AN APPLICATION ON THE ROLE OF GENDER, EMPLOYMENT AND RENEWABLE ENERGY AS A DETERMINANT OF CO2 EMISSIONS IN TURKEY

Abstract

Differences in many socio-economic indicators such as labor force participation, wage and income, employment structure, education level and participation in politics are associated with gender discrimination. It is possible that the increase in the level of education in recent years has a positive effect on the employment structure of women and affects the sensitivity to environmental problems. In this study, the association between education expenditures, female employment, male employment, renewable energy usage and and CO2 emissions in Turkey has been empirically examined. Unit root test, Johansen cointegration, FMOLS estimator and Granger causality methods were used to investigate this nexus. Johansen cointegration test results showed a long-term nexus between the variables included in the analysis. According to the FMOLS estimator, female employment has a negative and significant impact on CO2 emissions, while male employment has a positive and significant impact on CO2 emissions. Therefore, the rise in female employment in Turkey can be expected to help reduce CO2 emissions in the long run. In addition, unidirectional causality from education expenditures and renewable energy usage to CO2 emissions and bidirectional causality between female employment, male employment and CO2 emission was found. In the light of these findings, education expenditures can increase the education level of women on the one hand, and on the other hand support renewable energy with technological innovations and contribute to reducing environmental pollution.