Factors driving CO2 emissions: the role of energy transition and brain drain

Abstract

This investigation explored the impacts of energy transition and brain drain on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. A panel of seventy-five countries from 2006 to 2020 and the panel quantile regression were used to realize this investigation. The empirical results from the panel quantile regression indicated that the brain drain, trade openness, and economic growth increase CO2 emissions per capita. At the same time, the energy transition, energy efficiency, and urbanization mitigate the environmental degradation in this group of countries. Moreover, the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test indicated the presence of unidirectional causality from brain drain to CO2 emissions. The same test also suggests that the brain drains at all levels except 75th has positive and expressive effects on CO2 emissions -mainly in quantiles 10th and 25th, and the energy transition at all levels decreases CO2 emissions, being this effect more intense as quantiles levels up. This research contributes to the literature twofold. First, the study contributes to the literature by finding that brain drain provokes environmental degradation, which is more pronounced when CO2 emissions per capita are low. Second, this analysis assesses the impact of brain drain and energy transition on CO2 emissions of countries with similar convergence patterns. Indeed, it has the novelty of using criteria to include the countries in the panel. This criterion selects the countries by identifying which are more homogeneous and thus reduces the noise caused by divergent countries in the panel. Therefore, this research also opens the door to exploring energy transition based on countries with similar convergence patterns.

The effect of technological innovations, urbanization and economic growth on environmental quality: does governance matter?

“…In contrast, urbanization (% of the total population), environmental patents, and environmental tax as a percentage of total tax reduce CO 2 gas emissions. Kazemzadeh et al (2023) investigate the nexus between economic growth, institutional quality, urbanization and energy consumption on carbon emissions. The model results shows that model allows for exploring sufficient conditions and identifying the optimal combination of variables that increase or decrease the ecological footprint.…”

“…Using ARDL model, the findings shows that energy consumption and industrialization raise carbon emissions in Russia. Kazemzadeh, (2022b) explore the effect of energy transition on carbon emissions in five countries from 2006 to 2020 using panel quantile regression. The findings shows that brain drain, trade openness, and economic growth increase CO 2 emissions per capita.…”

Does industrialization promote the emission mitigation agenda of East Africa? a pathway toward environmental sustainability

“…Following Kazemzadeh et al (2022) and Zhongming et al ( 2019), we used the Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) causality test to explore the causal paths amidst the series. This approach was used because it accounts for heterogeneity and CD in panel units.…”

Assessment of renewable electricity adoption in sub-Saharan Africa

“…Progress in technological change like renewable energy technology adoption is not likely to occur in a smooth pattern. 28 This pattern includes drivers and barriers which may lead to subsequent technological breakthroughs or slow deployment. 22 On the constraints to renewable electric power deployment, Foster et al 29 found that the cost of fossil fuel power generation responds to the large-scale penetration of renewables making the renewable energy transition slower or more costly than anticipated.…”

“…Other macroeconomic variables, such as GDP per capita used to capture the level of development, FDI, human capital, and public policy factors, are found to be other factors that account for the renewable electricity penetration. 25,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Thus, in addition to macroeconomic variables, this study accounted for the role of national renewable energy policy legislation on renewable electricity adoption in SSA.…”