The carbon dioxide neutralizing effect of energy innovation on international tourism in EU-5 countries under the prism of the EKC hypothesis.

Although the economy of China has grown very strongly over the last few decades, this spectacular performance has come at the expense of rapid environmental deterioration. Amidst animated debate on the issue of global warming, this study attempts to explore the determinants of CO2 emissions in China using aggregate data for more than half a century. Adopting an analytical framework that combines the environmental literature with modern endogenous growth theories, the results indicate that CO2 emissions in China are negatively related to research intensity, technology transfer and the absorptive capacity of the economy to assimilate foreign technology. Our findings also indicate that more energy use, higher income and greater trade openness tend to cause more CO2 emissions.

CO2 Emissions, Research and Technology Transfer in China

This study examined the predictors of carbon emissions in member countries of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Panel models robust to cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity were used for the study. From the heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence tests, the studied panel was heterogeneous and cross-sectionally dependent. Also, the unit root and cointegration tests established the series to be first differenced stationary and cointegrated in the long run. Additionally, results of the CCEMG regression estimator in the whole panel affirmed economic growth (GDP) to be a significantly positive predictor of CO2 emissions, while foreign direct investments (FDI) and population growth (POP) were trivial determinants of CO2 emissions. The discoveries were however diverse in the individual countries. Finally, there was no causality between GDP and CO2 emissions and between POP and CO2 emissions. However, there was a one-way causality from CO2 emissions to FDI. Policy recommendations are further discussed.

Predictors of carbon emissions: an empirical evidence from NAFTA countries

The study aims to analyze two objectives: first is to explore the non-linear relationship between tourism development, economic growth, urbanization, and environmental degradation, and also to analyze the threshold level of the contribution of tourism development on environmental degradation in top tourist arrival destinations. We applied the newly proposed econometric method panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) framework with two regimes on yearly panel data from 1995 to 2017. Findings suggest that the relationship between tourism development and environmental degradation is non-linear and regime dependent. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the relationship above the threshold level is negative and significant, while below the threshold, tourism development is positive and significant effect on environmental degradation. Tourism development and environmental degradation also exhibit the inverted U-shape relationship meaning that at a particular point, increase in tourism development increases in environmental degradation but after a particular point, increase in tourism development decreases the environmental degradation. The economic growth and urbanization also portray a non-linear and regime-dependent relationship with environmental degradation. The study assists policies and empirical information.

Non-linear relationship between tourism, economic growth, urbanization, and environmental degradation: evidence from smooth transition models

Simultaneous achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially energy efficiency (SDG 7), economic growth (SDG 8), and pollution reduction (SDG 13), has been a major challenge among the developing countries. Besides, there is absence of a study which quantifies clean production (net growth-emission effects) and energy import efficiency (net growth-energy import effects) as indicators of sustainable growth. Thus, this current study examines this issue for South Africa and Nigeria at aggregate and sectoral levels between 1981 and 2015 using simultaneous equation models and threshold regression analysis. Evidence of the sustainable growth cannot be established for South Africa and Nigeria with and without structural break. Further, the analysis shows that, with respect to Nigeria, keeping petroleum import per capita above the respective threshold enhances the environmental quality as aggregate and sectoral outputs increase. However, the CO2 emission can only induce increased GDP per capita when the petroleum import is below the threshold level. In South Africa’s case, although maintaining petroleum import beyond the threshold may increase CO2 emission per capita associated with high aggregate output per capita, such emission exhibits a negligible reverse impact on output per capita. Results are found to vary across both lower and upper threshold regimes for sectors. Policy recommendations are discussed in the conclusion.

Environmental pollution, energy import, and economic growth: evidence of sustainable growth in South Africa and Nigeria

This study’s objectives are twofold; first, this paper aims to explore the determinants of perceived benefit and perceived risk of Islamic Fintech. Second, this study examines the influence of perceived benefit, perceived risk and user trust on the intention to adopt Islamic Fintech. The sample of 350 was distributed among the respondents, while a usable sample of 321 was retained for the analysis. The study performed a self-administration survey to collect the sample data while the hypothesized model was tested using SmartPLS. The results revealed that perceived benefit and perceived risk were significant and positively influenced by their factors. Moreover, perceived benefits showed a positive and significant impact on trust. However, perceived risk had a negative and significant impact on trust. The results also found a strong positive and significant relationship between trust and intention to adopt Islamic Fintech. The outcome of this research may be used to develop strategies for Fintech and enables the financial sector to attain economies of scale in the world.

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How perceived risk, benefit and trust determine user Fintech adoption: a new dimension for Islamic finance

This study aims to explore the relationship of environmental degradation with economic growth and energy innovation by utilizing the panel data of 33 European countries by covering the period of 1996 to 2017. We use the cross-sections independence and control the heterogeneity between cross-sections by using the second-generation econometric of panel data. The Westerlund bootstrap co-integration, CIPS unit root test, Pedroni co-integration, panel causality techniques, and FMOLS have been used to analyze the relationship. The result of the study shows that all the variables are integrated in the long run. Energy innovation has a negative and significant impact on environmental degradation. On the other hand, gross domestic product has a U-shape and significant relationship with environmental degradation by supporting Kuznets curve. Therefore, this study helps not only the policymaker and government but also the people and businessmen on how they can increase the growth of the business and economy without effecting the environment.

Bilal Khamis

Papers

How perceived risk, benefit and trust determine user Fintech adoption: a new dimension for Islamic finance

Environmental degradation, economic growth, and energy innovation: evidence from European countries