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We investigated the asymmetric effects of energy consumption, car ownership and tourism activities on CO2 emissions in the UK. Empirical results from the Non-Linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model reveal that in the UK, only car ownership has asymmetric effects on emissions with a magnitude of −1.428% (positive) and 10.108% (negative) shocks that highlight the impact of car ownership on emission level in UK while rising energy consumption and GDP have symmetric positive impacts on emissions, and tourism has a negative impact on emissions. Furthermore, on causality analysis, we found a unidirectional causality runs from GDP per capita to car ownership, and that car ownership and tourism both causes energy consumption in a one-way relationship. Apart from encouraging environmentally friendly energy sources to reduce carbon emission in the UK, the short and long-run analyses disclose that economic expansion and energy consumption increase carbon emission. Empirical results also offer a new perspective on the ascending relevance of electric cars in UK. Hence, only policies that discourage the use of carbon emission inputs in the process of production should be encouraged. Electric vehicles seem to be more efficient when compared to combustion engines because most energy put in the battery is used to drive the cars and wastes less energy when they are driven in cities. This can be achieved by increasing tariffs and decreasing quotas on internal combustion-powered cars. Subsequently, promote and increase usage of electric vehicles that reduce greenhouses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper sheds light on the causality linkages between economic growth and energy production, that is, natural gas, bioenergy and waste, coal, nuclear, petroleum, wind, solar and hydro for the United Kingdom over the period 1998Q1 to 2017Q4. To this end, we apply time‐domain causality tests—Toda‐Yamamoto causality test and gradual shift causality test, and frequency domain causality (FDC) test for empirical analysis to sort out the causality among the outlined variables under consideration. Empirical findings from the spectral BC causality test reveal that (a) changes in energy production from natural gas and petroleum spur significant changes in economic growth in the United Kingdom; (b) economic growth causes energy production from natural gas, petroleum, wind, solar, hydro and nuclear and (c) it is worthy of mentioning that time and FDC tests provide consistent outcomes at different significance and frequency levels. On the causality analysis, the hypothesis that natural gas triggers economic growth is valid, while the result also reveals a feedback causality the variables of concern. Similarly, economic growth drives nuclear energy production one‐way as well as total energy drives economic growth. These results provide policy implications for energy and environmental sustainability in the United Kingdom where renewable energy sources drive economic growth. Thus, necessitates the need to maintain the current trajectory for more renewable energy promotion in energy mix relative to fossil‐fuel energy sources. Highlights: Economic impact is revisited for the United Kingdom over the period 1998Q1 to 2017Q4.Toda‐Yamamoto, gradual shift and frequency domain causality tests were employed.Distinct roles of natural gas, fossil, nuclear and mix of renewables were explored.Changes in natural gas and petroleum significantly spur economic growth.Frequency domain causality tests offer consistent time and frequency changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this present study is to assess the causal link between nuclear energy consumption and economic growth in the United Kingdom using Toda Yamamoto causality and wavelet coherence tests with the objective of responding to the following questions: (a) Does consumption of nuclear energy lead to economic growth in the United Kingdom and/or does economic growth lead to the consumption of nuclear energy sources in the United Kingdom, and (b) if so, why? The findings from wavelet coherence reveal that changes in economic growth lead to changes in nuclear energy consumption in the United Kingdom at different frequencies, especially in the long‐run, and in different periods between 1998 and 2017. In addition, there is a positive correlation between nuclear energy consumption and economic growth between 2002 and 2006 in the short‐run. In this study, we also check the consistency of the findings from wavelet coherence which is confirmed by the outcomes of Toda Yamamoto causality test. Therefore, the present study is likely to attract great interest from the policy‐makers and researchers in this field. At the same time, it is likely to start a new debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) is one of the strongest, but most complex unions in the world with a competitive tourism industry. The aim of this study, therefore, is to account for economic complexity index (ECI), Brexit and other crisis episodes in the growth-energy-emissions nexus. Theoretically, the traditional Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model is assessed by adopting a One-step System Generalized Method of Moment (Sys GMM) on data for 26 EU member states over the period from 1995 to 2018. For the first time, an EU-macro regional analysis is conducted with and without the UK. Empirical results reveal that an increase in tourism, real GDP per capita, and energy use across the four EU macro regions leads to increase in carbon emission. In some regions, it was observed that tourism, ECI, Brexit, and the Greece bailout have no significant impact on carbon emission. This suggests that the increase in international travel, complexity of the economy, and financial crisis do not accelerate environmental crisis in such regions. However, where such factors are statistically significant, Brexit and the Greece bailout crisis both heighten emissions. Particularly, when the UK is excluded, Brexit and the Greece bailout crisis increase and reduce emissions, respectively. The EKC hypothesis, however, holds in either scenario. Based on these empirical findings, vital policy directions are suggested for a post-Brexit EU-UK energy and environmental relations. • We examined ECI, Brexit and other crisis episodes in the growth-energy-emissions nexus. • An increase in tourism, real GDP per capita, and energy use lead to increase in carbon emission. • In some regions, tourism, ECI, Brexit, and the Greece bailout have no significant impact on carbon emission. • When the UK is excluded, Brexit and the Greece bailout crisis increase and reduce emissions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]