Investigating the Energy-Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis for the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

As mitigating the effects of energy consumption on the environment is a crucial issue for the Asia-Pacific region, this study investigates the energy-environmental Kuznets curve (EEKC) hypothesis among the 19 Asia-Pacific countries. The study also tests the EEKC hypothesis for the low-, middle-, and high-income groups of the region. The panel regression and cointegration models are used for this purpose. Our test results of both models suggest that the EEKC hypothesis holds for the whole Asia-Pacific region. However, the test performed on the three different income groups revealed that the hypothesis only holds for the high-income group. The hypothesis was not apparent for the low- and middle-income groups. This indicates that the transition in the energy consumption along the EEKC is only occurring in the developed countries of the Asia-Pacific region and the developed countries need to support the developing countries to achieve economic growth along the EEKC.