Evaluation of Current Environmental Kuznets Curve Model with New Indicators

University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA

Abstract

The Environmental Kuznets Curve was introduced by Grossman and Krueger in 1991, which implies a dynamic relationship between different indicators of environmental degradation and per capita income. In general, the curve suggests that a country’s economic growth initially leads to environmental degradation. After per capita income of the country reaches certain stages, the relationship reverses (economic growth leads to progressions of environmental quality). This curve has been a dominant modeling for economists investigating relationship between ambient pollution and social developments, and it seems guarantee future reduction in pollutant-emissions of developing countries. This study will focus on air pollution problems in developing countries and investigate whether the trend described by EKZ Curve holds constant with different environmental and social indicators like HDI, AQI and GDP.