Does export product quality matter for CO₂ emissions? Evidence from China

This paper re-estimates the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in China. To this end, it uses the unit root tests with structural breaks and the autoregressive-distributed lag (ARDL) estimations over the period 1971-2010. The special role is given to the impact of export product quality on CO₂ emissions in the empirical models. The paper finds that the EKC hypothesis is applicable in China. It also observes the positive effect from energy consumption to CO₂ emissions. In addition, it finds that the export product quality is negatively associated with CO₂ emissions. The paper also argues potential implications.