{"title":"Beyond the haze: Decomposing the effect of economic inequality on global air quality from 2000 to 2020","authors":"Ella Henninger, E. Keith Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108210","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Extant research has analysed the macroeconomic and political drivers of worldwide air pollution. Empirically, studies have focused on either between-country (cross-national comparisons) or within-country (temporal changes) dynamics, but these related effects have not been simultaneously addressed. Employing a comprehensive dataset spanning 156 countries over two decades (2000−2020), we take a distinctive dual approach to examine the effects of economic inequality, economic development, and democratic institutions on air pollution exposure within <em>and</em> across countries. First, against expectations, we find that within countries over time, increases in economic inequality correlate with reduced air pollution. This relationship remains consistent irrespective of country-level economic development or democratic status. Further we find that the trajectory of economic inequality conditions this effect, suggesting that whether redistributive measures towards addressing economic inequality carry environmental co-benefits or trade-offs likely depends upon the context. Second, between countries, economic inequality has a limited association with air pollution levels. Third, the effects of economic inequality on air pollution levels within and between countries are substantively small in comparison to the impact of economic development and democracy. This study emphasises the need to reconsider conventional expectations regarding economic inequality, further accentuating the influence of economic development and democratic institutions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51021,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Economics","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 108210"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800924001071/pdfft?md5=3ad851c7878e29447b55fa1b5c6acdcf&pid=1-s2.0-S0921800924001071-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ecological Economics","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800924001071","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Extant research has analysed the macroeconomic and political drivers of worldwide air pollution. Empirically, studies have focused on either between-country (cross-national comparisons) or within-country (temporal changes) dynamics, but these related effects have not been simultaneously addressed. Employing a comprehensive dataset spanning 156 countries over two decades (2000−2020), we take a distinctive dual approach to examine the effects of economic inequality, economic development, and democratic institutions on air pollution exposure within and across countries. First, against expectations, we find that within countries over time, increases in economic inequality correlate with reduced air pollution. This relationship remains consistent irrespective of country-level economic development or democratic status. Further we find that the trajectory of economic inequality conditions this effect, suggesting that whether redistributive measures towards addressing economic inequality carry environmental co-benefits or trade-offs likely depends upon the context. Second, between countries, economic inequality has a limited association with air pollution levels. Third, the effects of economic inequality on air pollution levels within and between countries are substantively small in comparison to the impact of economic development and democracy. This study emphasises the need to reconsider conventional expectations regarding economic inequality, further accentuating the influence of economic development and democratic institutions.
期刊介绍：
Ecological Economics is concerned with extending and integrating the understanding of the interfaces and interplay between "nature''s household" (ecosystems) and "humanity''s household" (the economy). Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary field defined by a set of concrete problems or challenges related to governing economic activity in a way that promotes human well-being, sustainability, and justice. The journal thus emphasizes critical work that draws on and integrates elements of ecological science, economics, and the analysis of values, behaviors, cultural practices, institutional structures, and societal dynamics. The journal is transdisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, drawing on the insights offered by a variety of intellectual traditions, and appealing to a diverse readership.
Specific research areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc. New issues in this area are rapidly emerging and will find a ready forum in Ecological Economics.
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