The Impact of Biomass Energy Consumption on CO2 Emission and Ecological Footprint: The Evidence from BRICS Countries

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to analyze the effect of biomass energy consumption on environmental degradation for BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries. For that purpose, the data of CO2 emission values, ecological footprint and its components, cropland, grazing land, forest land, fishing ground, built-up land, and carbon footprint from 1992 to 2018 are used as criteria of environmental degradation. The diversity of the variables used regarding environmental degradation is important in terms of evaluating the effect of biomass energy consumption in detail. Pedroni and Kao Co-integration tests and FMOLS and DOLS analyses are used to estimate long-term correlation coefficients. With these analyses used, it was aimed to make more reliable estimations with the number of observations in the sample analyzed. According to the result of this study, biomass energy consumption increases ecological footprint values but decreases CO2 emission in BRICS countries. In addition, economic growth increases ecological footprint and CO2 emission; however, urbanization decreases them in BRICS countries.