Energy and CO2 emissions in the Gulf Cooperation Council region

This paper evaluates the factors that cause environmental contamination in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The paper conducts qualitative analysis by focusing on the IPAT equation and quantitative analysis using panel data methods. The results of the qualitative analysis show that political factors, such as wars and unrest, affect the environmental quality in the GCC region. The results of comparative static analysis show that the increase in population, GDP, and energy production increase CO2 emissions. Through panel regression methods, we fail to reject the null hypotheses as suggested by the comparative static analysis, hence the paper concludes that population, GDP, and energy supply cause environmental pollution in the GCC region.