The effects of international trade on the environment：国际贸易对环境的影响.docx

The effects of international trade on the environment November 4, 2013MASTER’S THESISELLEN NOORDHOF (312095)SUPERVISOR: DR. J. EMAMI NAMINIERASMUS SCHOOL OF ECONOMICSERASMUS UNIVERSITY ROTTERDAMABSTRACTIn this thesis, the effects of international trade on the environment are examined. This thesis consists of a replications study and an extension part. The replication study focuses on a replication of the study by Antweiler, Copeland and Taylor (2001) “Is free trade good for the environment”. When considering the scale, composition and technique effects in the replication study, international trade turns out to have a negative effect on the environment. In the extension part, a country’s three most important trading partners are added to the study. When considering a country’s three most important trading partners, international trade also has a negative effect on the environment of the domestic country. Table of content1. INTRODUCTION52. LITERATURE REVIEW72.1 Scale, composition, and technique effects72.2 Environmental Kuznets Curve82.3 Trade liberalization, economic growth and the environment103. ANTWEILER, COPELAND AND TAILOR133.1 Main question and data133.2 Econometric methods133.3 Results184. REPLICATION STUDY204.1 Main question and data204.2 Methodology224.3 Results254.4 Explanation of differences275. EXTENSION355.1 Data355.2 Methodology355.3 Results376. CONCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS44REFERENCES46APPENDIX50APPENDIX A: List of variables ACT50APPENDIX B: Results ACT51APPENDIX C: Lists of countries52List of countries (replication study)52List of countries (extension part)53APPENDIX D: Descriptive statistics54APPENDIX E: Results551. INTRODUCTION The environment was to receive great importance with the establishment of, among others, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1972. The problem of climate change has been given much attention since and is acknowledged as a serious threat to the future environment. It is often heard that climate change is the resu