Linkage between higher education development and environmental degradation: An empirical evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

Concerns related to environmental sustainability are increasing, particularly in the case of developing countries where redundant human capital poses a severe threat to the environment. Present study examines the role of higher education towards environmental sustainability in the case of Pakistan. The association between higher education development and CO2 emission is examined through the ARDL model from 1965 to 2020. Apart from ARDL the non-linearity among variables have been tested through QARDL model. The number of students enrolled in higher education institutes has been used as a proxy for higher education development. The bounds test findings confirmed the cointegration among variables, whereas the Error Correction Term (ECM) coefficient indicates that the series converges toward its long-run path with a speed of 49 percent per year. Findings concluded that development in higher education act as a catalyst in reducing environmental degradation, raising awareness among individuals to change their consumption patterns from non-renewable to renewable energy sources. Furthermore, results of Quantile regression confirmed that the U-shaped environmental Kuznets Curve exists in the case of Pakistan. This study suggests that expanding higher education can be a powerful instrument for finding an innovative solution to overcome environmental challenges.