The Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Survey of the Literature

Borghesi, Simone

doi:10.2139/ssrn.200556

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The Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Survey of the Literature

29 Pages Posted: 10 Feb 2000

See all articles by Simone Borghesi

Simone Borghesi

University of Siena - Dept. of Political and International Sciences; European University Institute

Date Written: November 1999

Abstract

In the last few years, several studies have found an inverted-U relationship between per capita income and environmental degradation. This relationship, known as the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), suggests that environmental degradation increases in the early stages of growth, but it eventually decreases as income exceeds a threshold level. The present paper reviews both early and recent contributions on this subject, discussing whether and to what extent such a curve can be empirically observed, and the policy implications that derive from the empirical evidence.

JEL Classification: C23, O5, Q2, Q25, Q32

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Borghesi, Simone, The Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Survey of the Literature (November 1999). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=200556 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.200556