The Role of Educating the Labor Force in Sustaining a Green Economy in MINT Countries: Panel Symmetric and Asymmetric Approach

Abstract

Over the years, the economies of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey (the MINT countries) have had significant levels of economic growth. However, these countries have not been able to protect the quality of their environments simultaneously. As a result, the rising environmental indices in these nations cast a gloomy shadow over their capacity to continue their economic development. It has been shown that a more educated workforce may boost an economy’s absorption capacity and enhance the efficiency of green technology, both of which contribute to lower emissions of greenhouse gases. This article reports on research that examines the link between educating the labor force and environmental sustainability in the MINT economies. In order to conduct an empirical analysis of the data spanning the years 1995–2020, panel ARDL-PMG and NARDL-PMG techniques were used. First, the results of the ARDL-PMG demonstrate that a more highly educated workforce plays a vital role in mitigating CO2 emissions. Moreover, the NARDL-PMG’s results demonstrate that a positive component of a highly educated workforce is a large negative influence on CO2 emissions, whereas in the long run, the negative component of a highly educated workforce has a positive impact on CO2 emissions over time. This article recommends that the MINT nations’ authorities boost education and training for their workforces in order to keep CO2 emissions down.