Trade and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Panel Data Approach

Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) describes the relationship between the economic growth and the environmental degradation. Some researchers assume that this nexus may be influenced by international trade. In this paper we estimated EKC for carbon dioxide emissions using panel data for 15 countries of the former Soviet Union spanning the period 1990-2011. We revealed positive dependence of the carbon dioxide emissions on export. We also found that foreign direct investment does not affect air pollution.