Do developing countries enjoy latecomers’ advantages in environmental management and technology? — analysis of the environmental Kuznets curve

Developing countries are under pressure to deal with a variety of environmental problems, such as industrial pollution, urban environmental issues, the deterioration of ecosystems, and global warming, while they are expected to simultaneously achieve high economic growth. In this context, they urgently need to leapfrog over environmental difficulties through progressive environmental management and technology by utilizing their “latecomers’ advantages” to the maximum extent possible. By utilizing the analytical framework of the environmental Kuznets curve (EK curve), this study examines whether or not developing countries actually enjoy latecomers’ advantages in environmental management and technology, depending on their stages of development. The study’s main findings are as follows: (1) regional analysis focusing on selected East Asian countries shows that both the EK curve trajectories and observed facts are generally consistent with the hypothesis that developing countries do enjoy latecomers’ advantages; and (2) a regression analysis using cross-sectional data provides significant confirmation of the existence of latecomers’ advantages for addressing the well known environmental problem of sulfur emissions.