Document Type
Dissertation
First Faculty Advisor
Blais, Brian
Keywords
Environmental Kuznets Curve; Systems Dynamics
Publisher
Bryant University
Rights Management
All rights retained by Amreen Ahmad and Bryant University
Abstract
This paper studies the Environmental Kuznets Curve by examining the relationship between CO2 emissions and GDP per capita data for 200 countries worldwide from the time period of 1950- 2015. We use multiple dynamical models - including linear, exponential and feedback models – to search for and quantify the Kuznets effect, the downward shaped U curve in the time-series of environmental quantities. Using the Bayesian Information Criterion to perform model comparison, we determine that there is weak evidence of the Kuznets curve existing in all countries and slightly stronger evidence for it in the OECD and BRICS countries. We discuss some of the implications of this result.
