Do Islamic Values Matter for Environmental Protection? Empirical Evidence and Policy Suggestions Based on a Global Dataset

Abstract

Environmental degradation increases all over the world with every passing day. Scholars have attempted to understand the parameters that impact environmental quality over the last three decades. The empirical models use different economic and technological parameters as explanatory variables to do so. However, in recent times, some studies mentioned the importance of social parameters in reducing environmental degradation. Religious principles and values are among the main social parameters that may impact the environment. Considering that climate change's repercussions are increasing daily, understanding the relationship between religion and the environment is essential for effective climate control measures and policies. Although environmental studies based on theological issues are common, there is hardly any empirical investigation related to eco-theological arguments with macro data. This study is the first initiative to uncover the environmental quality and religious teaching and values nexus by applying various panel econometric approaches at the global level. Accordingly, this study inspected the impact of Islamic Principles on the environment in 147 countries. The novel findings provided evidence that Islamic values help decrease CO2 emissions in 147 nations. These findings offer more effective practices and solutions to environmental problems.