Testing the Extended STIRPAT Model for Low-Carbon Economy in MENA Region

Authors : Canan Şentürk, Selin Kaya, Onur Sungur

Pages : 257-269

Doi:10.14780/muiibd.1566886

View : 57 | Download : 149

Publication Date : 2025-12-28

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :On global scale, the amount of waste and carbon is increasing day by day because of the reasons such as increasing population, urbanization, consumption, industrial production and energy demand etc. Moreover, according to the World Economic Forum\\\'s global risks map, environmental problems and climate change have been among the most important risks since 2011. The fact that economic growth, one of the basic components of sustainable development, is limited to linear processes (rather than closed-loop/circular systems) threatens another component, environmental quality. Therefore, the importance of growth with a low-carbon economy model emerges both on a global and national scale. In this context, the study aims to provide a more comprehensive framework for investigating the main arguments for a low-carbon economy and environmental degradation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Based on the principle of sustainability, the variables of trade openness and renewable energy are added to the main elements of the STIRPAT model (population, affluence and technology). The extended STIRPAT model is tested with the ARDL bounds test approach using data from MENA region for the period 1990-2020. According to the results obtained, while population, affluence and technology variables give statistically significant results in the long term, the effect of the trade openness variable is observed in the short term. 38% of the effect of the shock is eliminated after a period from deviation from long-term equilibrium following short-term shocks. In other words it is concluded that the adaptation process is slowly.
Keywords : Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma, Ticari Açıklık, Çevresel Bozulma, Yenilenebilir Enerji, MENA Bölgesi

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