Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach

Abstract The extant literature has produced mixed evidence on the relationship between financial development and ecological sustainability. This work addresses this conundrum by investigating financial development’s direct and indirect consequences on ecological quality utilizing the environmental K...

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Main Authors: Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha, Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2023-01-01
Series:Financial Innovation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40854-022-00396-9
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author Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha
Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach
author_facet Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha
Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach
author_sort Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The extant literature has produced mixed evidence on the relationship between financial development and ecological sustainability. This work addresses this conundrum by investigating financial development’s direct and indirect consequences on ecological quality utilizing the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) methodological approach. Our empirical analysis is based on the novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag simulations approach for South Africa between 1960 and 2020. The results, which used five distinct financial development measures, demonstrate that financial development boosts ecological integrity and environmental sustainability over the long and short terms. In the instance of South Africa, we additionally confirm the validity of the EKC theory. More importantly, the outcomes of the indirect channels demonstrate that financial development increases energy usage’s role in causing pollution while attenuating the detrimental impacts of economic growth, trade openness, and foreign direct investment on ecological quality. Moreover, the presence of an inadequate financial system is a requirement for the basis of the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH), which we examine using trade openness and foreign direct investment variables. PHH for both of these variables disappears when financial development crosses specified thresholds. Finally, industrial value addition destroys ecological quality while technological innovation enhances it. This research provides some crucial policy recommendations and fresh perspectives for South Africa as it develops national initiatives to support ecological sustainability and reach its net zero emissions goal.
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spelling doaj.art-64df895362944b2eb7a9507cb12b24072023-01-08T12:18:59ZengSpringerOpenFinancial Innovation2199-47302023-01-019115210.1186/s40854-022-00396-9Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approachMaxwell Chukwudi Udeagha0Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach1School of Economics, Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Hatfield CampusSchool of Economics, Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Hatfield CampusAbstract The extant literature has produced mixed evidence on the relationship between financial development and ecological sustainability. This work addresses this conundrum by investigating financial development’s direct and indirect consequences on ecological quality utilizing the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) methodological approach. Our empirical analysis is based on the novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag simulations approach for South Africa between 1960 and 2020. The results, which used five distinct financial development measures, demonstrate that financial development boosts ecological integrity and environmental sustainability over the long and short terms. In the instance of South Africa, we additionally confirm the validity of the EKC theory. More importantly, the outcomes of the indirect channels demonstrate that financial development increases energy usage’s role in causing pollution while attenuating the detrimental impacts of economic growth, trade openness, and foreign direct investment on ecological quality. Moreover, the presence of an inadequate financial system is a requirement for the basis of the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH), which we examine using trade openness and foreign direct investment variables. PHH for both of these variables disappears when financial development crosses specified thresholds. Finally, industrial value addition destroys ecological quality while technological innovation enhances it. This research provides some crucial policy recommendations and fresh perspectives for South Africa as it develops national initiatives to support ecological sustainability and reach its net zero emissions goal.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40854-022-00396-9Financial developmentTrade opennessCO2 emissionsDynamic ARDL simulationsEnergy consumptionEKC
spellingShingle Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha
Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach
Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach
Financial Innovation
Financial development
Trade openness
CO2 emissions
Dynamic ARDL simulations
Energy consumption
EKC
title Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach
title_full Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach
title_fullStr Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach
title_short Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach
title_sort exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental kuznets curve for south africa fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ardl simulations approach
topic Financial development
Trade openness
CO2 emissions
Dynamic ARDL simulations
Energy consumption
EKC
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40854-022-00396-9
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AT marthinuschristoffelbreitenbach exploringthemoderatingroleoffinancialdevelopmentinenvironmentalkuznetscurveforsouthafricafreshevidencefromthenoveldynamicardlsimulationsapproach