simionescu

    (University of Bucharest
    Romanian Academy)

  • Beáta Gavurová

    (Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies,Technical University of Košice)

Abstract

Income inequality and pollution represent major challenges for the New EU Member States. In this context, the main objective of this paper is to check if income inequality enhances pollution in the EU-13 countries in the period 2002–2021. The results depend on the type of method that was employed (Fully Modified Least Square (FMOLS) estimators and method of moments quantile regression). In most of the cases, Gini index and gender pay gap have a negative impact on GHG emissions. An inverse U pattern is supported for the pollution—economic growth nexus. Foreign direct investment contributes to pollution, while renewable energy consumption proved to be the most efficient tool in the fight with pollution. For robustness check, in the period 2006–2021, the environmental protection investments of general government reduced the GHG emissions only in the long run. The results are the basis for the formulations of various proposals to reduce pollution in the New EU Member States.

Suggested Citation

  • Mihaela Simionescu & Beáta Gavurová, 2023. "Pollution, income inequality and green finance in the new EU member states," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-02197-6
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-02197-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-02197-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-023-02197-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Westerlund, Joakim & Edgerton, David L., 2007. "A panel bootstrap cointegration test," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 185-190, December.
    2. Uddin, Md. Main & Mishra, Vinod & Smyth, Russell, 2020. "Income inequality and CO2 emissions in the G7, 1870–2014: Evidence from non-parametric modelling," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Coondoo, Dipankor & Dinda, Soumyananda, 2008. "Carbon dioxide emission and income: A temporal analysis of cross-country distributional patterns," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 375-385, April.
    4. Hashem Pesaran, M. & Yamagata, Takashi, 2008. "Testing slope homogeneity in large panels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 50-93, January.
    5. Zhang, Chuanguo & Zhao, Wei, 2014. "Panel estimation for income inequality and CO2 emissions: A regional analysis in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 382-392.
    6. Peterson K. Ozili, 2022. "Green finance research around the world: a review of literature," International Journal of Green Economics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 16(1), pages 56-75.
    7. Torras, Mariano & Boyce, James K., 1998. "Income, inequality, and pollution: a reassessment of the environmental Kuznets Curve," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 147-160, May.
    8. Laura Policardo, 2016. "Is Democracy Good for the Environment? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Regime Transitions," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(2), pages 275-300, June.
    9. Peter C. B. Phillips & Bruce E. Hansen, 1990. "Statistical Inference in Instrumental Variables Regression with I(1) Processes," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 57(1), pages 99-125.
    10. Golley, Jane & Meng, Xin, 2012. "Income inequality and carbon dioxide emissions: The case of Chinese urban households," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1864-1872.
    11. Natalia Zugravu-Soilita, 2017. "How does Foreign Direct Investment Affect Pollution? Toward a Better Understanding of the Direct and Conditional Effects," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 66(2), pages 293-338, February.
    12. Martin Gassebner & Michael J. Lamla & Jan-Egbert Sturm, 2011. "Determinants of pollution: what do we really know?," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 63(3), pages 568-595, July.
    13. Mihaela Simionescu & Carmen Beatrice Păuna & Mihaela-Daniela Vornicescu Niculescu, 2021. "The Relationship between Economic Growth and Pollution in Some New European Union Member States: A Dynamic Panel ARDL Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, April.
    14. Lan, Jing & Wei, Yiming & Guo, Jie & Li, Qiuming & Liu, Zhen, 2023. "The effect of green finance on industrial pollution emissions: Evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    15. Ozili, Peterson Kitakogelu, 2022. "Green finance research around the world: a review of literature," MPRA Paper 114899, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Cristian Barra & Roberto Zotti, 2018. "Investigating the non-linearity between national income and environmental pollution: international evidence of Kuznets curve," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 20(1), pages 179-210, January.
    17. Pasquale Marcello Falcone, 2020. "Environmental regulation and green investments: the role of green finance," International Journal of Green Economics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 14(2), pages 159-173.
