Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption Research Articles

Carbon emission effect of energy transition and globalization: inference from the low-, lower middle-, upper middle-, and high-income economies.

The importance of income to environmental sustainability especially in the perspective of economic development has been rigorously examined in recent times. To further deepened the income-environmental sustainability narrative, the current study explore the cases of income-classified countries vis-à-vis the high-income, low-income, lower middle-income, and the upper middle-income countries and territories. As such, the current study examined the impact of renewable energy and fossil fuel energy consumption and globalization on CO2 emissions over the period of 1970 to 2014 for the case of (1) the panel of income-classified countries and territories and (2) the time series of each of the income-classification. By employing the Pooled Mean Group of the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach, the study found that fossil fuel consumption in the panel of examined income classification aggravates environmental hazards in both the short-long run, while the share of renewable energy usage improves the environmental quality only in the short run. Like the renewable energy consumption, globalization exacts negative and positive impacts in the short run and long run, respectively. From the second (time series) approach, the study found that fossil fuel energy worsen the environment in each of the fours income-categorized economies. Similarly, renewable energy usage exerts a significant and desirable impact on the environment in all but one (lower middle income) of the four income-categorized economies. However, globalization observably plays a significant and desirable role only in the lower middle-income economies. Hence, the study posits policy guide in the context of increased diversification of energy portfolio for each of the four income-categorized countries and territories especially the lower middle-income economies.

Dynamic linkages amongst ecological footprints, fossil fuel energy consumption and globalization: an empirical analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic linkages amongst ecological footprints, fossil fuel consumption, real income, globalization and population in Egypt in the period from 1971 to 2014.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) methods to investigate the long run relationships amongst ecological footprints, economic growth, globalization, fossil fuel energy consumption and population. Moreover, the Toda–Yamamoto approach is conducted to examine the causal relationships between variables.FindingsEmpirical results of FMOLS and DOLS methods show that real income and fossil fuel consumption are responsible for deteriorating the environment, while globalization and population are found to mitigate it. As for Toda–Yamamoto–Granger causal relationship results, unidirectional causal relation from globalization, population and fossil fuel energy consumption to the ecological footprint exists. Moreover, bidirectional causal relation between real income on the one hand and globalization and the ecological footprint on the other hand is found.Originality/valueUsing carbon dioxide emissions has major weakness as carbon dioxide emissions are considered only part of the total environmental deterioration so this study is the first study for Egypt that uses the ecological footprint as an indicator for environmental quality and environmental pollution and links it with globalization, economic growth, population and fossil fuel energy consumption. Moreover, realizing the direction of causality between these variables might help policymakers in designing the policies to promote the shift towards clean energy sources, especially that achieving sustainable economic growth with more contribution to the global economy depending on diversification of energy sources without deteriorating the environment is considered one of the most important objectives of Egypt’s National Vision 2030.

Evaluating the relationship between energy consumption and pollution with economic growth in line with overall environmental policies

in this study, we try to examine the interrelationship between economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuel energy consumption in the short and long run, Without prejudging the endogenous or exougenous nature of each one. Also, the effect of foreign direct investment and exports and imports on each of the variables of economic growth, energy use and carbon dioxide emissions was investigated separately. For this purpose, gross domestic product per capita, per capita carbon dioxide, foreign direct investment, energy use (oil equivalent) export and import levels were used during the period from 1970 to 2015. The results of impuls response functions indicate that there is a two-way relationship between each of the variables of energy consumption and GDP and carbon dioxide emission. Also, the results of variance decomposition indicate that in the long run, among the variables studied, last year's economic growth, export and direct foreign investment have the greatest impact on GDP. and The amount of last year's CO2 emission, economic growth and export will have the greatest impact on carbon dioxide emissions.

