Environmental Impacts in G7 Nations: Analyzing the Influence of Economic Growth, Energy Dynamics, and Urbanization on the Ecological Footprint

Abstract

This research examines the factors affecting the ecological footprint among G7 countries between 1990 and 2021, focusing on energy consumption, per capita income, renewable energy usage, and the effects of urbanization. For the analysis of the study, second-generation tests such as unit root, cointegration, long-term coefficient estimators like the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG), and the Dumitrescu Hurlin Panel Causality methods are used in the context of cross-sectional dependence and slope homogeneity test results. According to the results of the analysis, the increase in per capita income and non-renewable energy consumption plays a significant role in the increase of the ecological footprint. This situation, along with industrialization and dependence on fossil fuels, is causing an increase in environmental degradation. Another factor, the use of renewable energy, is found to have no impact on reducing the ecological footprint. The connection between urbanization and ecological footprint shows that environmental degradation decreases with urbanization. The causal relationship of the ecological footprint with other variables occurs as follows. There is a bidirectional causal relationship between ecological footprint and renewable energy consumption, while there is a unidirectional causal relationship between ecological footprint and per capita income, energy consumption, and urbanization.

Keywords

• Ecological Footprint
• Energy Consumption
• Urbanization
• Panel Data

G7 Ülkelerinde Çevresel Etkiler: Ekonomik Büyüme, Enerji Dinamikleri ve Kentleşmenin Ekolojik Ayak İzi Üzerindeki Etkisinin Analizi

Abstract

Bu araştırma, 1990 ile 2021 yılları arasında G7 ülkeleri içinde ekolojik ayak izi üzerinde etkili olan faktörleri, enerji tüketimi, kişi başına gelir, yenilenebilir enerji kullanımı ve kentleşme etkilerine odaklanarak incelemektedir. Çalışmanın analizi için yatay kesit bağımlılığı, eğim homojenliği testleri sonuçları bağlamında ikinci nesil testlerden olan birim kök, eşbütünleşme, uzun dönem katsayı tahmincilerinden Geliştirilmiş Ortalama Grup (AMG) ve Ortak Korelasyonlu Etkiler Ortalama Grup (CCEMG) ve Dumitrescu Hurlin Panel Nedensellik yöntemleri kullanılmaktadır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre kişi başına gelirde ve yenilenemez enerji tüketiminin artışı ekolojik ayak izinin artmasında önemli bir rol oynadığını ortaya koyuyor. Bu durum da sanayileşme ve fosil yakıtlara bağımlılıkla birlikte çevresel bozulmanın artmasına neden olmaktadır. Diğer bir faktör olan yenilenebilir enerji kullanımın ise ekolojik ayak izini azaltmada bir etki göstermediği sonucuna ulaşılmaktadır. Kentleşme ile ekolojik ayak izi bağlantısı ise şehirleşme ile birlikte çevresel bozulmanın azalacağı yönünde etkiler göstermektedir. Ekolojik ayak izinin diğer değişkenlerle olan nedensellik ilişkisi ise şu şekilde gerçekleşmektedir. Ekolojik ayak izi ile yenilenebilir enerji tüketimi arasında çift yönlü nedensellik ilişkisi ekolojik ayak izi ve kişi başına gelir, enerji tüketimi, kentleşme sarasında tek yönlü nedensellik ilişkisi bulunmaktadır.

Keywords

• Ekolojik Ayak İzi
• Enerji Tüketimi
• Kentleşme
• Panel Veri

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