Broadband connects consumers, businesses and governments and are now therefore a vital instrument in ensuring the competitiveness of OECD countries. This report examines broadband developments and ...policies, and highlights challenges such as connecting users to fibre-based networks or coverage of rural areas. It also outlines emerging issues that may need policy attention as we move to next-generation networks. The findings are also relevant to emerging and developing economies designing broadband strategies.
The persistence assessment of organic chemicals is based on neutral reference substances. Therefore, our study aimed at investigating the influence of a chemical charge on the degradation of organic ...compounds in a water-sediment system (OECD 308) and surface water (OECD 309). We used radiolabelled 4-n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (14C-DS-, anionic), 4-n-dodecylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride (14C-DA+, cationic) and 4-n-dodecylphenol (14C-DP, non-ionic) which are structurally similar except their charges. After 120 days of incubation in a water-sediment system, 68% (14C-DS-), 6% (14C-DA+) and 63% (14C-DP) of the applied radioactivity (AR) were mineralized. The formation of non-extractable residues (NER) after 120 days was highest for 14C-DA+ (33% AR), followed by 14C-DS- (19% AR) and 14C-DP (14% AR). Dissipation half-lives (DT50) at 12 °C decreased as follows: 14C-DA+ (346 days) ≫ 14C-DS- (47 days) > 14C-DP (30 days). After 60 days of incubation in surface water with suspended sediment, mineralization of 14C-DS-, 14C-DA+ and 14C-DP accounted for 63%, 7% and 58% AR, respectively. Highest NER formation was observed for 14C-DP (21% AR), followed by 14C-DA+ (14% AR) and 14C-DS- (9% AR). DT50 (12 °C) decreased as follows: 14C-DA+ (45 days) > 14C-DP (3 days) > 14C-DS- (2 days). We showed that a positive charge reduces the degradability of organic chemicals in both test systems. From a scientific point of view, simulation studies following OECD 309 should always be complimented by tests with high sorption capacity, e.g. OECD 308 and OECD 307 tests in order to assess the degradation of a compound, especially in case of cationic organic compounds.
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•Fate of chemicals with similar structures but different charges investigated.•Anionic and non-ionic chemicals were strongly mineralized.•Cationic chemical formed high amounts of NER.•Cationic chemical has by far the slowest degradation rate.•Chemical charge influences a chemical's fate in water-sediment systems.
This paper investigates whether OECD countries compete with each other over corporation taxes, and whether such competition can explain the fall in statutory tax rates in the 1980s and 1990s. We ...develop a model in which multinational firms choose their capital stock in response to an effective marginal tax rate (EMTR), and simultaneously choose the location of their profit in response to differences in statutory tax rates. Governments engage in two-dimensional tax competition: they simultaneously compete over EMTRs for capital and over statutory rates for profit. We estimate the parameters of their reaction functions using data from 21 countries between 1982 and 1999. We find evidence that countries compete over both measures, and moreover, that the estimated slopes of reaction functions are consistent with our theoretical predictions. We find that – consistent with our model, but not some other forms of competition – evidence of strategic interaction is present only between open economies (i.e. those without capital controls in place). The Nash equilibrium average statutory rates implied by the empirical model fall substantially over the period, in line with falls in actual statutory rates. The reductions in equilibrium tax rates can be explained almost entirely by more intense competition generated by the relaxation of capital controls.
In the era of development, the world is facing severe challenges, and environmental degradation is one of them. However, the globe has tried to introduce several initiatives to fight for ...environmental sustainability, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. The leading role of the proposed goals is to balance development and environmental anxiety. Therefore, to these issues, artificial intelligence and technological advancements play a vital role in the natural resource economy in the digital age. Policy analysts are always looking for solutions and have come up with several viable remedies to this problem. Consequently, information & communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role in sustainability in the digital era. However, under the theme of natural resource sustainability, the effectiveness of ICT has a significant impact on sustainability. Accordingly, the current study investigates the long-run effect of income per capita, tourism, natural resources rents, urbanization, and ICT on environmental sustainability in 36 OECD economies from 2000 to 2018. The current research employs an Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and two-step GMM to investigate the study's objectives. Results show the positive contribution of urbanization, natural resources, and tourism to CO2 emissions, while ICT reduces emissions. Besides, an inverted EKC curve is also validated for selected economies. In addition, the moderate effect of ICT on urbanization, natural resources, and tourism shows a significant decline in CO2 emissions. In light of the findings, this study recommends several crucial measures for environmental sustainability.
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•The data presents a substantial benchmark to summarize sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the era of digitalization.•This study tries to investigate the impact of ICT on CO2 in digitalized era.•Natural resources, URB and tourism raise the carbon emissions.•ICT significantly improves the environmental quality.•Moderate role ICT also significantly contributes to environmental sustainability.
