Skip to main content
Log in

Stationarity and Long Range Dependence of Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Evidence for Disaggregated Data

  • Published:
Environmental and Resource Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper examines the stationarity of global carbon dioxide emissions and its components—gas, liquids, solids, cement production and gas flaring, as well as global per capita emissions—for a long span of data using long range dependence techniques. The empirical results suggest that the series are highly persistent with orders of integration which are above 1 in practically all cases. Disaggregating the data by components, cement production displays the highest persistence, and allowing for structural breaks, two breaks are detected (at 1830 and 1946) for the total series and solids, and one single break (at 1946) for gas, liquids and cement production. In general, higher orders of integration are detected after the break at World War II.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Alternatively, other studies such as Dettinger and Ghil (1998) and more recently Rudorff et al. (2011) also document seasonal cycles in carbon dioxide concentrations.

References

  • Abadir KM, Distaso W, Giraitis L (2007) Nonstationarity-extended local Whittle estimation. J Econ 141:1353–1384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aldy JE (2006) Per capita carbon dioxide emissions: convergence or divergence? Environ Resour Econ 33:534–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baillie RT (1996) Long memory processes and fractional integration in econometrics. J Econ 73:5–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barassi MR, Cole MA, Elliot RJR (2008) Stochastic divergence or convergence of per capita carbon dioxide emissions: re-examing the evidence. Environ Resour Econ 40:121–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barassi MR, Cole MA, Elliot RJR (2011) The stochastic convergence of \(\text{ CO }_{2}\) emissions: a long memory approach. Environ Resour Econ 49:367–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya RN, Gupta VK, Waymire E (1983) The Hurst effect under trends. J Appl Probab 20:649–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bloomfield P (1973) An exponential model in the spectrum of a scalar time series. Biometrika 60:217–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boden TA, Marland G, Andres RJ (2012) Global, regional, and national fossil-fuel \(\text{ CO }_{2}\) emissions. Carbon dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., USA

  • Chang CP, Lee CC (2008) Are per capita carbon dioxide emissions converging among industrialized countries? New time series evidence with structural breaks. Environ Dev Econ 13:497–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charfeddine L, Guégan D (2012) Breaks or long memory behaviour: an empirical investigation. Phys A Stat Mech Appl 391(22):5712–5726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christidou M, Panagiotidis T, Sharma A (2013) On the stationarity of per capita carbon dioxide emissions over a century. Econ Model 33:918–925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlhaus R (1989) Efficient parameter estimation for self-similar process. Annal Stat 17:1749–1766

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dettinger M, Ghil M (1998) Seasonal and interannual variations of atmospheric \(\text{ CO }_{2}\) and climate. Tellus 50B:1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickey D, Fuller W (1979) Distribution of the estimators for autoregressive time series with unit root. J Am Stat Assoc 74:427–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Diebold FX, Inoue A (2001) Long memory and regime switching. J Econ 105:131–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doukhan P, Oppenheim G, Taqqu MS (2003) Theory and applications of long range dependence. Birkhäuser, Basel

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliot G, Rothenberg TJ, Stock JH (1996) Efficient tests for an autoregressive unit root. Econometrica 64:813–836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gil-Alana LA (2004) The use of the model of Bloomfield as an approximation to ARMA processes in the context of fractional integration. Math Comput Model 39:429–436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gil-Alana LA (2008) Fractional integration and structural breaks at unknown periods of time. J Time Series Anal 29:163–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gil-Alana LA, Hualde J (2009) Fractional integration and cointegration: an overview and an empirical application. In: Mills TC, Patterson K (eds) Palgrave handbook of econometrics, Vol. 2 applied econometrics. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills

    Google Scholar 

  • Gourieroux C, Jasiak J (2001) Memory and infrequent breaks. Econ Lett 70:29–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granger CWJ, Joyeux R (1980) An introduction to long-memory time series models and fractional differencing. J Time Series Anal 1:15–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granger CWJ, Hyung N (2004) Occasional structural breaks and long memory with an application to the S&P 500 absolute stock return. J Empir Financ 11:399–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granger CWJ, Teräsvirta T (1999) A simple nonlinear time series model with misleading linear properties. Econ Lett 62:161–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holtsmark B (2005) Global per capital CO2 emissions-stable in the long run? Discussion Papers No. 438, Statistics Norway, Research Department

