Economic, Political and Technological Aspects of Development and Eco-Efficiency: A Global Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

Eco-efficiency has become essential nowadays as it advocates the use of maximum production capacity with the lowest possible environmental impact. In this respect, the study of the Ecological Modernization Theory (EMT) and the World System Theory (WST) supports the understanding of the relation between development and environment. This article analyses the relationship between eco-efficiency and economic, political and technological aspects of the development of countries using EMT and WST as the foundation. The research was conducted in two stages: the first focused on the construction of an eco-efficiency index through Data Envelopment Analysis, with the inputs: energy use, capital and labor force; and the outputs: income and CO2 emissions; the second uses multiple regressions with the eco-efficiency index as a dependent variable, and indicators often used as proxies of EMT and WST as independent variables. The results show: (a) developed economies are more eco-efficient than developing economies; (b) the number of researchers, the economic complexity index and the position in the world system (WSP) have a positive and significant relation with eco-efficiency; (c) although all WSP blocks were positively related to eco-efficiency, the coefficient values differed; (d) the number of researchers was positive and significant but RD and (e) GDP per capita showed an inverted u-shaped relationship. It is important to highlight the difficulty of comparison with previous studies, since it seems that this is the first research that analyses eco-efficiency explanatory factors related to economic, political and technological aspects of a nations’ development.