Examining the Relationship Between Economic Growth, Trade Openness and Ecological Footprint: Evidence from Turkey

Öz

While economic development is important for the welfare level of countries, its impact on environmental degradation emerges as an important problematic. On the other hand, the growth that occurs as a result of environmentally sensitive production processes can also reduce environmental degradation. The contribution of globalizing economies to environmental degradation is discussed in many aspects in the literature. In this context, in order to examine today's complex economic relations and their effects on environmental degradation, this study aims to test the validity of the environmental Kuznet curve hypothesis and the relationship between ecological footprint and trade openness in Turkey. Using the ARDL methodology, both the short-run and long-run effects of the variables on each other are analyzed between 1965 and 2022, which is the time period analyzed by the study. Moreover, a cointegration test was conducted using bound test approach to assess the long-run equilibrium relationship between ecological footprint and trade openness. The findings indicate that there is an inverted “U” shaped relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. Thus, it is observed that increasing economic growth increases environmental degradation in the first stage but decreases environmental degradation in the later stages. In addition, while it is found that trade openness has a negative impact on ecological footprint in the long run, no significant relationship is found in the short run.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ecological footprint
• environmental kuznet curve
• trade openness
• ARDL

Ekonomik Büyüme, Ticari Açıklık ve Ekolojik Ayak İzi Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi: Türkiye’den Kanıtlar

Öz

Ekonomik gelişme ülkelerin refah seviyesi için önem teşkil ederken çevresel bozulmaya olan etkisi önemli bir sorunsal olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Diğer taraftan, çevreye duyarlı üretim süreçleri sonucunda meydana gelen büyüme çevresel bozulmayı azaltıcı etkilerde gösterebilmektedir. Küreselleşen ekonomilerin çevresel bozulmalara olan katkısı literatürde birçok yönüyle tartışılmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, günümüz kompleks ekonomik ilişkilerin ve bunların çevresel bozulmaya olan etkilerinin incelenebilmesi amacıyla bu çalışma çevresel Kuznet eğrisinin geçerliliğini, ekolojik ayak izi ile ticari açıklık arasındaki ilişkiyi Türkiye özelinde test etmeyi amaçlamıştır. Çalışmanın incelediği zaman dilimi olan 1965 ve 2022 yılları arasında, ARDL metodolojisi kullanılarak değişkenlerin hem kısa hem de uzun dönemli birbirlerine olan etkisi incelenmiştir. Ayrıca, ekolojik ayak izi ile ticari açıklık arasındaki uzun vadeli denge ilişkisini değerlendirmek için sınır testi yaklaşımı kullanılarak eşbütünleşme testi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, ekonomik büyüme ile çevresel bozulma arasında ters "U" şeklinde bir ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Böylelikle, artan ekonomik büyümenin ilk aşamada çevresel bozulmayı arttırdığı ama sonraki safhalarda çevresel bozulmayı azalttığı gözlemlenmiştir. Ek olarak, ticari açıklığın uzun dönemde ekolojik ayak izini negatif yönde etkilediği bulgusu elde edilirken; kısa dönemde anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilememiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ekolojik ayakizi
• çevresel kuznet eğrisi
• ticari açıklık
• ARDL

Kaynakça

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