The Correlation Between CO2 Emissions and GDP in Bhutan - A Threat to Carbon Neutrality?
(2023) EOSK12 20231Department of Economic History
- Abstract
- The nexus between environmental degradation and economic growth is becoming of greater importance globally and in order to limit global warming at an increase of 1.5 ° C there needs to be a net zero-transition towards carbon neutrality. The Kingdom of Bhutan has over the last decades experienced continuous economic growth while being carbon negative and adhering to its unique Gross National Happiness development framework. This study investigates the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and gross domestic product in Bhutan and evaluates how Bhutan’s aspirations toward economic growth might threaten its carbon-neutral status. The analysis is drawn from descriptive statistics and compared to the theory of the environmental Kuznets... (More)
- The nexus between environmental degradation and economic growth is becoming of greater importance globally and in order to limit global warming at an increase of 1.5 ° C there needs to be a net zero-transition towards carbon neutrality. The Kingdom of Bhutan has over the last decades experienced continuous economic growth while being carbon negative and adhering to its unique Gross National Happiness development framework. This study investigates the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and gross domestic product in Bhutan and evaluates how Bhutan’s aspirations toward economic growth might threaten its carbon-neutral status. The analysis is drawn from descriptive statistics and compared to the theory of the environmental Kuznets curve, the Decoupling theory and the theory on Green growth. The study finds a positive linear relationship between CO2 emissions per capita and GDP per capita and no substantial evidence of sustained decoupling. While an immediate threat to carbon neutrality is not found due to the country’s large carbon sequestering capacity, there are challenges ahead if Bhutan wants to experience sustained economic growth and remain carbon neutral. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9127623
- author
- Wollnert, Sofia LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- EOSK12 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Bhutan, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, Carbon Neutrality, Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), The Decoupling Theory, Green Growth, Degrowth, Gross National Happiness (GNH)
- language
- English
- id
- 9127623
- date added to LUP
- 2023-06-21 09:49:10
- date last changed
- 2023-06-21 09:49:10
@misc{9127623, abstract = {{The nexus between environmental degradation and economic growth is becoming of greater importance globally and in order to limit global warming at an increase of 1.5 ° C there needs to be a net zero-transition towards carbon neutrality. The Kingdom of Bhutan has over the last decades experienced continuous economic growth while being carbon negative and adhering to its unique Gross National Happiness development framework. This study investigates the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and gross domestic product in Bhutan and evaluates how Bhutan’s aspirations toward economic growth might threaten its carbon-neutral status. The analysis is drawn from descriptive statistics and compared to the theory of the environmental Kuznets curve, the Decoupling theory and the theory on Green growth. The study finds a positive linear relationship between CO2 emissions per capita and GDP per capita and no substantial evidence of sustained decoupling. While an immediate threat to carbon neutrality is not found due to the country’s large carbon sequestering capacity, there are challenges ahead if Bhutan wants to experience sustained economic growth and remain carbon neutral.}}, author = {{Wollnert, Sofia}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{The Correlation Between CO2 Emissions and GDP in Bhutan - A Threat to Carbon Neutrality?}}, year = {{2023}}, }