Phu Nguyen Van

Economic development and CO2 emissions: A nonparametric panel approach

We examine the empirical relation between CO2 emissions per capita and GDP per capita during the period 1960-1996, using a panel of 100 countries. Relying on the nonparametric poolability test of Baltagi et al. (1996), we find evidence of structural stability of the relationship. We then specify a nonparametric panel data model with country-specific effects. Estimation results show that this relationship is upward sloping. Nonparametric specification tests do not reject monotonicity but do reject the polynomial functional form which leads to the environmental Kuznets curve in several studies.

Distribution Dynamics of CO2 Emissions

This paper uses nonparametric methods to examine the convergence in CO2 emissions per capita on a sample of 100 countries for the period 1966–1996. Industrial countries show a convergence pattern. However, there is little evidence of convergence for the whole sample.

The Performance of German Firms in the Business-Related Service Sector

We analyze the performance of firms from the German business-related service sector for 1994–2000. Performance is measured by ordinal assessment of changes in total sales. We estimate first-order Markov chain models using extensions of the multinomial logit model: a linear index model with alternative specifications of heterogeneity and a semiparametric model. The preferred specification involves heterogeneity connected to the firm and the type of transition. Our findings include that size has a positive effect on performance, young firms outperform older competitors, a single creditor has a stabilizing effect, diversification has a negative impact, and performance is significantly affected by legal status. Measuring performance through profit rather than sales does not alter the qualitative results.