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Environmental technology development and diffusion: panel data evidence from 56 countries

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Abstract

This study analyzes environmental technology development and diffusion patterns in 56 countries and for the time period 2005–2014 to provide an up-to-date assessment on underlying determinants. Foreign direct investment, human-knowledge development, institutional efficiency and quality of governance are taken into account to assess the cumulative nature of environmental technology development and diffusion. Static specifications were implemented, rejecting the EKC hypothesis and producing inverted N-shape relationships in the case of technology development and N-shape relationships in the case of diffusion. The turning points are all well within the sample and those of technology development are lower compared to the ones of diffusion.

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Notes

  1. Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS) was used to control for non-observable specific effects but the results were statistically insignificant.

  2. Theoretical underpinnings on the existence of an N-shape relationship can be found in Halkos (2012, 2013).

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Co-Editor Professot Shunsuke Managi and the reviewers for their helpful and constructive comments and recommendations. Any remaining errors are solely the authors’ responsibility.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Operations Research, University of Thessaly, 38333, Volos, Greece

    George Halkos

  2. Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81132, Lesvos, Greece

    Antonis Skouloudis

Authors
  1. George Halkos
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  2. Antonis Skouloudis
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Correspondence to Antonis Skouloudis.

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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Countries included in the assessment

Argentina

Egypt

South Korea

Serbia

Australia

Estonia

Latvia

Singapore

Austria

Finland

Lithuania

Slovak Republic

Belgium

France

Luxembourg

Slovenia

Brazil

Germany

Malaysia

Spain

Bulgaria

Greece

Mexico

South Africa

Canada

Hungary

Morocco

Sweden

Chile

Hong Kong

The Netherlands

Switzerland

China

Iceland

New Zealand

Taiwan

Colombia

India

Norway

Turkey

Croatia

Ireland

Poland

Ukraine

Czech Republic

Israel

Portugal

United Kingdom

Denmark

Italy

Romania

United States

Ecuador

Japan

Russia

Uruguay

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Halkos, G., Skouloudis, A. Environmental technology development and diffusion: panel data evidence from 56 countries. Environ Econ Policy Stud 23, 79–92 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10018-020-00279-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10018-020-00279-2

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