Investigating Long Run Relationship Among Renewable Energy Consumption, Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in South Asia With Time Series Analysis

Excessive consumption of fossil fuel leading to high environmental cost and the possibility of exhaustion of these nonrenewable energies is a compelling man to switch to alternative energy sources. These resources include renewable energies that are clean and sustainable. Renewable energy is such energy sources that are naturally replenished and are abundantly available. These energy sources beget from solar energy, wind, geothermal and hydro-power plants, etc. Therefore, instead of growing reliance on declining underground resources (fossil fuel resources), it must invest in the development of renewable energy utilization. This paper aims to provide renewable energy consumption patterns, in the long run, incorporating economic growth and fossil fuel energy consumption. In this analysis four, South Asian counties have been taken. These are Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka. By analyzing the data from 1990 -2014 with the Johansen Co-integration Method, renewable energy consumption is negatively related to economic growth (except India), whereas fossil fuel energy consumption is increasing with economic growth in the long run for the mentioned South Asian counties. Considering the climate issues, we addressed the opportunities and challenges providing some policy recommendations to increase renewable energy consumption.

Improving the Energy Efficiency of Residential Green Heritage Buildings

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The amount of energy consumed in the residential buildings in the United States in 2014 estimated at more than one and a half times the total energy is consumed by commercial and administrative buildings, therefore, improving the energy efficiency in existing residential Buildings, and rely on alternative sources of renewable energy will have a positive impact on reducing the use of fossil fuels energy and their emissions. Many countries have paid a great attention on set or develop their criteria for assessment the existing green residential buildings especially the energy efficiency. Now, there are hundreds of existing residential Buildings (including listed heritage buildings) have been certifies as green buildings. Egypt as other countries needs to reduce its great energy consumption of Fossil fuels. It has rich with heritage assets that variety in their values, ages, usage and styles. Despite that, the most of the conservation strategies that deal with the residential heritage Buildings in Egypt don’t care to improve the energy efficient performance of them. Despite of establishment of Green Pyramid Rating system that can be used for evaluating green new constructions only, and don't be applicable on all types of existing buildings. The paper aims to perform a comparison study between the criteria and applications of the LEED and BREEAM which have been usedto assess energy efficiency of the residential heritage buildings. The results will help to improve the energy efficiency of residential heritage buildings in Egypt without harming or losing its heritage features and values

Decoupling and mitigation potential analysis of CO2 emissions from Pakistan's transport sector

The transport sector has become one of the major economic, huge fossil fuel energy consumption, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting sector of Pakistan. This study applies the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) and Tapio's decoupling approach to estimate decoupling state and mitigation potential of CO2 emissions from the transport sector during 1984–2018. LMDI technique is applied to detect the influencing variables (i.e. carbon coefficient, fuel consumption, total energy consumption, and turn over economy), which oversee CO2 emissions. The outcomes show that CO2 coefficient effect is the factor which is decreasing CO2 emissions while economic growth (EG) effect is the factor which is growing CO2 emissions. The decoupling index is also applied to influencing factors which reflect the EG factors on CO2 emissions from the transport sector. The consequences confirm that during 1984–2018, the CO2 emissions show an expensive coupling with EG. Weak decoupling occurred only in the sub-periods 1999–2003, 2004–2008, and 2009–2013. Similarly, the CO2 emissions occurred from only three decoupling grades. Furthermore, a mitigation model based on the above impacting variables estimates the mitigation rate of CO2 emissions and showed that the CO2 mitigation seemed in 1999–2003, 2004–2008, and 2009–2013. Finally, forecasting outcomes of Tapio decoupling index show a weak decoupling during 2018–2030. Therefore, based on the empirical outcomes, this study puts forward a few policy suggestions to efficiently enhance the decoupling between Pakistan's transport CO2 emissions and EG.

