Research Description:

Economic Determinants of Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Carbon dioxide is one of the most prevalent and studied of all greenhouse gases. It is emitted by a variety of sources, most notably through electricity generation, cement manufacturing, and transportation. Efforts to manage energy and carbon emissions are becoming more common throughout the world. In order to most effectively create policies to best manage these emissions, an understanding of the economic causes is vital. This research seeks to determine which economic factors determine emissions in each country. Time-series data sets going back fifty years of over 100 countries were compiled. Data included per capita carbon emissions, per capita gross domestic product, population density, industry, import and export, transportation, and other economic data. The results show which economic factors contribute the most significantly to carbon emissions. With a greater understanding of the determinants of these emissions, countries and the international community can better find the best solutions to mitigating carbon and creating policies to manage carbon in the future.