Renewable, non-renewable energy consumption, economic growth, trade openness and ecological footprint: Evidence from organisation for economic Co-operation and development countries.

The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for ecological footprint with the role of renewable energy use, non-renewable energy use and trade openness in 24 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. For this purpose, we investigate the period from 1980 to 2014 using with second generation panel data methodologies which allow to cross-sectional dependence among countries. The group-mean results show that the inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis does not hold in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries because we found the U-shaped relationship between economic growth and ecological footprint. In addition, it is concluded that increasing renewable energy consumption reduces ecological footprint and increasing non-renewable energy consumption increases environmental degradation. Image 10447 • We examine the validity of Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for ecological footprint. • Renewable and non-renewable energy use and trade openness are explanatory variables. • Study is done for 24 OECD countries from 1980 to 2014. • Results show that the EKC hypothesis does not hold. • Renewable energy consumption reduces ecological footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]