• Energy Research

Abstract This study analyses the impact of socio-economic development, renewable energy consumption, education expenditure and foreign direct investment on carbon dioxide emissions in the four Visegrad countries of Central Europe between 1991 and 2021. The Autoregressive-Distributed Lag Bound Testing method was used to test the short- and long-term relationships for each of the dependent variables to verify the hypotheses. The results obtained indicate three bidirectional relationships. For the Czech Republic and Slovakia, changes in carbon emissions can affect changes in the Human Development Index (HDI) and vice versa. Bidirectional causality was also established in the case of Poland between energy consumption from renewable sources and carbon dioxide emissions. Changes in carbon dioxide emissions can affect the country's renewable energy consumption and vice versa. For the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, unidirectional causality was established between the variables indicated. The results of the short-term relationships revealed that in the Visegrad countries there may be an increase in carbon dioxide emissions in the short term with an increase in renewable energy production. Long-term relationships between spending on education and reductions in carbon emissions could only be demonstrated for Slovakia. Toda-Yamamoto tests showed unidirectional causality between foreign direct investment and carbon dioxide emissions for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In contrast, no significant relationship in the long run between carbon dioxide emissions and foreign direct investment was observed for the countries studied. The findings have interesting policy implications for policy makers in the Visegrad countries.

This study aims to provide empirical evidence on whether using renewable and non-renewable energy, CO2 emissions, and the resulting changes in temperature and precipitation can alter cereal yields in European Union countries. To this end, a panel data set covering 1992–2021 has been used to analyse the impact of climate change and economic factors on cereal production in European Union countries. The study employed various analytical techniques to better understand the impact of climate change and economic factors on cereal crop yields. These included using annual average temperature and rainfall to measure climate change, energy consumption, and economic growth to analyse the economic aspects. To achieve the objective, feasible generalised least squares (FGLS) models with robust standard errors and bootstrap and a quantile regression (QR) model with marginal analysis were employed. The Westerlund cointegration test confirmed the presence of cointegration between cereal production and climate variables, economic growth, and energy consumption. The results indicate that increases in temperature and precipitation may contribute to increased cereal production in European Union countries. In contrast, energy consumption, including renewable energy and CO2 emissions, may have a nonlinear effect on cereal production. Quantile regression analysis suggests climate change may impact crop yields most in countries with low and moderate cereal production per hectare. Increased CO2 emissions may increase yields in the initial period, but excessive CO2 may negatively impact cereal production in the long term. It would be advisable for countries with low and moderate crop productivity to consider implementing technological advances and combating global warming by modernising cultivation methods and making greater use of renewable energy sources.

The main objective of the research was to determine the long-term and short-term correlation between CO2 emissions per capita, energy consumption per capita, and the level of economic growth of GDP per capita in the V4 countries. These countries, being EU members since 2004 and previously being in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union, have introduced a number of economic reforms, but in the area of climate protection, including decarbonization, they struggle with many problems, as their economies are largely dependent on energy from non-renewable resources. The results of the research are varied, but the authors confirmed, especially in the case of Poland, the long-term correlations between the studied variables. In the short term, such interdependencies also occurred, especially between the level of energy consumption per capita and the level of CO2 emissions.

The key goal of this research was to figure out the short and long run relationship between environmental degradation caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and energy consumption, the level of GDP economic growth, and urbanization in the Visegrad Region countries (V4). The study used data from the years 1996–2020. In the methodological area, ARDL bound test, and ARDL and ECM models were used to determine the directions and strength of interdependence. The results show that in the case of some V4 countries (Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary), changes in the urbanization rate affect CO2 emissions. Moreover, it was confirmed that the phenomenon of urbanization influences the enhanced energy consumption in the studied countries. In the case of individual countries, these relationships were varied, both unidirectional and bidirectional. Their nature was also varied—there were both long and short-term relationships. These findings suggest that the V4 countries should increase renewable and ecological energy sources. It is also recommended to enhancement energy savings in the areas of both individual and industrial consumption by promoting low-emission solutions. This should be done while considering changes in urbanization.

