STUDY OF FACTORS AFFECTING CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS

Abstract

In the modern world, the problem of climate change is quite acute, and one of the reasons for this is the emissions of greenhouse gases: methane, carbon dioxide, etc. More and more politicians, scientists, ordinary citizens from different countries are paying attention to this problem, and many researchers are offering ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, using various methods of analysis and approaches. The article presents the results of the conducted research using economic and mathematical modeling, taking into account a number of factors affecting carbon dioxide emissions in 6 countries of the European Union. Government and corporate expenditures on environmental protection, environmental transfers, as well as data on the share of renewable energy in final consumption, etc. were selected as factors. With the selected set of factors, both linear and nonlinear econometric models were specified and analyzed, and those factors that have a significant impact on the formation of carbon dioxide emissions were identified. The analysis showed that for possible further application, a linear four-factor and a power-law three-factor regression model should be chosen from all the models considered. At the same time, the main explanatory factor influencing the reduction of emissions is the share of renewable energy. At the same time, government spending in selected countries, on the contrary, increases CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which was, to some extent, an unexpected conclusion of the study. A comparison of the obtained regressions showed that they are both qualitative and adequate, but the power-law is better suited for predicting carbon dioxide emissions in future periods, while the linear one clearly shows the influence of a specific predictor on CO2 emissions.