Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2022.2164032
Government institutional trust and sustainable environment: evidence from BRICS economies
Tong Zhao
Yichi Zhang
Abstract
The growing environmental degradation and climate change issue
require serious attention since they harm human health and
adversely affect sustainable development. The current study
examines the association of government institutional trust with
the environmental quality of the BRICS economies during 1990–
2020. Also, this study considers economic growth and technological
innovation as control variables. The empirical findings
validate the sloe heterogeneity and panel cross-section dependence.
Therefore, this study uses the second-generation estimators,
including the Mean Group and Augmented Mean Group
approaches. The empirical results asserted that governmental,
institutional trust, and technological innovation are the drivers of
a sustainable environment as they significantly reduce the
region’s carbon emissions level. On the contrary, economic
growth is a substantial factor in increased environmental degradation
in the region. The estimated results are found robust by the
fully modified ordinary least square and dynamic ordinary least
square approaches. Also, a bidirectional causal association exists
between government institutional trust – emissions, technological
innovation – emissions, and economic growth – emissions. Based
on the results, this study suggested strengthening institutional
quality, increasing investment in research and development, education,
and adopting environmentally friendly energy resources.
Keywords
Government institutional trust; technological innovation; economic growth; carbon emissions; mean group
Hrčak ID:
314023
URI
Publication date:
6.1.2023.
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