Document Type : ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Author
Assistant Professor of Lorestan University Economics Department
Abstract
In recent years, environmental concerns in emerging economies have become a crucial challenge. This study investigates the determinants of the ecological footprint in ten selected N11 countries over the period 2000–2022. Considering cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity in the data, a dual methodological framework was applied, consisting of panel regression with Driscoll–Kraay robust standard errors and Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MM-QR). The Driscoll–Kraay results indicate that GDP per capita (0.65), population (0.31), and trade openness (0.33) exert significant positive effects on the ecological footprint, whereas renewable energy consumption (–0.19), environmental innovation (–0.06), and telecommunications development (–0.12) contribute to its reduction. The quantile regression analysis reveals notable heterogeneous relationships. While the effects of GDP per capita and renewable energy consumption remain stable across the distribution, the mitigating role of environmental innovation becomes significantly stronger in countries with higher ecological footprints, with coefficients increasing from –0.04 to –0.07. In contrast, the positive impact of population and trade openness weakens at upper quantiles, and the environmental benefits of telecommunications development become statistically insignificant at higher pollution levels. These findings highlight the necessity of designing targeted policies tailored to countries’ pollution levels and suggest that achieving sustainable growth requires greater investment in clean energy and green innovation.
Keywords
- Ecological footprint
- N11 countries
- Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MM-QR)
- renewable energy
- environmental innovation
Main Subjects
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