Dynamic relationship between green finance, environmental taxes, and CO2 emissions in transition toward circular economy: what causes what?

The study was aimed at investigating the dynamic relationship between environmental taxes, green financing, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Brazil, China, India, and South Africa from 1994 to 2019. To thoroughly examine the proposed relationship, a family of robust econometric methods is used to get reliable and accurate results. Our evidence indicates that green finance and CO2 emissions are negatively connected with each other. Similarly, positive relationship is found between environmental taxes and CO2 emissions. Additionally, environmental taxes and green finance are positively related as well. Further, the results of the Method of Moments Quantile Regression estimator indicate that green finance and CO2 emissions decrease in countries with higher pollution compared to those with lower pollution. Interestingly, environmental taxes only contribute to pollution in countries with higher emissions, whereas CO2 emissions increase environmental taxes in all sample countries. Lastly, green finance has a mitigating effect only in countries with greater pollution, and CO2 emissions have a negative rebound effect on green finance in countries with greater CO2 emissions. According to the evidence, green financing can be an effective tool for promoting environmental quality. By allocating the funds collected from environmental taxes to green financing, environmental sustainability can be promoted in sample countries.