• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.241-261
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• 2024

This study analyzes the determinants of greenhouse gas emissions using data from 16 metropolitan municipalities in South Korea. The STIRPAT model, which probabilistically models environmental impacts, was employed for the analysis. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous panel analyses were utilized. Recognizing that results from homogeneous panel analysis could be distorted due to the characteristics of panel data, cross-sectional dependence and slope homogeneity tests were conducted. The tests indicated that it is appropriate to use estimates that consider cross-sectional dependence and reflect slope heterogeneity. Therefore, the results from heterogeneous panel analysis were presented as the main findings. The analysis identified income (per capita GRDP) and energy efficiency (energy intensity) as key determinants of greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, population was found not to be a key factor, and the industrial structure of the regions (share of the service industry in value-added) was also identified as a potential determinant of greenhouse gas emissions. The hypothesis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve was not statistically significant, suggesting that improving energy efficiency, rather than income growth and economic development, would be the most effective policy tool for reducing greenhouse gases in each municipality.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.473-496
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• 2014

This paper intends to test the non-linear relationship between $CO_2$ emissions and income by employing cointegration model of the time-varying income elasticity. We select France, UK, Italy, Japan, US, China, India, Mexico and Korea and use non-parametric time series analysis on each country in order to estimate its own effect of income on $CO_2$ emission. The main results indicate that the $CO_2$ emission-income elasticities vary over time and the income elasticities of the Annex I countries tend to be higher in absolute terms than those of developing countries. In addition, we find that emission-income elasticities decrease for Annex I countries over time, whereas those for developing countries increase.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.875-896
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• 2010

Using the difference in differences (DID) estimation method, this paper analyzes the effect of European Union's Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) on the reduction of per capita $CO_2$ emission among the twenty five participating countries. For this, the panel dataset of forty two European countries for the period 1990~2007 is constructed. Special attention is paid to the bias of the standard errors in the DID estimation due to the presence of serial correlation in the error terms. The results shows quite a robust effect of EU ETS on the reduction of per capita $CO_2$ emission among the participating countries regardless of the calculation methods of standard errors. The results also shows that the increased implicit tax rate on energy has a robust effect on the reduction of per capita $CO_2$ emission. On the contrary, the estimation results regarding the effects of per capita GDP and population density on the per capita $CO_2$ emission seem inconsistent. In particular, the environmental Kuznets curve is not statistically supported with the use of robust standard errors.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.515-529
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• 2003

This theoretical model makes three contributions to the study on economic growth and environment. First, emissions are generated during final goods production and technology accumulation. Second, this paper assumes that pollution is directly increasing with increase in final goods output or in consumption. Third, we use reproducible factors associated with labor and capital input in production function and assume constant return to scale in reproducible factors. From growth rate condition we derived, increases in reproducible factors, increases in productivity of either the abatment or technology sector, and decrease in social discount rate would increase the sustainable growth rate. In empirical test, the environmental degradation did not effect the economic growth rate though other factors satisfied the growth rate condition equation. However, through the reinterpretation of this result, we found indirectly the fact of that an inverted U relationship between air pollution and economic growth rate would exist in 20 OECD countries using a panel data for the period of 1986~1995.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.583-615
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• 2019

This paper investigates the level of decoupling between greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth in Korea. Despite previous studies mainly stressed the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve, the lack of investigations in the level of decoupling constraints further policy suggestions. This study analyzes the level of decoupling in the short- and long-term, focusing on short-term volatility of GHG emissions income elasticity. In the long run, there is no decoupling in Korea because a robust causal relationship exists between GHGs, GDP, and fossil fuels. However, the short-term volatility is clearly identified under the long-term equilibrium(coupling), indicating there is the relative decoupling in the short run. The results show that fossil fuel dependence is a significant factor that increases short-term volatility(decoupling) and breaks the causal link(coupling) between GHGs and GDP.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.305-318
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• 2023

Purpose - This study analyzed the decoupling phenomenon between energy consumption and economic growth in Korea from 1990 to 2021. The main purpose of this study is to suggest policy implications for achieving a low-carbon society and decoupling that Korea must move forward in the face of the climate change crisis. Design/methodology/approach - This study investigated the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth by energy source and sector using the energy-EKC (EEKC) hypothesis which included the energy consumption on the traditional Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), and the impulse response function (IRF) model based on Bayesian vector auto-regression (BVAR). Findings - During the analysis period, the trend of decoupling of energy consumption and economic growth in Korea is confirmed starting from 1996. However, the decoupling tendency appeared differently depending on the differences in energy consumption by sources and fields. The results of the IRF model using data on energy consumption by source showed that the impact of GDP and renewable energy consumption resulted in an increase in energy consumption of bio and waste, but a decrease in energy consumption by sources, and the impact of trade dependence was found to increase the consumption of petroleum products. Research implications or Originality - According to the main results, efficient distribution by existing energy source is required through expansion of development of not only renewable energy but also alternative energy. Additionally, in order to increase the effectiveness of existing energy policies to achieve carbon neutrality, more detailed strategies by source and sector of energy consumption are needed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.6
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• pp.659-668
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• 2009

Time series data on forest resources and population over the period from 1927 to 2007 were constructed and analyzed in order to identify trends and characteristics of forest transition in Korea. Korean forest transition could be classified into three phases in terms of the average annual growing stock of forest; forest degradation period (1927-1952), forest stagnation period (1953-1972) and forest growth period (1973-2007). Over the past 80 years forest area decreased 0.05% each year. The decreasing rate was very low, especially considering rapid economic growth and increased population of Korea with over 60% of forest cover. Growing stock per hectare significantly increased from $5.6m^3$ in 1952 to $97.8m^3$ in 2007, or 17.5 times during 1952 to 2007. Despise of increasing population and rapid economic growth, in particular, growing stock per capita has increased from $1.7m^3$ in 1952 to $12.9m^3$ in 2005 and un-stocked forest area decreased from 3,315 thousand ha to 165 thousand ha during the same period. In this regard, Korea represents a case of modern forest growth. Among 56 countries with more than 10 million of population and 10% or more of forest cover over the period 1990 to 2005, Korea is classified as a country which has high forest cover but low deforestation rate. Also, Korea is the only developing country which has 50% or more of forest cover and shows a below average deforestation rate.