Dynamic linkage between renewable and conventional energy use, environmental quality and economic growth: Evidence from Emerging Market and Developing Economies

The role of renewable and fossil fuel energy consumption on environmental sustainability remains inconclusive due to varied economic and technological structure. This study provides new insight by assessing the nexus between the utilization of two energy categories — renewable and conventional, environmental quality and economic growth embodying capital, trade openness and government expenditure. A panel data of 45 Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs) from 1990 to 2014 was employed in the study. We applied heterogeneous panel data approach and second-generational econometric techniques that permit cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity. The evaluation of long-term effects conducted by AMG, along with CCEMG and MG estimators revealed that besides other factors such as government expenditure, capital, and trade openness, non-renewable and renewable energy utilization significantly contributes to the economic growth of the selected EMDEs. The study acknowledges the trade-off effect between environmental quality and economic growth. Using Dumitrescu and Hurlin test, we found strong evidence to support the feedback hypotheses among renewable energy, consumption of conventional fuels, economic growth and CO2 emissions. From a policy perspective, the empirical findings recommend the implementation of effective policies that promote green power and economic structural adjustment in order to diminish the level of atmospheric CO2 emissions.

The impact of biofuel consumption on CO2 emissions: A panel data analysis for seven selected G20 countries

Internationally, biofuel energy as a renewable energy source has been increasingly appreciated by various industries. The benefits of biofuel energy for environmental protection and global climate change cannot be denied. Hence, this paper examines the nexus among economic growth, biofuel consumption, urbanization rate, and CO2 emissions in seven selected Group of Twenty countries (G20) over 2001–2017. The results of fully modified ordinary least squares suggest that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) exists between economic growth and CO2 emissions, and the impact of biofuel consumption and the urbanization rate on CO2 emissions is negative and positive, respectively. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nexus among economic growth, biofuel consumption, urbanization rate, and CO2 emissions. The significance of this paper is to add biofuel consumption as a new variable for a panel of seven selected Group of Twenty (G20) countries covering 2001–2017. In addition, this study put urbanization into the current environmental Kuznets curve model to validate that urbanization can increase CO2 emissions. Developing the biofuel industry can not only diminish fossil fuel energy consumption but also offer huge potential to reduce CO2 emissions.

The Bioeconomy and Foreign Trade in Food Products—A Sustainable Partnership at the European Level?

This research addresses the problem of the synergistic relationship between the sustainable development of the green economy (bioeconomy) at the European level and the commercial flows with food. Mainly, two components were analyzed and integrated: A qualitative one, on the perspective of the development of the bioeconomy at the European level, and a quantitative one, on the study of the nature of the inter-correlation between the exogenous indicators of foreign food trade (exports and imports) and the relevant endogenous indicators (the labor force, gross added value of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, research and development expenditure, forest area, fossil fuel energy consumption, and renewable energy consumption), for 24 European countries over a 22 year period. Exports and imports of food products are positively influenced by the added value of the agricultural sector and by the share of research and development expenditures, both in the short and long term. Renewable energy consumption influences exports in the short term, but in the long term, the forest area has a significant positive impact. Imports are negatively influenced by renewable energy consumption. The findings of this research can provide support for the future mix of policies.

Multi-objective optimal synthesis of algal biorefineries toward a sustainable circular bioeconomy

Production of biodiesel from renewable resources like microalgae biomass presents a potential for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel energy consumption. The integration of processes from other industries have been implemented in microalgal biorefineries to increase economic sustainability by co-producing several high-value algal-based products. Agro-industrial processes have the potential to be incorporated into the biorefinery because it requires input material flows from other biorefinery process units to cultivate and sell crops for an additional source of revenue and increased carbon sequestration, while generating wastewater that may be used as a cultivation medium for algae or as a resource for other biorefinery processes. Circular bioeconomy, an extension of the circular economy ideology, has the goal of achieving economic and environmental sustainability through maximizing the dedicated recirculation of resource flows, and minimizing waste generation and end-of-life disposal. However, existing modelling studies have not explored this opportunity; previous studies have not considered that resource functionality runs out with repeated recirculation and reuse as it reaches its end of life. In this work, a novel multi-objective optimization model is developed to design and manage closed-loop algal biorefineries integrating agro-industrial processes that captures the effect of recirculation on resource material viability and end-of-life environmental impact. A case study is solved as proof of concept and to illustrate the design methodology, optimal solutions based on economic and environmental performance are analyzed. The results of the case study validate the initial hypothesis that there is a conflict between the economic and environmental objectives since the decision for biofuel production varied for each single objective. With the multi objective model, a balance between the two objectives was found. The results of the optimization model can be applied in the design of an algal biorefinery along with the decisions relating to production quantities incorporating a zero waste outlook.

