On the automatic application of inequality indexes in the analysis of the international distribution of environmental indicators

Abstract

In recent years traditional inequality measures have been used to quite a considerable extent to examine the international distribution of environmental indicators. One of its main characteristics is that each one assigns different weights to the changes that occur in the different sections of the variable distribution and, consequently, the results they yield can potentially be very different. Hence, we suggest the appropriateness of using a range of well-recommended measures to achieve more robust results. We also provide an empirical test for the comparative behaviour of several suitable inequality measures and environmental indicators. Our findings support the hypothesis that in some cases there are differences among measures in both the sign of the evolution and its size. JEL codes: D39; Q43; Q56.

The Causal Factors of International Inequality In CO2 Emissions Per Capita: A Regression-Based Inequality Decomposition Analysis

“…is the inequality measure for period t. Notice that expression (8) is not restricted to the use of any particular inequality index. Our choice for the empirical analysis will be neutral indexes such as GE(2) or CV (Duro, 2012).…”

Ecological Footprint Inequality across Countries: The Role of Environment Intensity, Income and Interaction Effects

“…This being the case, it does not reflect the results obtained from using other inequality indices that are not easy to decompose in this context. In any event, the calculation of indices such as the Gini, the Atkinson ones and the Coefficient of Variation (following Duro ( 2012) does not throw up any particularly significant changes to the time pattern of international inequalities in EF per capita. These calculations are available on request.…”

The Haves, the Have-Nots, and the Health of Everyone: The Relationship Between Social Inequality and Environmental Quality

“…This is a drawback because different metrics of inequality have different strengths and weaknesses, and using different metrics can lead to different conclusions about the evolution of inequality over time (19) as well as to differences in estimates of the size of effects and possibly even their direction. Future work would be strengthened if better data were available to allow researchers to consider the sensitivity of their findings in relation to the choice of inequality metric, as has been suggested with regards to research into health (51).…”