This paper studies the relationship between public investment and private investment in a sample of 21 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries between 2000 and 2019. ...Using panel data nonlinear threshold regression models, the empirical results show that there exist threshold levels for the share of public investment in private investment, the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate and the real interest rate that affect the relationship between public and private investment. All estimates support a crowding‐in effect of public investment on private investment. In terms of policy prescriptions, by increasing public investment, OECD governments can expect positive spillovers to private investment.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions play an important role in global warming. Consequently, studying the relationship between CO2 emissions and economic development is important, especially when viewed ...from a historical perspective. We test the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for a panel of 20 OECD nations, dating back to the first globalization boom in the nineteenth century. Utilising recently developed panel data estimators that account for cross-sectional dependence and parameter heterogeneity, for the period 1870 to 2014, we find support for the EKC hypothesis for the panel as a whole with three of our preferred four estimators, with turning points in income per capita that lie between $18,955 and $89,540 (in 1990 US$). Country-specific results, however, only provide mixed support for the EKC hypothesis. Specifically, we find evidence of an EKC for nine of the 20 countries, with five exhibiting a traditional inverted U-shaped relationship, three exhibiting an N-shaped relationship and one, an inverted N-shaped relationship.
•We test the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for OECD nations.•We use data that dates back to the first globalization boom in the nineteenth century.•Our estimators account for cross-sectional dependence and parameter heterogeneity.•We find support for the EKC hypothesis for the panel as a whole.•Country-specific results provide mixed support for the EKC hypothesis.
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•Impact of energy transitions on ecological footprint, and economic growth.•Energy transitions adversely related to ecological footprint and economic growth.•Energy transitions and ...renewable energy consumption improve environmental quality.•Natural resources improve environmental quality and a curse for economic growth.•Urbanization and non-renewable energy deteriorate environmental quality.
Environmental sustainability isthe responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems from supporting health and wellbeing, now and in the future. Thus, the connection between energy transitions, the environment and sustainable development is worth highlighting. We investigate the impact of energy transitions, energy consumption, natural resources, and urbanization on the ecological footprint and economic growth of the selected Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries from 1990 to 2015. Through this study, we have developed a comprehensive empirical analysis, applied advanced econometric methodologies. Wasteland's panel cointegration suggests long-run relationships within the variables. Our long-run results indicate energy transitions, renewable energy consumption, and natural resources are negatively associated, while non-renewable energy consumption and urbanization are positively related to the ecological footprint and economic growth. Overall, the result implies that energy transitions, renewable energy consumption, and natural resources improve environmental quality and curse economic growth. However, urbanization and non-renewable energy consumption deteriorate environmental quality and stimulate economic growth in the selected OECD countries. Policymakers are encouraged to highlight the energy sector's sustainable structural changes, address carbon–neutral influential non-market barriers, promote green trade and technology activities, offer sustainable natural resources and urbanization to guarantee a sustainable future. Study limitations and directions for future research discussed.
This study examines the effect of corruption on green innovation. We employed a panel corrected standard error (PCSE) and robust checking system generalized moment of method (S-GMM) model on a panel ...sample of 61 OECD and non-OECD countries between 2010 and 2018. Our results show that corruption is significant and positively related to green innovation in 61 countries. Similarly, we find that corruption has an increasing impact on green innovation in non-OECD countries. However, in OECD countries, corruption reduces the likelihood of attaining green innovation. Our results are robust to alternative estimation. Therefore, our results extend the green innovation literature and informed policymakers of the need to pay attention to the effect of corruption.
This paper employs a panel quantile regression method to study the impacts of economic growth, renewable energy, and development of patents on carbon emissions. Panel quantile regression is more ...useful method compared to the ordinary least squared (OLS) method because both individual heterogeneity and distributional heterogeneity are considered in a panel quantile regression, which provides comprehensive information of the relationship between carbon emissions per capita and different variables. To be specific, for economic growth, its impact on carbon emissions per capita is significant and positive, but its impact decreases for fast-increase emission countries. The results do not support the Environmental Kuznet Curve hypothesis. As for renewable energy, its impacts on carbon emission show an inverted U-shaped trend at different quantile levels. As for the development of patents, its effect is non-significant and positive at different quantile levels. Based on the results, we propose some policy recommendations to control carbon emissions per capita.
As technological progress and environmental regulation are not only important drivers of but also the double-edged swords in mitigation of CO2 emissions, it is important to figure out their optimal ...threshold values for CO2 emissions' reduction. This paper employs the panel smooth transition regression technique to explore these optimal values in the case of OECD countries and emerging economies. The results show that: (1) OECD countries are at a level of excessive technological progress, which will have a rebound effect and increase CO2 emissions. (2) Emerging economies are under a strict level of environmental regulation, which will lead to serious ‘green paradox’ effects and harm the economic development. Moreover, they have great potential to achieve CO2 emissions reduction targets through technological progress. (3) Due to the rebound effect, the concentration of environment-related technologies should be shifted from improving energy efficiency to reducing carbon emissions directly such as capture, storage, sequestration or disposal of greenhouse gases. (4) OECD countries should provide low-carbon technical support to emerging economies. In addition, because of the existence of heterogeneity, OECD countries ought to determine their levels of technological progress and environmental regulation according to their own actual conditions.
•A PSTR model is employed to explore the optimal values of technological progress and environment regulation for OECD countries and emerging economies.•Results indicate that technological progress may lead to rebound effect.•The strict level of environmental regulation in emerging economies will cause ‘green paradox’ effects and hinder economic development.•Concentration of CO2 mitigation should be shifted from improving energy efficiency to reducing carbon emissions directly.•OECD countries should provide low-carbon emission reduction technical support to emerging economies.
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