Economic and social determinants of carbon emissions: Evidence from organization of petroleum exporting countries

This research investigates the economic and social determinants of carbon emissions in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) over the period 1995–2016. The study particularly examines the link between CO2 emissions and four socio‐economic variables (per‐capita GDP, urbanisation, fossil fuel energy consumption and international trade). A long‐run relationship amongst these variables is confirmed by Kao, Pedroni and Johansen panel cointegration tests. Fully modified ordinary least squares outcomes show that the relationship between CO2 emission and GDP is non‐linear in OPEC countries and follows the inverted U‐shape suggested by the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Also, urbanisation is responsible for a significant proportion of carbon emissions in OPEC countries. As expected, fossil fuel energy consumption is a significant positive driver of carbon emission. International trade significantly contributes to carbon emissions within OPEC member countries.

Mitigating degradation and emissions in China: The role of environmental sustainability, human capital and renewable energy

China's carbon-embedded growth trajectory is gradually becoming a burden to environmental sustainability, hence, requires much attention. The complexity of human capital attributed emissions coupled with fossil fuel inclined energy utilization for industrialization underscores the failure of China to meet its mitigation target. We developed a policy-driven conceptual tool based on disaggregate energy utilization, human capital, trade, income level and natural resource exploitation in a carbon and environmental degradation function. Using a battery of statistics and econometric techniques such as neural network, SIMPLS, U test, dynamic ARDL Simulations, and Prais-Winsten first-order autoregressive [AR(1)] regression with robust standard errors, we examined the theme based on a data spanning 1961–2016. The study demonstrates that fossil fuel energy consumption and human capital are conducive catalysts for climate change. The instantaneous increase in renewable energy, environmental sustainability and income level has a diminishing effect on emissions and environmental degradation. The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is validated in both emissions and degradation function — at a turning point of US$ 5469.79 and US$ 5863.70, respectively. The study highlights that the over-dependence on fossil fuel energy and natural resources for economic development, carbon-intensive trade and carbon-embedded human capital, thwart efforts to mitigating climate change and its impacts. Thus, the onus of responsibility for achieving a cleaner environment in China depends majorly on governmental policies that favour or dampens environmental sustainability.

Research progress on transition metal oxide based electrode materials for asymmetric hybrid capacitors

In the past few years, the increasing energy consumption of traditional fossil fuels has posed a huge threat to human health. It is very imperious to develop the sustainable and renewable energy storage and conversion devices with low cost and environment friendly features. Hybrid supercapacitors are emerging as one of the promising energy devices with high power density, fast charge-discharge process and excellent cycle stability. However, morphology and structure of the electrode materials exert serious effect on their electrochemical performances. In this review, we summarized recent progresses in transition metal oxide based electrode materials for supercapacitors. Different synthesis routes and electrochemical performances of electrode materials and storage mechanisms of supercapacitor devices have been presented in details. The future developing trends of supercapacitor based on metal oxide electrode materials are also proposed.

