Q30 - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation: GeneralNávrat zpět

Energy efficiency is the cost-effective utilization of energy in the production process, whereby energy waste is minimized and the overall depletion of primary energy resources is curtailed. Improving energy efficiency enables countries to abate the rising CO₂ emissions by efficient utilization of energy. Hence, energy efficiency is a source of improving environmental performance. This study examines the deep determinants of energy efficiency in BRICS countries. The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of effective governance on energy efficiency in BRICS countries. This study utilizes both fixed-effect and random-effect approaches to examine the determinants of energy efficiency. To check the cross-sectional dependence, this study utilizes residual cross-sectional dependence tests. The results of the fixed-effect approach show that government effectiveness and oil rents improve energy efficiency in BRICS countries. However, mineral rents negatively affect energy efficiency. The study finds that an increase in R&D negatively affects energy efficiency; however, after achieving a certain level of R&D expenditures, a further increase in R&D is linked to improved energy efficiency. This nonlinear relationship suggests that while initial investments in R&D may not immediately translate into energy efficiency gains, continued investment beyond a certain threshold can lead to significant improvements in energy efficiency through technological innovation and advancements. The findings highlight the pivotal role of government effectiveness in driving energy efficiency improvements. Countries with more effective governance structures demonstrate higher levels of energy efficiency, emphasizing the importance of transparent, accountable and coherent policy frameworks in promoting sustainable development agendas. These findings have significant policy implications for policymakers and stakeholders in BRICS countries aiming to foster sustainable energy transitions and enhance energy efficiency.

This study investigates the effect of resource rent on infrastructural development in Africa and how governance institutions moderate this relationship. The pooled OLS and the dynamic system GMM estimation techniques are adopted with a panel of 52 African economies over the period 2005-2022. We find that resource rent significantly hampers infrastructural development in Africa, thereby reflecting the prevalence of the "natural resource curse" phenomenon. We also find that the unconditional effects of governance institutions are mainly negative and significant, which aptly reflects the presence of weak institutions in Africa. Interestingly, our results also show that low institutional quality in the region intensifies the adverse effect of resource rent, while a higher level of institutional quality in the region moderates the adverse effect of resource rent. These findings remain consistent with components of resource rent, such as forest rent, oil rent and coal rent. Consequently, we emphasize the policy implications of these findings, which mainly underscore the need for policymakers and leaders in Africa to embrace institutional reforms that will ensure transparent resource management, increased infrastructural investment and sustainable infrastructural development on the continent.

The 19th Annual Conference of European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, EAERE-2012, was held in Prague at the end of June 2012. Leading environmental economists discussed new research outcomes and economic theory extensions related to economics of climate change, efficient pollution reduction, optimal use of natural resources, nonmarket valuation and green economy.