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Domestic Inequality and Carbon Emissions in Comparative Perspective
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Domestic Inequality and Carbon Emissions in Comparative Perspective

Andrew K. Jorgenson, Juliet B. Schor, Kyle W. Knight and Xiaorui Huang
Sociological forum (Randolph, N.J.), v 31(S1), pp 770-786
Sep 2016

Abstract

carbon emissions consumption economic development environment inequality urbanization
Drawing from multiple bodies of literature, the authors investigate the relationship between consumption‐based carbon emissions and domestic income inequality for 67 nations from 1991 to 2008. Results of two‐way fixed‐effects longitudinal models indicate that the relationship between national‐level emissions and inequality changes through time and varies for nations in different macroeconomic contexts. For high‐income nations, the relationship shifts from negative to positive, suggesting that in recent years, income inequality in such nations increases carbon emissions. For middle‐income nations, the association is negative, and becomes increasingly negative in the later years of the study. For low‐income nations, the relationship between carbon emissions and domestic income inequality is null for the entire 1991 to 2008 period. These diverse results hold, net of the effects of other well‐established human drivers of emissions, including population size, level of economic development, and urbanization. The authors conclude by emphasizing the need for future research on greenhouse gas emissions and domestic inequality, and the central role that sociology should play in this emerging area of inquiry.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
#12 Responsible Consumption & Production
#13 Climate Action
#8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
#7 Affordable and Clean Energy

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Sociology
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