Revisiting CO₂ emissions convergence in G18 countries

ABSTRACT

This study revisits whether CO₂ emissions converge in G18 countries over the period of 1950–2013. To work on this empirical analysis, we employ a more powerful quantile unit root test with per capita CO₂ emissions. While conventional unit root tests fail to reject convergence in CO₂ emissions in these G18 countries, quantile unit root test results demonstrate CO₂ emissions converged in 5 of these G18 countries (i.e., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, and India). Our empirical results have important policy implications for the governments of G18 countries to direct efficient and effective energy policies to reduce the CO₂ emissions.

KEYWORDS:

• Convergence
• G18 countries
• per capita CO₂ emissions
• per capita emissions
• quantile unit root test

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Hubei Provincial Department of Education, PRC [Grant No: 16D080] (only first author was a beneficiary).