Publication Date
1-1-2023
Journal
Science Progress
DOI
10.1177/00368504231160643
PMID
36866607
PMCID
PMC10306128
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
3-3-2023
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Financial development, coal consumption, CO2 emissions, natural gas industry, P.R. China
Abstract
This paper revisits the causal links between financial development, coal consumption, and CO2 emissions in P.R. China over the 1977–2017 period to validate the development of its natural gas industry. It uses a Bootstrap ARDL bound test with structural breaks to establish stationarity, short- and long-run dynamics, and causality of the series. The results show there are no long-run relationships among these three variables, but a Granger causality test does indicate the presence of both a two-way Granger causality between coal consumption and CO2 emissions, and a one-way Granger causality running from financial development to both coal consumption and CO2 emissions. These results have important policy implications for the Chinese government's efforts to meet its commitment at the 75th UN General Assembly to achieve carbon neutrality. In that context, the promotion of its natural gas industry, including carbon pricing mechanisms and taxation schemes while enacting environmentally friendly energy abatement policies become a must.