The Three Seas Initiative (3SI) is still an under-researched area and is particularly important due to historical circumstances and economic backwardness. A study was carried out to assess the impact of renewable energy and production made by the agricultural sector on CO2 emissions in 3SI countries between 2008 and 2020. The study used panel data analysis based on the two-step system’s generalized method of moments (GMM) and the Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel causality test. The results show that a 1% increase in the value added generated by agriculture increased CO2 emissions in the countries studied by 0.11%. In contrast, a 1% increase in GDP led to a 0.29% increase in CO2 emissions. Conversely, when renewable energy consumption increased by 1%, CO2 emissions fell by 0.25% in the countries studied. One way to reduce CO2 emissions from agricultural production in the short term is to increase the share of renewables, which incidentally is in line with EU action.

This study aims to find countries that differ in their development of the agricultural sector in terms of environmental care and to examine the relationship between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and agricultural sector production in European Union countries. The classification of countries was conducted using the principal component method and biplot. Panel data for the period 2000-2022 and a VAR model, an impulse response function (IRF) and causality tests were used for the study. The results indicate two distinct groups of countries that significantly differ in adopting green agricultural practices. Only seven EU countries stand out for sustainable agriculture with low pesticide use, a significant share of organic farms and high use of renewable energy in agriculture. Energy consumption affects agricultural production differently in the two groups of countries studied: in countries with sustainable agriculture, an increase in renewable energy consumption translates into a positive increase in agricultural production. On the other hand, an increase in non-renewable energy consumption shows a dampening effect on agricultural production growth, especially in countries with less sustainable agriculture. The study results highlight the need to promote renewable energy development in agriculture and raise awareness about the adverse environmental effects of intensive agriculture while emphasising the positive impact of organic agriculture on agricultural production.

This study examines the cointegration and short- and long-run causal relationships between economic growth and CO2 emissions, fuel consumption and the amount of freight transported by road transport in the Visegrad Group countries between 1990 and 2019. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound testing methodology was used to develop the results for each tested dependent variable. The results confirmed a long-run cointegration between economic growth and fuel consumption by road transport in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In addition, a long-run relationship between economic growth and freight volume and CO2 emissions by transport was demonstrated for Slovakia. For Poland, there was only a long-run relationship between energy consumption by road freight transport and CO2 emissions. In the short run, relationships were shown between the volume of freight transported by the road freight transport sector and CO2 emissions for Hungary and Poland. Short-run relationships between economic growth and the volume of freight transported in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are also interesting observations. The obtained results expand the information resources needed to make decisions on the direction of change in road transport. Additionally, the results can be used to prepare a proper environmental policy for road freight transport within the framework of the European Green Deal.

This study presents empirical results regarding the relationships between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and the GDP within the Visegrád Group (V4) countries. Using FMOLS/DOLS and ARDL approaches, along with causality tests based on the Toda–Yamamoto method, this study explores these relationships at a regional level. The study fills the research gaps for a comprehensive analysis of the indicated relationships in the V4 countries by using both individual and panel models. The findings indicate that renewable energy has a small positive impact on long-term economic growth, with non-renewable energy having a more significant effect. Moreover, CO2 emissions have a negative impact on economic growth, suggesting an ongoing reliance on non-renewable energy sources and a burden on economic expansion. At an individual country level, the effects vary. Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary exhibit a negative relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth. Energy sources also differ in regards to impact: in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, non-renewable energy significantly affects economic growth, while in Hungary, renewable energy plays a more substantial role. Causality tests reveal a causal relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth in the Czech Republic and Poland, suggesting that CO2 emissions significantly influence economic expansion. In terms of energy production, renewable energy is causally related to economic growth in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. All countries demonstrate significant causality between non-renewable energy and economic growth. Additionally, a relationship between renewable energy and CO2 emissions is confirmed in Poland.

This study investigates the impact of renewable (REW) and non-renewable (NREW) energy usage, along with economic growth, on carbon dioxide emissions in the Visegrad countries, which rely heavily on traditional energy sources. Using data from 1991 to 2021, the analysis employs a panel asymmetric regression with Driscoll-Kraay and FGLS standard errors. The latent cointegration test reveals long-term relationships with asymmetry among the variables. Real GDP fluctuations exhibit a negative impact on CO2emissions for both positive and negative shocks. A reduction in conventional energy source consumption leads to a greater CO2 emission reduction, confirming asymmetry. Conversely, an increase in consumption positively impacts CO2 reduction. However, non-conventional energy sources show no asymmetries. The OLS-based model proposed by Driscoll-Kraay showed reduced standard errors, but lower significance in the estimated parameters compared to the FGLS model. The findings recommend a sustainable energy transition for Visegrad countries by eliminating traditional sources and promoting renewable resources.