The Impact of Urbanization on CO2 Emissions: Evidence from Developing Countries

This paper analyzes the impact of urbanization on CO2 emissions in developing countries, taking into account the presence of heterogeneity in the sample of countries and testing for the stability of the estimated elasticities over time. The sample covers the period from 1975 through 2003 for different groups of countries, classified according to their income levels. Our results show that, whereas the impact of population growth on emissions is above unity and only slightly different for upper, middle, and low- income countries, urbanization, demonstrate a very different impact on emissions for low and lower-middle-income countries and upper-middle income countries.CO2 emissions, developing countries, panel data, population growth, urbanization

The Impact of Urbanization on CO2 Emissions: Evidence from Developing Countries

This paper analyzes the impact of urbanization on CO2 emissions in developing countries. In this study we treat population as a predictor in the model, instead of assuming a unitary elasticity of emissions with respect to population growth. We contribute to the existing literature by examining the effect of urbanization, taking into account the presence of heterogeneity in the sample of countries and testing for the stability of the estimated elasticities over time. The sample covers the period from 1975 through 2005 for different groups of countries, classified according to their income levels. Our results show that, whereas the impact of population growth on emissions is above unity and only slightly different for upper, middle, and low-income countries, additional demographic variables, namely, urbanization, demonstrate a very different impact on emissions for low and lower-middle-income countries and upper-middle income countries. For the first set of countries, the elasticity, emission-urbanization, is higher than unity, whereas in the second group, the elasticity is 0.72, which is in accordance with the higher environmental impact observed in less developed regions. However, in upper-middle income countries and highly developed countries, the elasticity, emission-urbanization, is negative. The heterogeneous impact of urbanization on CO2 emissions should therefore be taken into account in future discussions of climate change policies.CO2 Emissions, Developing Countries, Panel Data, Population Growth, Urbanization

How well did the Kyoto Protocol work? A dynamic-GMM approach with external instruments

This paper assesses the impact of the Kyoto Protocol on CO2 emissions. With this aim a dynamic panel data model is estimated for a cross-section of 213 countries over the period 1960 to 2009. The model, based on a STIRPAT approach, also integrates the EKC approach and specifically considers the endogeneity of the policy variable. To sort out causality the number of financed CDM projects is used as an external instrument. The main results indicate that obligations from the Kyoto Protocol have a measurable reducing effect on CO2 emissions and indicate that a treaty often seen as "failed" in fact may be producing some non-trivial effects.Environmental Kuznets Curve, Kyoto Protocol, panel data, Clean Development Mechanism

Determinants of Maritime Transport Costs. A Panel Data Analysis for Latin American Trade

This paper analyses the determinants of transport costs for intra-Latin American trade over a period of six years (1999-2004). The data refer to yearly disaggregated (SITC 5 digit level) maritime trade flows on 277 trade routes. With this data set, a transport costs equation is estimated using linear regression analysis in a panel data framework. The first contribution to the literature is to exploit the greater variability present in our data and to control for unobservable heterogeneous effects. The second is to investigate the influence of open registries on the variability of maritime transport costs. Three groups of explanatory variables are considered. Firstly, timevarying variables: use of open registries and trade imbalance. Secondly, variables related to liner shipping network structures: number of liner services, shipping opportunities, deployed ships and deployed TEUs. Finally, product related variables such as volume of shipment, value of product and special characteristics of the cargo (i.e. refrigerated cargo). The results will allow us to quantify the effect of the explanatory variables on international maritime transport costs and to compare the obtained elasticities with previous cross-section analysis. In particular, estimating the impact of the use of open registries on transport cost is a new contribution in this field that could provide policy makers with valuable information to be used in the implementation of economic policies.International Transport Costs, Maritime Trade, Latin America, Sectoral Data, Time Series, Open Registries, Competitiveness, liner shipping network structure

The Role of the Everything But Arms Trade Preferences Regime in the EU Development Strategy

This study examines the effect of the Everything But Arms (EBA) trade preferences regime on exports from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to the European Union (EU). With this aim, an augmented gravity model is estimated for exports from the 79 ACP countries to the EU-15 for the time period 1995 to 2005 using panel data techniques. The model estimates are used to quantify the effect of the EBA preferences on the ACP LDCs export performance and to compare it with the impact of official development assistance. In addition to their separate effects, the combined impact of EBA and aid flows is estimated. The main results show a negative effect of the EBA regime on exports. Otherwise, the combined effect of the EBA and aid on exports is positive, supporting an EU development strategy that includes both sorts of assistance, aid and trade preferences. --development aid,trade preferences,Everything But Arms,panel data

