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This empirical study contributes to extend the literature on the nexus between energy consumption, financial development, economic growth, and urbanization in Pakistan. We use annual time series data covering the year from 1970 to 2018 and employ the Autoregressive Distributive lag (ARDL) and Granger causality test. The results of the ARDL-bound test confirm cointegration between the variables, as the null hypothesis of no cointegration is rejected. Further, the long-run results show that financial development and urbanization have positive correlation with energy demand. However, economic growth is negatively correlated with energy consumption. Similarly, in the short run, the financial market and urbanization stimulated energy demand. However, economic growth is insignificant with energy consumption. Besides that, a bidirectional relationship is noted between urbanization and energy consumption. Based on the finding, this empirical study suggests that policymakers and government should revisit their policies regarding economic growth, explore alternative sources of energy, and try to shift towards renewable energy, which is cheaper and eco-friendly.

Assessment of energy and environmental issues has received a special focus due to global warming and climate vulnerabilities. Energy, environment and economic development simultaneously yielded a combined effect, which is favorable from the economic point of view while unfavorable for environmental aspects. It is necessary to measure the energy, economic and environmental performance with appropriate methods. Therefore, this study measures the energy security and environmental efficiency. Data used in this study were collected from the official website of International Energy Agency (IEA), British Petroleum (BP) and World Bank. We employ a non-radial DEA technology for assessing energy and environmental efficiency for OECD countries. Results reveal that the values of energy intensity range from 0.93 to 0.30, while GHG emission per capita values range from 24.61 to 5.28. As far as energy efficiency is concerned, Iceland and Greece have the highest value (0.99) of energy efficiency, whereas Ireland has the lowest value (0.34) of energy efficiency. Further analysis shows that Austria, Australia, Portugal and Spain have values between 0.70 and 0.80 for energy intensity, whereas UK, Sweden, Germany and the USA have values of energy intensity, between 0.40 and 0.50. The study proposes some valuable policy implications for policy and decision-makers to make the environment more sustainable.

Based on the multi-regional input-output framework, this paper analyzed the labor and energy transfer embodied in interregional trade in China. Meanwhile, through estimating the energy intensity per unit of labor embodied in final products in each region, this study examines whether the empirical results are consistent with the theoretical hypothesis and provides relevant explanations and industrial development suggestions. Results show that east coastal region and central region are the two main participants in interregional trade. As for the labor embodied in trade, east coastal region is the largest exporter of embodied labor, though it has the highest wage among eight regions; in contrast, north coastal and southwestern region, with relatively low wage, are the two largest importer of embodied labor. As for the energy embodied in trade, northwestern region is the largest exporter of embodied energy. Further analysis indicates that the energy intensity per unit of labor in region with relatively low GRP (such as northwestern region) is the highest, whereas those in Beijing-Tianjin Region and south coastal region (with relatively high GRP) are the lowest. By analyzing the Revealed Comparative Advantage in each region, the paper finds that the main reason for this inconsistency lies in the industrial structure in northwestern and north coastal region, which are highly dependent in primary industries. Improving the infrastructure and upgrading industrial structure are important steps for these regions to transform the extensive growth mode.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) offers a massive platform for China and Pakistan to promote regional connectivity, trade growth, and infrastructure development. Pakistan views CPEC not only as an infrastructure and economic development program as well as a key initiative with wide-ranging implications for the country’s domestic economy and social makeup, but also a potential “game changer” in the regional situation. However, this project also faces grave internal and external challenges, such as route controversy, militancy, religious extremism, competing narratives, media propaganda, debt-trap accusation, and synergy of institutions. To make CPEC a sustainable project that benefits Pakistan and the whole of South Asia in the long run, both the Chinese and Pakistani governments need to address these challenges through greater transparency of the CPEC projects, as well as more consultation with all stakeholders involved, so as to ease their concerns about the profound implications of the grand project.

Using data from the 2007 Timor-Leste Living Standards Survey, this paper examines the determinants of household energy choices in Timor-Leste. The majority of households are dependent on dirty fuels such as fuelwood and kerosene for energy. Only a small fraction of households use clean energy such as electricity. Econometric results show that wealthy households, urban households, and those headed by individuals with higher levels of education are less likely to use and depend on kerosene and more likely to use and depend on electricity. While female-headed households are generally more likely to use and depend on fuelwood, richer female-headed households are more likely to use and depend on electricity. Our findings highlight the importance of ensuring an adequate supply of clean energy for all at affordable prices and of investing in education to raise awareness about the adverse impacts of using dirty fuels.