H77 - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism; SecessionReturn

Balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability remains a pressing challenge for Canada, particularly in the face of rapid technological advancement, global integration and increasing geopolitical uncertainty. This study analyses the effects of economic growth, foreign direct investment, ICT development, trade openness, fiscal decentralization and geopolitical risk on Canada's CO₂ emissions from 1980 to 2022. Using the ARDL bounds test and Toda-Yamamoto causality method, the results confirm that economic growth and other macroeconomic and institutional factors significantly shape emission trends. FDI, trade openness, ICT development, fiscal decentralization and geopolitical risk all raise carbon emissions in the short and long run. Causality tests show a two-way link between economic growth and CO₂ emissions, while the other factors act as external drivers without feedback. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening environmental standards for FDI and trade, expanding clean energy to support digital infrastructure, enhancing intergovernmental coordination on fiscal matters and improving Canada's resilience to geopolitical disruptions. Overall, the study provides new empirical insights and actionable guidance for policymakers aiming to align Canada's economic aspirations with its carbon reduction commitments in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

There is a growing recognition of the importance of sustainable development. Political economy factors and natural resources are considered important sources of economic prosperity. These are the fundamental primary resources utilized in the production process, which subsequently drives economic activities and results in sustained growth. Nevertheless, resource-rich countries often experience sustainability challenges. This study examines the impact of mineral resource rents on sustainable development in selected developed countries from a political economy perspective. Moreover, we include renewable energy deployment and fiscal decentralization as additional determinants of sustainable development. The study uses random-effects and fixed-effects estimation methods to estimate the model. The study also uses quantile regression econometric techniques. A sustainable development index (SDI), integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions, is constructed as the dependent variable. The results reveal that mineral resource rents and renewable energy electricity output negatively affect sustainable development. Nevertheless, environment-related taxes and fiscal decentralization positively affect sustainable development. These results provide valuable insights for academia, researchers and policy makers aiming to achieve environmental sustainability through institutional and fiscal reforms.

The essence of fiscal decentralization is to increase economic efficiency in the redistribution of resources in the public sector through more effective satisfaction of local public needs by lower levels of government. The article aims to quantify the optimal degree of fiscal decentralization in relation to economic growth in a sample of 29 OECD countries for the years 1975-2018. Empirical research has shown a nonlinear relationship between the degree of fiscal decentralization and economic growth, which takes a parabolic shape. The optimal degree of fiscal decentralization maximizing economic growth reached the level of 31.3656%, or in the case of per capita growth, the level is 31.1309%. In most V4 countries, the degree of fiscal decentralization is at a lower level compared to the optimal one, which is not leading to maximization of economic growth, or economic growth per capita.

An increase in municipal financial autonomy in Slovakia in connection with the fiscal decentralization during the monitored period 2000–2016 is observable after its implementation (2005) with a certain derogation in the period of the financial crisis (2009). The aim of the paper is to point out its formal increase through vertical fiscal imbalance. It is caused by the dominant position of shared tax revenues in the municipal budgets. Dumitrescu-Hurlin Panel Granger Causality test confirms a relationship between municipal financial autonomy and vertical fiscal imbalance, which points to a transfer dependency of municipalities on central government. Using the cross-correlation, the expected inverse relation between analysed categories is confirmed in the current period. Statistically significant positive correlation coefficients in the case of lag order point to important timing focusing on the period of implementation of reforms and certain economic effects, e.g., financial crisis and economic recovery.