Geographical dimension and environmental Kuznets curve: the case of some less investigated air pollutants

Abstract

The present article provides preliminary results about the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the Italian case for some less investigated air contaminants, such as benzene, sulphur hexafluoride and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). By using an emission data set disaggregated at the provincial level, it investigates whether the EKC is influenced by the geographical dimension, by splitting the national sample into four provincial subsets, according to the characteristics of the Italian productive system. Results suggest that southern provinces follow an EKC for the benzene and sulphur hexafluoride emissions, along with north-eastern provinces that follow a U-shaped trend for HFCs, thus providing evidence that geographical dimension significantly influences the relationship between income and pollutant emissions.

Keywords:

• environmental Kuznets curve
• geographical dimension
• Italian provinces
• benzene
• F-gases

JEL Classification:

• Q53
• Q56
• O13

Notes

¹ Along with sulphur hexafluoride and hydrofluorocarbons, fluorinated gases are also composed of perfluorocarbons (PFCs). However, we focus exclusively on the first two pollutants, given the lack of data on PFCs.