Abundance of natural resources and environmental sustainability: the roles of manufacturing value-added, urbanization, and permanent cropland

Zahid Zahoor, Muhammad Irfan Latif, Irfan Khan, Fujun Hou*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    143 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Sustainable management of natural resources and green urbanization is crucial because it assists the use of resources wisely without unnecessary use and without affecting future generations’ needs. This research aims to examine the impact of the abundance of natural resources on China’s CO2 emissions while moderating the roles of manufacturing value-added, urbanization, and permanent cropland from 1970 to 2016. This study developed a comprehensive empirical analysis, applied advanced econometric methodologies, and used the generalized linear model (GLM) and robust generalized estimating equation (GEE). Overall, the results conclude that natural resource abundance and permanent cropland are negatively associated with China’s CO2 emissions. However, urbanization and manufacturing value-added are negatively related to those CO2 emissions. Moreover, natural resource abundance and permanent cropland improve environmental sustainability while urbanization and manufacturing value-added deteriorate that environmental sustainability. It is suggested that policymakers should promote sustainable management of natural resources and encourage economic usage of natural resources to boost resilient ecosystems; shape sustainable places, lifestyles, and communities; and consume natural resources less. Additionally, policymakers should consider collaborating with landscape architects, urban planners, engineers, transport planners, ecologists, sociologists, physiologists, economists, physicists, and other specialists to develop green urban communities. The limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)82365-82378
    Number of pages14
    JournalEnvironmental Science and Pollution Research
    Volume29
    Issue number54
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2022

    Keywords

    • China
    • Environmental quality management
    • Natural resource abundance
    • Permanent cropland
    • Urbanization

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    Zahoor, Z., Latif, M. I., Khan, I., & Hou, F. (2022). Abundance of natural resources and environmental sustainability: the roles of manufacturing value-added, urbanization, and permanent cropland. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(54), 82365-82378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21545-8