    18. Heerink, Nico & Mulatu, Abay & Bulte, Erwin, 2001. "Income inequality and the environment: aggregation bias in environmental Kuznets curves," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 359-367, September.
    19. Sager, Lutz, 2019. "Estimating the effect of air pollution on road safety using atmospheric temperature inversions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    20. Brännlund, Runar & Ghalwash, Tarek, 2008. "The income-pollution relationship and the role of income distribution: An analysis of Swedish household data," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 369-387, August.
    21. Ravallion, Martin & Heil, Mark & Jalan, Jyotsna, 2000. "Carbon Emissions and Income Inequality," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 52(4), pages 651-669, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bo Yang & Minhaj Ali & Shujahat Haider Hashmi & Mohsin Shabir, 2020. "Income Inequality and CO 2 Emissions in Developing Countries: The Moderating Role of Financial Instability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-24, August.
    2. Abebe Hailemariam & Ratbek Dzhumashev & Muhammad Shahbaz, 2020. "Carbon emissions, income inequality and economic development," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1139-1159, September.
    3. Ibrahim Mohamed Ali Ali, 2023. "Income Inequality and Environmental Degradation in Middle-Income Countries: A Test of Two Competing Hypotheses," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(2), pages 299-321, April.
    4. Feng Wang & Jian Yang & Joshua Shackman & Xin Liu, 2021. "Impact of Income Inequality on Urban Air Quality: A Game Theoretical and Empirical Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Nicholas Marinucci & Kris Ivanovski, 2023. "Does Inequality Affect Climate Change? A Regional and Sectoral Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 705-729, April.
    6. Zhang, Chuanguo & Zhao, Wei, 2014. "Panel estimation for income inequality and CO2 emissions: A regional analysis in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 382-392.
    7. Lin Guo, 2017. "Income Inequality, Household Consumption And Co2 Emissions In China," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 62(02), pages 531-553, June.
    8. Wolde-Rufael, Yemane & Idowu, Samuel, 2017. "Income distribution and CO2 emission: A comparative analysis for China and India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1336-1345.
    9. Baoxi Li & De Xiao, 2021. "The Impact of Income Inequality on Subjective Environmental Pollution: Individual Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-26, July.
    10. Alban Verchere, 2022. "Is social polarization bad for the planet? A theoretical inquiry," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 427-456, April.
    11. Liu, Qianqian & Wang, Shaojian & Zhang, Wenzhong & Li, Jiaming & Kong, Yunlong, 2019. "Examining the effects of income inequality on CO2 emissions: Evidence from non-spatial and spatial perspectives," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 163-171.
    12. Wan, Guanghua & Wang, Chen & Wang, Jinxian & Zhang, Xun, 2022. "The income inequality-CO2 emissions nexus: Transmission mechanisms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    13. Unmesh Patnaik & Santosh K. Sahu, 2016. "The Tradeoffs between GHGs Emissions, Income Inequality and Productivity," Working Papers id:10882, eSocialSciences.
    14. Moritz A. Drupp & Ulrike Kornek & Jasper N. Meya & Lutz Sager, 2021. "Inequality and the Environment: The Economics of a Two-Headed Hydra," CESifo Working Paper Series 9447, CESifo.
    15. Yulin Liu & Min Zhang & Rujia Liu, 2020. "The Impact of Income Inequality on Carbon Emissions in China: A Household-Level Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-22, March.
    16. Padhan, Hemachandra & Haouas, Ilham & Sahoo, Bhagaban & Heshmati, Almas, 2018. "What Matters for Environmental Quality in the Next-11 Countries: Economic Growth or Income Inequality?," IZA Discussion Papers 11407, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Grunewald, Nicole & Klasen, Stephan & Martínez-Zarzoso, Inmaculada & Muris, Chris, 2017. "The Trade-off Between Income Inequality and Carbon Dioxide Emissions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 249-256.
    18. Rojas-Vallejos, Jorge & Lastuka, Amy, 2020. "The income inequality and carbon emissions trade-off revisited," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    19. Uddin, Md. Main & Mishra, Vinod & Smyth, Russell, 2020. "Income inequality and CO2 emissions in the G7, 1870–2014: Evidence from non-parametric modelling," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    20. Sencer Atasoy, Burak, 2017. "Testing the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis across the U.S.: Evidence from panel mean group estimators," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 731-747.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-02197-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.