Human Development, Government Spending and Economic Growth in West Africa

This study verifies the role of government spending on the relationship between human development and economic growth in West African Countries using an extension of human development measure. We generate a new measure of human development that considered environmental influence by performing Principal Component Analysis on environmental variables such as: (i) Atmospheric Pollution (i.e. carbondioxide (CO2), (ii) emmissions, fossil fuel energy consumption, methane (CH4) and (iii) Nitrous (N2)) and incorporate welfare measures used by HDI (i.e. Education, Health and Income) to generate a scientifically weighted index (HDIGEN).The study employed Fixed effect method using annual time series data between 1980 and 2017. The results showed that human capital on its own is positively, statistically and significantly related with output. However, when human capital is interacted with government spending (GSHK), negative relation was found, but not statistically significant. These results might not be found wanton in the sense that all the countries under study are documented among the corrupt nations. Most of the funds meant for augmenting human capital might not be spent for the purpose for which they are meant. We found negative relationship between human development and output when we used the most common measure of human development (HDI) and the generated one (HDIGEN), but only the one generated was statistically significant. The results showed that measuring human development requires holistic approach of measure, especially consideration of environmental factors. When we interacted government spending with HDIGEN, we discovered positive relation and statistically significant results, while the interaction of government spending with HDI, showed negative and statistically insignificant results. The implication is that if government of these countries can be sincere in spending on improving environmental factors while focusing on improving human development, sustainable development goal can equally be achieved.

Institutional conditions, sustainable energy, and the UN sustainable development discourse: A focus on Haiti

The achievement of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) necessitates quality government institutions and effective government intervention and also the genuine engagement of institutional stakeholders (e.g., NGOs, civil society organizations) and businesses alike. This study seeks to provide supportive evidence that the UN sustainable development goals, Goal 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) in particular, are unrealistic within the institutional conditions of Haiti. To this end, we explore the trends in worldwide governance indicators, corruption perception index, human development index, socioeconomic sustainability, gross domestic product, and environmental performance index of Haiti using datasets spanning from 2002 to 2017. We also explore the trends in energy use, electric power consumption, and fossil fuel energy consumption of Haiti using datasets from 1994 to 2014. The results show disappointing trends in all these indicators, indicating the persistence of ill-governance and corruption as well as severe social, economic, and environmental problems. Particularly, the negative trends in the worldwide governance indicators such as government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption) provide substantial evidence that Haiti’s institutional conditions are too weak to support the achievement of the SDGs, deployment of renewable energy in our case. Moreover, the absence of the political will to curtail corruption and the willingness of the elites of Haiti to maintain the status quo of the chaotic socio-economic and institutional conditions upon which their wealth has been built make the SDGs even more unrealistic. We advocate for conscious efforts and sacrifices by the elites to get Haiti out of its current chaotic socio-economic and institutional conditions. Thereby, we outline the need for effective government intervention to facilitate institutional reforms and market reform and also the genuine engagement of the elites and institutional stakeholders in sustainable development discourse.

The criticality of growth, urbanization, electricity and fossil fuel consumption to environment sustainability in Africa

While most African economies are primarily sandwiched with the seemingly unsurmountable task of attaining consistent economic growth and unhindered energy supply, the enormous threat posed by environmental degradation has further complicated the economic and environmental sustainability drive. In this context, the present study examines the effect of economic growth, urbanization, electricity consumption, fossil fuel energy consumption, and total natural resources rent on pollutant emissions in Africa over the period 1980–2014. By employing selected African countries, the current study relies on the Kao and Pedroni cointegration tests to cointegration analysis, the Pesaran's Panel Pooled Mean Group-Autoregressive distributive lag methodology (ARDL-PMG) for long run regression while Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) is employed for the detection of causality direction among the outlined variables. The study traces long run equilibrium relationships between examined indicators. The ARDL-PMG results suggest a statistical positive relationship between pollutant emissions and urbanization, electricity consumption and non-renewable energy consumption. Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) Granger causality test lends support to the long-run regression results. A bi-directional causality is observed between pollutant emissions, electricity consumption, economic growth and pollutant emissions while a unidirectional causality is apparent between total natural resources rent and pollutant emission. Based on these results, several policy implications for the African continent were suggested. (a) The need for a paradigm shift from fossil fuel sources to renewables is encouraged in the region (b) The need to embrace carbon storage and capturing techniques to decouple pollutant emissions from economic growth on the continent's growth trajectory. Further policy insights are elucidated.

