Araştırma Makalesi

SUSTAINABILITY IN E7 ECONOMIES: TESTING THE EKC HYPOTHESIS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT DYNAMICS

Cilt: 27 Sayı: 2 26 Nisan 2026
PDF İndir
TR EN

SUSTAINABILITY IN E7 ECONOMIES: TESTING THE EKC HYPOTHESIS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT DYNAMICS

Abstract

Rapidly changing economic and environmental conditions have brought the concept of sustainability to the forefront. Rapid industrialization, urbanization and technological developments have expanded the boundaries of economic growth while simultaneously placing significant pressure on natural resources. The E7 countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and Türkiye) have been gaining an increasingly significant role in global production and energy consumption through their rapid growth and industrialization processes. As these countries account for a substantial share of global economic growth and energy use, their rapid industrialization and urbanization have made them vulnerable in terms of environmental sustainability. This situation necessitates an examination of the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation in the sample of these countries. In this context, this study examines the determinants of the ecological footprint (EFP) in E7 countries using panel data methods. The analysis employs variables such as real GDP per capita, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, trade openness rate, gross fixed capital formation and labor force participation rate. Our study aims to reveal the dynamic relationships between variables using panel data econometric methods. The findings confirm the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis between economic growth and EFP. Non-renewable energy consumption increases environmental pressure, whereas renewable energy has a mitigating effect. In addition, gross fixed capital formation and labor force participation rate have increased the EFP, while trade openness rate was found to be statistically insignificant. The inclusion of labor market dynamics and capital formation, in addition to economic growth and energy consumption, ensures a novel contribution to the current literature on E7 countries by shifting the focus from a purely production-oriented approach to one centered on structural transformation.

Keywords

Kaynakça

  1. Abdullahi, N. M., Ibrahim, A. A., Zhang, Q., & Huo, X. (2024). Dynamic linkages between financial development, economic growth, urbanization, trade openness, and ecological footprint: an empirical account of ECOWAS countries. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 27(10) 25103–25130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04713-3
  2. Addai, K., Serener, B., & Kirikkaleli, D. (2022). Empirical analysis of the relationship among urbanization, economic growth and ecological footprint: evidence from Eastern Europe. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(19), 27749-27760.
  3. Ahmad, M., & Satrovic, E. (2024). Modeling natural resources for ecological sustainability. Gondwana Research, 126, 243-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2023.09.015
  4. Ahmed, Z., Ahmad, M., Rjoub, H., Kalugina, O. A., & Hussain, N. (2022). Economic growth, renewable energy consumption, and ecological footprint: Exploring the role of environmental regulations and democracy in sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 30(4), 595-605. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2251
  5. Ahmed, Z., Asghar, M. M., Malik, M. N., & Nawaz, K. (2022). Moving towards a sustainable environment: The dynamic linkage between natural resources, human capital, urbanization, economic growth, and ecological footprint in China. Resources Policy, 67, 101677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101677
  6. Akpanke, T. A., Deka, A., Ozdeser, H., & Seraj, M. (2024). Ecological footprint in the OECD countries: do energy efficiency and renewable energy matter? Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(10), 15289-15301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32151-1
  7. Al-Mulali, U., Weng-Wai, C., Sheau-Ting, L., & Mohammed, A. H. (2015). Investigating the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis by utilizing the ecological footprint as an indicator of environmental degradation. Ecological Indicators, 48, 315-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.08.029
  8. Alola, A. A., Bekun, F. V., & Sarkodie, S. A. (2019). Dynamic impact of trade policy, economic growth, fertility rate, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on ecological footprint in Europe. Science of the Total Environment, 685, 702-709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.139

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Ekonometrik ve İstatistiksel Yöntemler , Ekonomik Modeller ve Öngörü , Panel Veri Analizi

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

26 Nisan 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

9 Kasım 2025

Kabul Tarihi

14 Şubat 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 27 Sayı: 2

Kaynak Göster

APA
Güleç, O., Utlu Koçdemir, S., & Özyıldız, T. (2026). SUSTAINABILITY IN E7 ECONOMIES: TESTING THE EKC HYPOTHESIS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT DYNAMICS. Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 27(2), 699-726. https://doi.org/10.37880/cumuiibf.1820233

Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi Creative Commons Atıf-GayriTicari 4.0 Uluslararası Lisansı (CC BY NC) ile lisanslanmıştır.