Assessing the Relationship between Economic Growth and Emissions Levels in South Africa between 1994 and 2019

Sustainability

Lerato Shikwambana¹  Mahlatse Kganyago¹  Paidamwoyo Mhangara² 

[1] Earth Observation Directorate, South African National Space Agency, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa;

关键词: GDP;    sulfur dioxide;    black carbon;    EKC hypothesis;    MERRA-2;    sequential Mann–Kendall;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su13052645

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The objective of this study is to establish whether there is any relationship between economic growth and emission levels for pollutants (namely carbon dioxide (CO₂), black carbon (BC), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO)) in South Africa, for the period from 1994 to 2019. Data from the world bank, namely gross domestic product (GDP) and CO₂ emissions, were used. BC, SO₂, and CO data were obtained from Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2). The linear correlation coefficient and the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis test were used to determine the relationships. The sequential Mann–Kendall (SQMK) test was further used to study the trends. A correlation coefficient of 0.84, which indicates a strong positive linear correlation, between GDP and CO₂ emission was observed. However, the relationship between GDP and CO concentration showed a correlation coefficient of −0.05, indicating no linear relationship between the two variables. The EKC hypothesis showed an N-shape for SO₂ and CO. Overall, the results of this study indicate that emissions levels are generally correlated with economic growth. Therefore, a stringent regulatory system is needed to curtail the high emissions levels observed in this study, given the devastating impacts of global warming already ravaging the world.

【 授权许可】

Unknown