Dirty neighbors — Pollution in an interlinked world

We apply a network approach to analyze individual and aggregate consumption that generates predominately local pollution (e.g., noise, water and air quality, waste disposal sites). This allows us to relate the individual pollution levels to network centralities and to determine the effects of transfers among agents on the aggregate contamination. We then apply our theoretical framework to analyze the European data on fossil fuel energy consumption and discuss the impact of EU redistributive transfer policies on the aggregate level of pollution.

Variations in the environment, energy and macroeconomic interdependencies and related renewable energy transition policies based on sensitive categorization of countries in Africa

The disparities in development levels of countries in Africa necessitate correspondingly sensitive categorization approaches because effective renewable energy-related (RER) decisions, policy-making, and subsequent implementation hinges on workable categorization indices. However, studies on sensitive categorization approaches for energy-environment-economy (3E) interdependencies for Africa is rare. This study uses a sensitive characteristic-driven approach to explore the interdependencies in 3E indicators for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, renewable energy consumption (REC), fossil fuel energy consumption, gross domestic product (GDP), population, and gross fixed capital formation in 39 African countries. Further, we forecast the dollar values of policy innovations necessary to facilitate the transition to 100% renewable energies for 2030. Using balanced data spanning 2000–2014, the empirical results from the panel vector error-correction model show long-run Granger causality in CO2 emissions, REC and GDP models for Africa, but no evidence of such relationship was found four sub-panels. The results depict varied individual unidirectional and bidirectional causalities among the variables in each panel. Evidence from variance decomposition analysis show that ∼93% of innovations required to achieve renewable energy-led Africa must happen in REC. Results from the high precision own-data-driven forecast puts total energy demand in Africa at ∼25QBtu in 2030 with ∼40% from renewables. Estimates of the dollar value of innovations depict that it would cost Africa ∼ US$3367.2 billion [in 2030 only] to transition to 100% renewables. We find RER investment (RERIs), in billion US$, ranging from 2.69 to 1274.12 for seven sub-panels. Yet, the panel of Moderate Lower Middle-Income Economies need not to make further investments because their existing REIRs could be enough to help the region reach 100% renewables by 2030. The findings herein imply that RER policies in Africa must be intensified to achieve 100% renewable energy target.

Testing the pollution haven hypothesis for CO<SUB align=right>2 emissions: a common correlated effects (CCE) approach

The aim of this research is to investigate the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH) from 15 countries, spanning the period 1970-2014, utilising CO2 emissions as an indicator of air pollution. Moreover, we utilised Gross Domestic Product (GDP), GDP square, energy consumption, fossil fuel energy consumption, foreign direct investment and trade openness as its main determinants. The evidence from panel cointegration methodologies indicates the existence of long-run relationships between the variables. Moreover, GDP square, energy consumption and fossil fuel energy consumption have positive impact on CO2 emissions, while GDP, foreign direct investment and trade openness decrease emissions in the selected countries. This indicates that PHH holds in 3 out of the 15 countries. A number of policy recommendations were provided according to the results obtained.

Economic Growth, Energy Consumption and Environmental Pollution in Nigeria: Evidence from ARDL Approach

The objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of economic growth and energy consumption on environmental pollution in Nigeria for over 1981-2014 periods and utilized Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) and Philip Perron (PP) unit root tests together with Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Model in the process of achieving the desire objective. The outcome revealed that all the variables were stationary at first difference and cointegrated whereas the long-run outcome revealed that economic growth and energy consumption have significant positive effects on environmental pollution and this implies that increasing economic growth and energy consumption are responsible for the increasing level of environmental pollution while crude oil price has negative and significant influence on environmental pollution which implies that crude oil price reduces environmental pollution in the long-run. All the short-run outcomes corroborate their long-run counterparts. Nigeria government should emphasis more on the consumption of renewable energy in order to lessen the damaging impacts of economic activities and fossil fuels energy consumption on the quality of the country’s environment.