The Effect of Social and Economic Factors on the Environmental Performance Index
Poster Number
14
College
College of Business Administration
Department
Accounting, Finance & Economics
Abstract
Over the past several decades, environmental performance has become an increasingly important topic globally. While researching environmental factors is important in understanding this topic, it is also necessary to look at the social and economic factors which may influence the environment. This paper explores that relationship by comparing the 2007 and 2015 Environmental Performance Index scores with social and economic factors for a high GDP per capita sample of countries and a low GDP per capita sample in order to determine if changes in environmental performance differ between high income and low income countries. I hypothesize that the high GDP per capita sample will correspond with larger positive growth in environmental performance change, when compared to the low GDP per capita sample. Other variables included in this analysis are 2007 EPI, 2015 EPI, percent change in EPI, 2007 GDP per capita, 2015 GDP per capita, percent change in GDP per capita, educational attainment, the Gini coefficient, industry value added (as a percentage of GDP), merchandise trade (as a percentage of GDP), and population density.
Honors Thesis Committee
Robert Stonebraker, Ph.D.; Laura Ullrich, Ph.D.; and Gary Stone, Ph.D.
Course Assignment
ECON 306 – Ullrich
Start Date
21-4-2017 12:00 PM
The Effect of Social and Economic Factors on the Environmental Performance Index
Rutledge
Over the past several decades, environmental performance has become an increasingly important topic globally. While researching environmental factors is important in understanding this topic, it is also necessary to look at the social and economic factors which may influence the environment. This paper explores that relationship by comparing the 2007 and 2015 Environmental Performance Index scores with social and economic factors for a high GDP per capita sample of countries and a low GDP per capita sample in order to determine if changes in environmental performance differ between high income and low income countries. I hypothesize that the high GDP per capita sample will correspond with larger positive growth in environmental performance change, when compared to the low GDP per capita sample. Other variables included in this analysis are 2007 EPI, 2015 EPI, percent change in EPI, 2007 GDP per capita, 2015 GDP per capita, percent change in GDP per capita, educational attainment, the Gini coefficient, industry value added (as a percentage of GDP), merchandise trade (as a percentage of GDP), and population density.
