Rethinking electricity consumption and economic growth nexus in Turkey: environmental pros and cons

Revisiting the relationships between energy consumption, economic development and urban size: A global perspective using remote sensing data

Existing methods of measuring energy consumption require complex statistics and computing. A real-time and globally applicable approach for comparing energy consumption across different cities is still lacking. Additionally, the nonlinear relationships and varying thresholds of energy consumption in relation to economic activities and urbanization remain unconfirmed. This study aims to fill these gaps by utilizing Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS) nighttime light data in 2015 and a top-down approach based on a multiple regression model to examine energy consumption in global cities employing a redefined urban boundary. It also explores the accurate relationship between energy consumption, population density (as a proxy of urbanization), and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) across different regions and urban sizes using generalized additive models and regression models. High-resolution gridded population and GDP datasets covering the entire planet are utilized for this purpose. The study also estimates the development potentiality. The study yields followings outcomes: Firstly, the top 30 cities with the highest per capita energy consumption account for over 0.66% of the total per capita energy consumption of all cities. Secondly, in East Asia (EA) and Southeast Asia (SEA), the per capita energy consumption decreases when per capita GDP reaches $40,000 and $75,000, respectively, while it remains stable in cities located in Western Europe (WE) and North America (NA) as per capita GDP increases. Thirdly, the per capita energy consumption declines with increasing urban population density until reaching 10,000 person/km2, 22,000 person/km2, and 4000 person/km2 in EA, SEA, and NA, respectively. Fourthly, in Central Asia (CA), megacities can save over 100 Mbtu/population when per capita GDP increases by $1000 compared to big cities. This pioneering study provides a comparable investigation of energy consumption at the global city level, exploring its relationship with urbanization and economy by employing a unified calculation standard. It will facilitate long-term energy-saving policies and urban planning strategies.

The impact of electric power consumption on economic growth: a case study of Portugal, France, and Finland

Energy plays a vital role in promoting sustainable economic development in complex societies. This study has analyzed the impact of electricity consumption on three European Union member countries' economic growth, i.e., Portugal, France, and Finland, caring structural breaks in cointegration analyses. The empirical results indicate a positive impact of electric power consumption on economic growth in the long and short run in Finland and Portugal and in the long run in France. The findings also highlight the positive and significant role of the labor force in boosting economic growth in the long and short run in France and Finland. However, it shrinks economic growth in the long run in Portugal. The study discloses the positive role of capital in the long run in the case of Portugal. Similar results are found in all three countries in the short run. Moreover, the study diagnoses a bidirectional causal relationship between economic growth and electric power consumption in Finland in the long and short run and in France in the long run. A growth-promoting or electricity-led growth hypothesis is found in Portugal. By simulating the mean values of electric power consumption, economic growth follows an increasing trend in all the countries. Hence, electric power consumption has appeared an essential factor in elevating economic growth in all three selected countries. Based on these results, this study suggests that the provision of electricity supply ventures may be expanded in the selected EU member countries in order to enhance economic growth. The study also suggests that emphasis should be shifted from non-renewable energy sources to renewable energy sources to ensure the provision of clean energy to all the public under the umbrella of sustainable development goals of 2030. Hence, the present study contributes to achieving sustainable economic growth in the selected EU member countries.

Carbon dioxide emissions, urbanization level, and industrial structure: empirical evidence from North China

This paper aims to examine the nexus among carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, urbanization level and industrial structure in North China over the period 2004-2019, according to an expanded Cobb-Douglas production function. The panel econometric techniques are employed to complete the empirical analysis, including cross-sectional correlation test, panel unit root test, panel co-integration test, and panel Granger causality test. The empirical results support the long-term equilibrium relationship among CO₂ emissions, urbanization level and industrial structure in North China, and the urbanization level contributes most to CO₂ emissions, followed by fossil energy consumption. Furthermore, the bidirectional causality between CO₂ emissions and urbanization level and unidirectional causality from industrial structure to CO₂ emissions are found in North China, indicating that urbanization level and industrial structure have significant impacts on CO₂ emissions. Finally, according to the empirical findings, several policy suggestions are proposed for the purpose of reducing CO₂ emissions in North China.

Do higher education research and development expenditures affect environmental sustainability? New evidence from Chinese provinces

Even though higher education R&D expenditures (HEEXP) are important determinants of economic growth that facilitate science, technology, new ideas, and innovation, yet its effect on environmental sustainability remains unexplored. This paper examines the nexus between HEEXP and carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂e), followed by control variables such as electricity consumption (EC), foreign direct investment (FDI), gross domestic product (GDP), and total population (TP) for the period 2000Q1-2019Q4. Data were evaluated using different tests, e.g., the cross-sectional dependence test, cross-sectionally augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test, Westerlund error-correction-based panel cointegration test, mean group, augmented mean group, common correlated effects mean group, and Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test. First, the results validated the cointegration association among HEEXP, EC, FDI, GDP, TP, and CO₂e. Second, the finding showed significant long-term negative nexus between HEEXP and CO₂e. Third, the findings indicated that electricity consumption, foreign direct investment, gross domestic product, and total population are the important factors that intensify the overall situation of CO₂e. Fourth, the results indicated that there exists bidirectional causality between EC and CO₂e; FDI and CO₂e; GDP and CO₂e; POP and CO₂e; and HEEXP and CO₂e. This paper's findings call for devising policies and strengthening financial support to induce higher education for developing green patents.