The impact of climate disaster on international trade: Evidence from developed and developing countries.

A climate disaster can be devastating, but its challenges and losses provide some opportunities to other countries. Therefore, in this paper, we examine the impact of climate risk on international trade with a particular focus on developed and developing countries. Using a large sample of 160 countries between 2006 and 2019, we find that climate disaster is positively associated with high international trade. An increase in the climate disaster index will lead to an increase of about 5.9% in imports as a proportion of GDP. This is significant given that the mean of imports of the sample countries is 48%. Regarding the flow of trade, importation is likely to increase by about 6.7% and export to decrease by 0.65% after the occurrence of climate disasters in developing countries. Conversely, we did not find significant changes in imports and a weak association with exports for developed countries. We attribute this differential impact of climate disasters between developed and developing countries to the preparedness and risk mitigation mechanism in developed countries. The result suggests that the long-term effect of climate disasters increasing overall international trade is due to increasing imports in developing countries. Additional analyses demonstrate the robustness of these results to different model specifications and measurements of variables. Our results imply that climate change and its associated natural disasters offer more trade opportunities for developed countries than developing countries, highlighting the climate injustices between the high and low climate change contributors.

Corrigendum to "Impact of Nigeria's industrial sector on level of inefficiency for energy consumption: Fisher Ideal index decomposition analysis" [Heliyon 7, Issue 5, May 2021, article e06952].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06952.].

Addressing environment, social and governance (ESG) investment in China: Does board composition and financing decision matter?

This study examined the link between board composition and environment, social and governance (ESG) investment, and how financing decisions moderate this nexus. The study constructed hypotheses using insights derived from stakeholder and agency theories. We used secondary data from 2010 to 2022 to conduct an empirical analysis using the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and Fixed Effect (FE) estimators. This study found a positive and significant relationship between board independence, sustainability committee, gender diversity, managerial ownership, board meetings and ESG investment. We also found a negative connection between CEO duality, board size, foreign nationals on the board, annual remuneration, and ESG investment. Furthermore, financing decisions significantly moderated the relationship between board composition and ESG investment. The results confirm the importance of board composition and financing decisions in ESG investment in Chinese manufacturing firms. The results show that splitting the CEO and chairperson roles and frequent board meetings can improve a company's ESG investment. Policymakers should facilitate company operations by providing regulations for ESG investment.

A study of energy investment and environmental sustainability nexus in China: a bootstrap replications analysis.

Environmental sustainability is increasing emphasis on global environmental concerns at the forefront of public policy debate. This paper investigates the relationship between energy investments and environmental sustainability in China from 1980 to 2018 while considering the moderating effect of international trade and economic growth under the environment Kuznets curve (EKC) framework. We apply advanced econometric modeling for empirical analysis. Our findings show that energy investment and economic growth are positive, while international trade is negatively associated with ecological footprints. Moreover, economic growth and energy investment deteriorate, while international trade improves environmental sustainability. This empirical evidence suggests the improvements in cleaner energy infrastructure with the participation of the private sector to promote clean energy investment. We argue that policymakers should ensure environmental provisions in the regional and bilateral trade agreements to harmonize the environmental regulations, and develop crucial trade and ecological policy indicators to monitor policy consistency.

The impact of environmental cleanliness and cultural factors on child health in Africa.

Africa is a region with abundant natural resources, but the child mortality rate is higher. Despite World Health Organization (WHO) support, the region remained the highest with the number of child mortality rate. Given this fact, this study examines the role of environmental degradation, clean water source, and sanitation facilities on child mortality and life expectancy/longevity in Africa. To achieve this objective, we employ pooled regression and system generalized method of moment (S-GMM) on 33 African countries between 2000 and 2014. We found that environmental degradation is positively related to child mortality and life expectancy or longevity. However, clean water sources and sanitation facilities help to reduce the child mortality rate and help to improve life expectancy. Also, we found cultural norms improve child mortality and life expectancy. Our results imply that African countries are benefitting from cultural values, clean water sources, and sanitation facilities.

Quantifying the effect of waste on soil health in European Union: what are the roles of technology, natural capital, and institutional quality?

