Is democracy enough to get early turn of the environmental Kuznets curve in ASEAN countries?

This research article investigates the impact of democracy on peak turning point of the environmental Kuznets curve in the context of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries that have different levels of development and democracy. For this purpose, time-series data for the period of 1980-2014 have been employed. The empirical findings support the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve for CO2 emission in the ASEAN countries. It is also found that democracy measured by civil liberties delays the turning point of the environmental Kuznets curve and, therefore, increases the environmental cost of economic growth. The research output provides meaningful inputs to formulate an effective public policy for the protection of the environment in the ASEAN countries.