Does the level of energy intensity matter in the effect of logistic performance on the environmental pollution of OBOR countries? Evidence from PSTR analysis

Abstract

The present study examines the impact of energy intensity on the relationship between logistic performance and environmental pollution in 45 countries supporting the One Belt One Road (OBOR) project proposed to revitalize the historical Silk Road for the period between 2007 and 2018 by means of Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) analysis using the energy intensity as the threshold. The analysis results indicated that the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution is not linear, and energy intensity level has an important role in this relationship. The energy intensity threshold level was estimated as 3.228% and 4.432% in low and high energy intensity countries, respectively. When the energy intensity level is below the threshold in both low and high energy intensity countries, increase in logistics performance reduces environmental pollution. However, when it is above the threshold, a rise in logistics performance increases environmental pollution. In this context, reducing energy intensity is deemed helpful for the establishment of a favorable environment for logistic performance and environmental factors in the long term, leading to the reduction of environmental pollution.

Keywords:

• Energy intensity threshold level
• environmental pollution
• logistic performance
• panel smooth transition regression

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

Authors’ contributions

Hatice Aydin and Hayrullah Altinok contributed to the conception of the study. Celil Aydin and Hayrullah Altinok performed the experiment and wrote the manuscript. Celil Aydin and Hatice Aydin performed the analysis with constructive discussions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Consent for publication

Written informed consent for publication was obtained from all participants.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets supporting the results of this article are included within the article and its additional files.

Notes

1 Based on their mean energy intensities in 2018, the countries were divided into two groups: those with high and low energy intensity. According to the energy intensity values for countries in 2018, those with low energy intensity were below the average whereas countries with high energy intensity were above the average. Among these 45 countries, 20 countries are high energy intensity countries, while 25 countries are low energy intensity countries. Table 7 in the Annex (online supplementary information) displays the countries with low and high energy intensities.

2 As the data on the logistic performance index are calculated by the World Bank once in two years, the data on LPI are from the years of 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. Furthermore, the data for other variables were established by calculating the average of 2008, 2009, and 2010 for 2010; 2011 and 2012 for 2012; 2013 and 2014 for 2014; 2015 and 2016 for 2016; 2017 and 2018 for 2018.