With a surge in both hazardous and non-hazardous waste in recent decades, European Union countries are losing their soil quality which in turn affects the agricultural production of their economies. Taking this into account, this study presents the effect of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, plastic waste, and electronic waste on soil health for 24 European Union (EU) countries during 2004-2018 period. The impacts of several other variables such as technological innovation, ICT, natural capital, fossil fuel energy consumption, and institutional quality on soil health are also examined. To achieve the above objectives, we employ Driscoll-Kraay technique as the main methodology as well as panel spatial correlation consistent (PSCC) standard errors and quantile estimation at median. The results demonstrate that electronic waste has a negative effect on soil health while the effect of total hazardous and non-hazardous waste and plastic waste on soil health remains insignificant. Technological innovation, ICT, and institutional quality, as well as fossil fuel energy consumption, have positive impacts on soil health. Furthermore, natural capital moderates the effect of plastic and electronic waste on soil health. The study finally provides precise policy recommendations for the EU countries such as proper handling of wastes, promoting strong institutional quality as well as use of technology to enrich the soil nutrient balance.

Role of financial development, environmental-related technologies, research and development, energy intensity, natural resource depletion, and temperature in sustainable environment in Canada.

Environmental sustainability concerns are increasing worldwide; both developing and developed countries face environmental degradation. Literature has highlighted the environment-growth nexus; however, the impact of environmental-related technologies on the environment is ignored in early studies. This study aims to explore the implications of financial development, environmental-related technologies, research and development, energy intensity, renewable energy production, natural resource depletion, and temperature in a sustainable environment in Canada by using a time series model, i.e., dynamic ARDL simulations (Jordan and Philips 2018) with data from 1989 to 2020. The examined findings of the dynamic ARDL simulations indicate that environmental-related technologies in Canada help to reduce environmental degradation both in the short run and in the long run. At the same time, financial development, energy intensity, renewable energy production, research and development, natural resource depletion, and temperature causes boost the environmental degradation in Canada. To achieve sustainable environment, Canada needs to improve innovations in the environmental-related technologies for achieving sustainable growth and environment.

The effect of energy consumption on the environment in the OECD countries: economic policy uncertainty perspectives.

In this paper, we investigate the impact of energy use and economic policy uncertainties on the environment. To achieve this objective, we use the pooled mean group-autoregressive distributed lag methodology (PMG-ARDL) and Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test on 22 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries between 1985 and 2017. The PMG-ARDL estimation shows that energy use and economic policy uncertainties have a positive relationship with carbon dioxide emission (CO2) emission, while a negative relationship is confirmed between renewable and CO2 emissions in the long run. The short-run estimation shows a positive relationship between energy use, real gross domestic product, and per capita on CO2 emissions. The Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality results highlight a unidirectional running from real GDP and GDP per capita square to CO2 emissions. Furthermore, one-way causality exists between CO2 emissions to economic policy uncertainties. These results have policy implications on the macroeconomy which are discussed in detail in the concluding section.

Determinants of green growth in developed and developing countries.

Considering the need for environmental sustainability while ensuring economic growth and development by 2030, this study uses data on 123 developed and developing countries to examine factors that influence green growth. The empirical results show that economic development positively influences green growth. However, trade openness is detrimental to green growth. Regarding energy-related factors, we find energy consumption negatively affecting green growth, but renewable energy consumption significantly improves green growth. In further analysis, we find that the influence of these factors differs between developed and developing countries. The result implies that countries at a different development level will require different strategies in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030. The results are robust to alternative identification strategies such as the System Generalised Method of Movement, which accounts for potential endogeneity.

The environmental footprint of China-Africa engagement: An analysis of the effect of China - Africa partnership on carbon emissions.

