Exploring the bi-directional long run relationship between urbanization, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emission

This study investigated the long run relationship between urbanization, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission in seven regions, namely, East Asia and Pacific, East Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Europe. To achieve the goal of the study, the fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) was employed taking the period 1980-2008. The results show that while 84% of the countries have a positive long run relationship between urbanization, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emission, only 16% the countries have mixed results. Some countries have a negative long run relationship and others, especially low income countries have no relationship between urbanization, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emission. Furthermore, a one way long run relationship between energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission and urbanization was found in a number of countries while a one way long run relationship between urbanization and energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission was found in other countries. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.