Is trade good or bad for the environment? Sorting out the causality

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Frankel, JA; Rose, AK
• 署名单位: Harvard University; University of California System; University of California Berkeley
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/0034653053327577
• 发表日期: 2005-02
• 页码: 85-91
• 关键词: growth

摘要

We seek to contribute to the debate over globalization and the environment by asking: What is the effect of trade on a country's environment, for a given level of GDP? We take specific account of the endogeneity of trade, using exogenous geographic determinants of trade as instrumental variables. We find that trade tends to reduce three measures of air pollution. Statistical significance is high for concentrations of SO2, moderate for NO2, and lacking for particulate matter. Although results for other environmental measures are not as encouraging, there is little evidence that trade has a detrimental effect on the environment.