The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and the environmental problem of the day

• Main Authors: Rashid Gill, Abid, Viswanathan, Kuperan K., Hassan, Sallahuddin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pergamon 2018
• Subjects: HC Economic History and Conditions
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/24773/1/RSER%2081%202018%201636%201642.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/24773/; http://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.247

This study evaluates the relevancy of the Environment Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis to the environment problem of the world. To achieve this objective, different aspects of the EKC have been critically reviewed. The study concludes that EKC growth strategy “grow now clean later” is too much resource intensive and has huge environmental cost that this planet may not be able to absorb in future. The key recommendations of the study are that developing countries should follow different growth path than that of the EKC. The growth path that must be sustainable and less destructive. Since energy is the most important determinant of the pollution, therefore, the governments should frame a special policy for renewable energy by taxing the fossil and subsidizing the renewables.