China has strategically engaged with African countries through different routes. However, the growing presence of China in Africa has attracted a lot of praise and criticism. As a leader in smart technology, China may fill the technological gaps in Africa, which improve the environment. Conversely, China may be exploiting natural resources and rapidly deteriorating the environment. Therefore, in this paper, we examine the impact of different routes of the China-Africa relationship on the environment. Using Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) model on data from 50 African countries, we find that different Chinese activities affect the environment differently. We find a positive relationship between construction revenue and carbon emission, suggesting that China's construction activities negatively affect the environment. Similarly, export increases carbon emission and harms the environment. However, we find a negative relationship between importation from China and carbon emissions, implying a positive environmental footprint by China in Africa. In the case of foreign direct, the results show that foreign direct investment improves the environment, and the relationship is stronger in non-resource countries. Given that most exports from Africa are natural resources, our results imply that African non-resources-rich countries are likely to benefit from China's large investment in cleaner energy in the long-run, especially after the construction of the infrastructures. Our findings highlight the potential environmental risks associated with the different routes of China partnership with African countries.

Impact of Nigeria's industrial sector on level of inefficiency for energy consumption: Fisher Ideal index decomposition analysis.

This paper tries to evaluate the impact of manufacturing-industry sector on the level of inefficient consumption of energy in Nigeria. The Fisher Ideal index decomposition analysis and the VEC model are used for results for the time period from 1991 to 2014. The examined findings indicate that energy efficiency in Nigeria is linked with the per capita income from overall country's economic growth, emissions of component of CO2, consumption of energy and investment for industrial production. In Nigeria, however, systemic reform indicates negative impact on energy production. Furthermore, for the short span of time interval, all variables have concluded with a negative relation with the production of efficient energy. According to the findings of this paper, economic growth, low carbon emissions, and industrial investment are all essential for Nigeria's energy efficiency policies to be intensified. As a result, policymakers and the government should take steps to resolve these issues.

Environmental treaties' impact on the environment in resource-rich and non-resource-rich countries.

This paper examines the impact of environmental treaties on the environment across 74 countries: 50 resource-rich and 24 non-resource-rich countries. Using data spanning over 35 years, we find a negative and significant association between environmental treaties and environmental quality in resource-rich countries. On the contrary, we find environmental treaties positively and significantly affect the environment in non-resource-rich countries. Our results suggest that the environmental treaties signed by resource-rich countries may lead them to achieve sustainable development growth by 2030. Therefore, our results extend the environment literature and inform policymakers of the need to pay attention to the effects of signing environmental treaties on environmental protection.

Energy consumption, economic expansion, and CO2 emission in the UK: The role of economic policy uncertainty.

On the 23rd of June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, leading to months and years of economic policy uncertainties. Such uncertainties have not only characterized the UK but have become a center point for energy debate in recent times. Given the foregoing, this paper progresses to provide evidence on the role of Economic Policy Uncertainty in the Energy Consumption - Emission nexus in the UK. We use annual data spanning the period of 1985-2017 for the UK for CO2 emissions in tons per capita (CO2), real GDP (RGDP), energy use (EU), and economic policy uncertainty (EPU). The Autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) bound test is used to test the fitness of the model in the short and long term. Our model shows that EPU matters most in the short run, as it reduces the growth of CO2 emissions, while prolonged use of EPU in the UK, exhibit controversial influence, where CO2 emissions continue to rise. In addition, pairwise Granger causality shows a one-way causality running from energy use to CO2 emissions, CO2 emissions to economic policy uncertainty, and also from energy use to economic policy uncertainty. However, two-ways causality is found between real GDP and real GDP per capita. Overall, our results imply that EPU is likely to yield a positive effect on climate change for a short time, but continue dependent will, in the long run, create an unhealthy environment. We suggest that the UK government should consider implementing an additional long-run policy that will supplement the effort of EPU.

Does environmental diplomacy reduce CO2 emissions? A panel group means analysis.

We examine the impact of environmental diplomacy on a country's carbon emission level. Specifically, we test if the signing of environmental treaties yielded positive responses in CO2 emission. We employ common correlated effects mean group models on panel data of 76 developed and developing countries for over 35 years. Our analysis indicates that environmental diplomacy reduces CO2 emissions for developing countries in the short run. However, the results of FMOLS in the long-run estimates indicate that developed and developing countries do not adhere to treaty requirements as CO2 emissions increases with more treaties. Overall, our results imply that the signing of environmental treaties is likely to be mere international diplomacy that yields no result on climate change. We suggest that countries should fulfill their obligation under treaties rather than engage in annual rituals of signing treaties.