Driving Factors of Carbon Dioxide Emissions and the Impact from Kyoto Protocol

In the last two decades increasing attention has been paid to the relationship between environmental quality and economic development. According to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis this relationship may be described by an inverted-U curve. However, recent evidence rejects the EKC hypothesis for GHG emissions in a broad sense. In this paper we aim to investigate whether the EKC behavior for CO2 emissions could be proved on the behalf of institutional regulations. We analyze the driving factors of Carbon Dioxide Emissions (CO2) for developed and developing countries to test the theory of the EKC in the context of environmental regulations using a static and dynamic panel data model. We consider the Kyoto Protocol and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The results from this study indicate that the Kyoto obligations have a reducing effect on CO2 emissions in developed and developing countries and highlight the differences behind the driving forces of CO2 emissions for those two groups of countries. Finally, it is still too early to predict accurately the expected effects of CDM projects on emissions.Environmental Kuznets Curve, Kyoto Protocol, CDM

The price of modern maritime piracy

A growing body of literature has recently focused on the economic origins and consequences of modern maritime piracy and on the perception that the international community has failed to control it. This paper aims to investigate maritime transport costs as one of the channels through which modern maritime piracy could have a major impact on the global economy. A transportcost equation is estimated using a newly released dataset on maritime transport cost from the OECD together with data on maritime piracy from the IMB. Our results show that maritime piracy significantly increases trade cost between Europe and Asia.maritime piracy, transport costs, maritime trade, panel data

Driving Factors of Carbon Dioxide Emissions and the Impact from Kyoto Protocol

In the last two decades increasing attention has been paid to the relationship between environmental degradation and economic development. According to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis this relationship may be described by an inverted-U curve. However, recent evidence rejects the EKC hypothesis for GHG emissions in a broad sense. In this paper we aim to investigate whether the EKC behavior for CO2 emissions could be proved on the behalf of institutional regulations. We analyze the driving factors of CO2 for developed and developing countries to test the theory of the EKC in the context of environmental regulations using a static and dynamic panel data model. We consider the Kyoto Protocol and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The results from this study indicate that the Kyoto obligations have a reducing effect on CO2 emissions in developed and developing countries.environmental Kuznets Curve, Kyoto Protocol, CDM

How Costly is Modern Maritime Piracy for the International Community?

This paper focuses on the impact of maritime piracy on international trade. Piracy increases the cost of international maritime transport through an increase in insecurity regarding goods deliveries. Bilateral trade flows between the main European and Asian countries over the 1999 to 2008 period are used to estimate an augmented gravity model that includes various measures of piracy acts. We found robust evidence indicating that maritime piracy reduces the volume of trade; the effect of ten additional vessels hijacked being associated to an 11% decrease in exports. Using these results, the international cost of piracy in terms of trade destruction is estimated to be 28 billion dollars. Finally, we compare the cost of low intensity conflict like Somalia, to the cost of a full scale conflict (Afghanistan) and to the cost of an autarkic state (North Korea) for the international community in the year 2008.The results indicate that the cost of war more than doubles the cost of low intensity conflict.Piracy, International trade, Gravity equation, cost of conflict, security

Relating Productivity and Trade 1980-2000: A Chicken and Egg Analysis

Given the nature and range of investigations of the trade/productivity relationship, we now know that possible reverse causation must be a consideration in empirical research. Indeed, some research finds that estimates of productivity gains attributed to trade capture instead the roles of institutions and geography. Here we estimate the relationship between productivity and trade for a panel of countries over the period 1980 to 2000 using instrumental-variables estimation of a productivity equation. The endogeneity of trade and institutional quality is accounted for by using instruments. We extend the specification used by Frankel and Romer (1999) using real openness as the measure of trade (following Alcala and Ciccone, 2004). The trade instrument is based on a gravity equation. The instruments for institutional quality come from Gwartney, Holcombe and Lawson (2004). This approach allows for identification of channels through which trade and production scale affect productivity.