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• E-finance on CO 2 emissions nexus is investigated in OECD. • Fixed and random effect models and instrumental variable estimation approach are used. • Canay (2011) panel quantile regression is used a robustness check. • E-finance reduces CO 2 emissions in OECD countries. • The EKC hypothesis holds in OECD. It is indisputable that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has reshaped the way we live, work, and interact. The information and technology (IT) age has led to radical economic changes in both the relationships between individuals, companies, and governments and in the environment they exist in. Currently, electronic finance (e-finance) and environmental quality are critical issues that have received significant research attention in the form of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. With this in mind, this study aims to investigate the impact of e-finance on CO 2 emissions. The study crafts a model with numerous control variables, including renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, urbanisation, manufacturing, and an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for the 29 OECD countries from 2007 to 2016. Fixed and random effects models of panel data are employed to control for the possible heterogeneity between countries. In addition, the study uses an instrumental variable estimation approach and a Canay(2011) panel quantile regression as a robustness check. The main results reveal that e-finance reduces CO 2 emissions in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and leads to a lower pollution rate. The paper also finds that the EKC hypothesis holds. These findings have several important policy implications for OECD countries, and the model may be extended to investigate similar issues in developing economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the impact of fish output on the marine fish trade balance, as well as foreign investment opportunities in six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries over the period of 1985–2016. We applied several panel estimation techniques, including fixed effects (FE), generalized method of moments (GMM), instrumental variable-fixed effect (IV-FE), and panel ARDL.FE model estimates show that marine fish production has a positive and significant effect on the marine trade balance, with a 1% increase in fish production leading to a more than 1%increase in the trade balance. Estimates of system GMM and IV-FE methods, which allow for the controlling of endogeneity, suggest an even larger effect. When we consider the relationship with foreign direct investment (FDI), FE, GMM and IV-FE show no significant effects. However, the ARDL model shows a statistically significant long-term relationship between fish production and both trade balance and inward foreign direct investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the dynamic effect of non-renewable energy, renewable energy, economic growth, and foreign direct investment on environmental degradation in twenty selected African countries over the period 2000–2015. We have adopted Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis and the Pollution Haven/Halo hypothesis simultaneously. In the first stage, this paper performs cross-independence test and found cross-sectional dependence in carbon emissions, non-renewable energy, and renewable energy. In the second stage, it applies first generation and second generation unit root tests for panel data and found that all concerning variables are I(1) except for economic growth which is found I(0). Therefore, we used the Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach using Pooled Mean Group, Mean Group, and Dynamic Fixed Effect estimators. The results indicate that all independent variables are significant and positive to CO 2 emissions except for renewable energy found significant and negative to CO2 emissions, and foreign direct investment found significant and positive only in the long term. Moreover, the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis did not hold in our sample, while we found strong evidence for the Pollution Haven hypothesis in selected African countries. • non-renewable energy, renewable energy, economic growth, and foreign direct investment-CO 2 emissions relationship is investigated. • Positive effect of non-renewable energy and negative effect of renewable energy are found. • The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis does not hold. • The Pollution Haven hypothesis is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sectors contribute differently to the total level of CO 2 emissions per capita, since they are heterogeneous in terms of GDP structure. This work investigates the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis considering a set of twelve of the fourteen OPEC countries. It contributes to previous literature exploring the Environmental Kuznets Curve relationship by analysing how economic activity sector diversification impacts the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions, addressing an important identified gap. To address this gap, annual data from 1992 to 2015 is used. A panel cross-section analysis is provided between countries, and for the seven considered sectors, is estimated through panel corrected standard errors and convergence estimations are presented. Conclusions point to the relocation of pollution-intensive sectors to almost all of the OPEC countries. For all countries, a U-shaped relationship is evidenced, implying that economic growth in oil-producing and exporting countries increases environmental degradation. While energy consumption increases environmental damage, trade openness seems to have a significant and negative effect over emissions, leading to environmental improvements. This study points out that OPEC countries will have increased challenges facing them in terms of environmental degradation and only a few economic activity sectors can conduct environmental improvements through growth. The inclusion of oil prices increased coefficients magnitude. Probably these sectors are already allocating more labour and capital in projects and investments on renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy savings, substituting fossil fuels like oil. • Economic activity sectors diversification influences EKC hypothesis?. • Different degrees of environmental awareness are evidenced by sector. • Trade openness reveals to have a significant and negative effect over emissions. • Deterministic and stochastic convergence differences in sectors and countries. • Relocation of pollution-intensive sectors to almost all of the OPEC countries needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]