  • Hosking JRM (1981) Fractional differencing. Biometrika 68:165–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Im KS, Pesaran MH, Shin Y (2003) Testing for unit roots in heterogeneous panels. J Econ 115:53–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwiatkowski D, Phillips PCB, Schmidt P, Shin Y (1992) Testing the null hypothesis of stationarity against the alternative of a unit root: How sure are we that economic time series have a unit root? J Econ 54:159–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen MJ, Liu M (2006) Do long swings in the business cycle lead to strong persistence in output? J Monet Econ 53:597–611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee C, Chang C (2009) Stochastic convergence of per capita carbon dioxide emissions and multiple breaks in OECD countries. Econ Model 26:1375–1381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen-Van P (2005) Distribution dynamics of \(\text{ CO }_{2}\) emissions. Environ Resour Econ 32:495–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nourry M (2009) Re-examining the empirical evidence for stochastic convergence of two air pollutants with a pair-wise approach. Environ Resour Econ 44:555–570

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohanissian A, Russell JR (2008) True or spurious long memory? A new test. J Bus Econ Stat 26:161–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panopoulou E, Pantelidis T (2009) Club convergence in carbon dioxide emissions. Environ Resour Econ 44:47–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perman R, Stern DI (2003) Evidence from panel unit root and cointegration tests that the environmental Kuznets curve does not exist. Aust J Agric Resour Econ 47:325–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perron P, Qu Z (2006) An analytical evaluation of the log-periodogram estimate in the presence of level shifts and its implications for stock returns volatility. Mimeo, Department of Economics, Boston University

  • Phillips PCB, Perron P (1988) Testing for a unit root in time series regression. Biometrica 75:335–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson PM (1994) Efficient tests of nonstationary hypotheses. J Am Statis Assoc 89:1420–1437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson PM (1995) Gaussian semiparametric estimation of long range dependence. Annal Stat 33:1890–1933

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudorff C, Melack J, MacIntyre S, Barbosa C, Novo E (2011) Seasonal and spatial variability of \(\text{ CO }_{2}\) emission from a large floodplain lake in the lower Amazon. J Geophys Res 117:G01002

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimotsu K, Phillips PCB (2006) Local Whittle estimation of fractional integration and some of its variants. J Econ 130:209–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slottje D, Nieswiadomy M, Redfearn M (2001) Economic inequality and the environment. Environ Model Software 16:183–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern DI, Kaufmann RK (2000) Detecting a global warming signal in hemispheric temperature series: a structural time series analysis. Clim Change 47:411–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strazicich MC, List JA (2003) Are \(\text{ CO }_{2}\) emission levels converging among industrial countries? Environ Resour Econ 24:263–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun L, Wang M (1996) Global warming and global dioxide emissions: an empirical study. J Environ Manag 46:327–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teverovsky V, Taqqu MS (1997) Testing for long range dependence in the presence of shifting means or a slow declining trend, using a variance-type estimator. J Time Series Anal 18:279–304

  • Westerlund J, Basher S (2008) Testing for convergence in carbon dioxide emissions using a century of panel data. Environ Resour Econ 40:109–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yavuz NC, Yilanci V (2013) Convergence in per capita carbon dioxide emissions among G7 countries: a TAR panel unit root approach. Environ Resour Econ 54:283–291

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Luis A. Gil-Alana gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Ministry of Education of Spain (ECO2011-2014 ECON Y FINANZAS, Spain). Fernando Perez de Gracia also acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Education (through project ECO2011-25422). Comments from the Editor and an anonymous referee are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando Perez de Gracia.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Barros, C.P., Gil-Alana, L.A. & Perez de Gracia, F. Stationarity and Long Range Dependence of Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Evidence for Disaggregated Data. Environ Resource Econ 63, 45–56 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-014-9835-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-014-9835-3

Keywords

JEL Classification

Navigation