The effect of agricultural productivity and fossil energy use on CO2 emissions in the Philippines; an environmental Kuznets curve approach

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between agricultural productivity, fossil energy use, urbanization, and economic growth on CO2 emissions. We use data from 1970 to 2015 from the Philippines with data analysis using the ARDL and cointegration. The results confirm that all models have a positive outcome on CO2 emissions. The use of fossil energy and urbanization have a significant effect on CO2 emissions. However, agricultural productivity and economic growth have no significant effect on CO2 emissions. The model shows that the Kuznets curve hypothesis does not happen in the Philippines context. According to the results, the study suggests that the government should pay more attention to environmental impacts and development. Mitigation of the environmental efforts can be supporting the use of renewable energy, low emissions machines, and the effective implementation of environmental regulations.