Economic Growth, Foreign Direct Investment and CO2 Emissions in China: A Panel Granger Causality Analysis

Using a sample of province-level panel data, this paper investigates the Granger causality associations among economic growth (GDP), foreign direct investment (FDI) and CO2 emissions in China. By applying the bootstrap Granger panel causality approach (Kónya, 2006), we consider both cross-sectional dependence and homogeneity of different regions in China. The empirical results support that the causality direction not only works in a single direction either from GDP to FDI (in Yunnan) or from FDI to GDP (in Beijing, Neimenggu, Jilin, Shanxi and Gansu), but it also works in both directions (in Henan). Moreover, we document that GDP is Granger-causing CO2 emissions in Neimenggu, Hubei, Guangxi and Gansu while there is bidirectional causality between these two variables in Shanxi. In the end, we identify the unidirectional causality from FDI to CO2 emissions in Beijing, Henan, Guizhou and Shanxi, and the bidirectional causality between FDI and CO2 emissions in Neimenggu.