The effects of energy-intensive meat production on CO2 emissions: evidence from extended environmental Kuznets framework

Abstract

This study documents the positive relationship between meat production and CO2 emissions by utilizing the environmental Kuznets framework. Relationships between energy consumption, economic growth, meat production, and the levels of CO2 are tested using 6 different variables (CO2 emissions, GDP, energy consumption, forest area, total meat, and total livestock). Data for the study is related to the G7 countries and covers the period between 1961 and 2016. The analysis of the data is then conducted using a panel threshold model. Moreover, the extended EKC model does not only consider the income as the state variable but also examines the nonlinear structure inherited in other explanatory variables as a state variable. In this way, we have seen the nonlinear effects of other variables' evolution over time on carbon emission. The overall results indicate that the production of meat significantly increases CO2 emissions.