Do renewable energy consumption and green trade openness matter for human well-being? Empirical evidence from European Union countries

Can B., Ahmed Z., Ahmad M., Can M.

SOCIAL INDICATORS RESEARCH, vol.164, no.3, pp.1043-1059, 2022 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 164 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s11205-022-02981-y
  • Journal Name: SOCIAL INDICATORS RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, FRANCIS, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, ABI/INFORM, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, CAB Abstracts, Communication & Mass Media Index, EBSCO Education Source, EconLit, Geobase, Index Islamicus, Philosopher's Index, Political Science Complete, Psycinfo, Public Administration Abstracts, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.1043-1059
  • Keywords: Human Well-being, Human Development, Green Trade openness, renewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions, ECONOMIC-GROWTH, AFRICAN COUNTRIES, GLOBALIZATION, COINTEGRATION, EMISSIONS, CARBON, NEXUS
  • Eskisehir Osmangazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Human well-being is an important indicator that indicates the welfare level of society. In recent literature, scholars have attempted to detect the determinants of human well-being. However, the impact of green trade openness on human well-being has not been investigated. Also, there are limited studies on renewable energy and the human well-being nexus. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impact of green trade openness and renewable energy consumption on human well-being for 25 European Union (EU) member states over the period from 2003 to 2016. The empirical findings demonstrated that green trade openness increases human well-being in all quantiles (0.1-0.90), while renewable energy consumption shows a significant and positive effect on human well-being across quantiles (0.1-0.90) in EU nations. These conclusions were found robust in all estimation techniques. Lastly, policy suggestions are directed to raise the level of human well-being.