How Do Financial Development and Renewable Energy Affect Consumption-Based Carbon Emissions?

Abstract

This paper bridges the gap in the literature by employing the novel quantile-on-quantile (QQ) approach, the quantile regression approach, and the nonparametric Granger causality test in quantiles to assess the effect of international trade on consumption-based carbon emissions (CCO2e) in Uruguay. Our study incorporates other drivers of CCO2 emissions, such as financial development and renewable energy, into the model. We find that, in the majority of the quantiles, exports, financial development, and renewable energy exert a negative impact on CCO2e, and the influence of imports on CCO2e is positive in all quantiles. Moreover, the quantile regression approach is used as a robustness test for the quantile-on-quantile approach. The causal interaction from the regressors to CCO2e is evaluated using the nonparametric Granger causality test in quantiles. The outcome of the nonparametric Granger causality test in quantiles suggests that imports, exports, renewable energy, and financial development can predict CCO2e at different quantiles. Based on these outcomes, we recommend that the financial sector must strengthen its focus on giving funding to enterprises that embrace environmentally friendly technologies and incentivize them to employ other energy-efficient technologies for manufacturing reasons, thereby preventing environmental deterioration.