Analysis of the Environmental Performances of EU Countries and Türkiye

Abstract

The paper aims to evaluate the environmental performance efficiency of (European Union (EU) countries and to calculate Türkiye's position among these countries. The performance of EU countries and Türkiye for the period 2010-2022 is assessed using the variables of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG), Material Flows (MF) and Tree Cover Loss (TCL). For this purpose, Decoupling Analysis and Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Index (MTFPI) were applied. As a result of the analysis, there was no productivity change in Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden and Türkiye. In the same period, there is an increase in productivity change for 12 countries and a decrease for 12 countries. In general, total factor productivity increased in 1 country and decreased in 27 countries during the study period. The country with the highest increase in technical productivity change, in other words technological development, was Hungary with 3.7 percent. According to the decoupling elasticities of these 28 countries, the decoupling elasticity indices of GHG and MF are positive for Türkiye and Greece. For Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, the decoupling index of GHG and MF from GDP is negatively elastic for that period. For the decoupling index of TCL from GDP, Germany shows an elasticity greater than one in that period.