Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2023.2188420
Decarbonization through carbon intensity mitigation: evidence from global and incomebased panels
Cristiana Doina Tudor
Alexandra Horobet
Irina Mnohoghithei
Robert Sova
Lucian Belascu
Abstract
Along with emission reduction targets, carbon abatement policies
increasingly target the reduction of carbon intensity. In this context,
uncovering factors that reduce carbon intensity is a timely research
subject and carries significant policy implications. The goal of this
study is to explore the dynamic relationships between carbon and
energy intensity, renewable energy, economic development, structural
transformation, and globalization in a global panel comprising
126 countries and two income-based subpanels. Robust System-
GMM estimators indicate that increasing renewable sources in the
energy mix can assist countries in mitigating the carbon intensity
of electricity generation. Moreover, current results highlight that
economic growth is the most effective mitigating factor of carbon
intensity at the global level, revealing that on average, countries
have managed to decouple economic and pollution (carbon intensity)
growth. Results document these links both in the short-and,
most importantly, the long-run setting. Other important results
reveal that the mitigating effect of renewable energy is stronger
with the increase of economic development, whereas structural
transformation only decreases carbon intensity in low- and middleincome
countries. Consequently, consistent long-term climate policies
that promote these mitigating factors and decrease documented
driving factors such as energy intensity could work
synergistically across multiple SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.
Keywords
Carbon intensity; decarbonization; system- GMM; energy intensity; renewable energy; structural transformation
Hrčak ID:
314063
URI
Publication date:
15.5.2023.
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