Climate change and worsening environmental conditions have brought into sharp relief how we must reconcile development with sustainability. This issue is nowhere more starkly relevant than among the fastest-growing economies. Research in the International Journal of the Energy-Growth Nexus that examined the BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, suggests that investment in education and training might play a significant role in reducing environmental harm, a role that has often been overlooked.
The researchers analysed several years worth of data from the BRICS countries. These nations account for a large proportion of the world’s population, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis found a close relationship between higher levels of human capital and lower levels of environmental degradation, measured primarily through carbon emissions. Human capital refers to the stock of education, skills and knowledge embodied in a workforce, commonly captured through indicators such as schooling level and training.
According to the analysis, improvements in human capital is associated with reduced emissions across the BRICS economies. The results hold across several statistical techniques designed to address common problems in these kinds of studies, such as cultural and social differences, the differing impact of global shocks, and the two-way causality between growth and pollution.
The findings are rooted in endogenous growth theory that says long-term economic progress depends on knowledge, innovation, and research rather than on physical inputs alone. In environmental terms, a more educated and skilled workforce is better able to develop and adopt cleaner technologies, improve energy efficiency, and comply with environmental regulations. Innovation, measured in this study by patent activity, is also associate with better environmental outcomes. This latter point reinforces the idea that technological progress can decouple growth from emissions.
The team adds that globalisation emerges as another factor associated with improved environmental quality. This phenomenon perhaps reflects technology transfer and the sharing of cleaner production methods across borders. Trade openness itself, however, has the opposite effect. More international trade means higher levels of environmental degradation in the BRICS countries. This is consistent with concerns that trade can encourage the expansion of pollution-intensive industries or the import of environmentally inefficient technologies.
As emerging economies continue to drive global growth and emissions, this study shows how education and training are key to climate and environmental strategy. Policies that open up access to high-quality education, raise average years of schooling, and support research and development could lead to environmental benefits as well as providing an economic boost. There is a need, however, to improve trade policy and environmental regulation so that economic development is not to the detriment of environmental sustainability.
Sachan, A. and Pradhan, A.K. (2026) ‘Examining the impact of human capital on environmental degradation in BRICS nations’, Int. J. Energy-Growth Nexus, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp.201–218.
No comments:
Post a Comment