Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1
Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
2
Department of Economics, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
10.22084/aes.2025.31000.3796
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of economic factors on ecological footprint in 10 selected Asian and European countries from 1996 to 2022 using a fuzzy regression model with symmetric coefficients. The results reveal that gross domestic product (GDP) in Iran shows asymmetric uncertainty (right: +5.5, left: -4.5), exerting the most significant negative environmental impact, which reflects the economy's heavy reliance on oil industries and insufficient attention to environmental considerations. In contrast, China demonstrates more balanced coefficients (right: +0.29, left: -0.23), indicating relative improvement in green policies. Regarding trade openness (EX), Azerbaijan (right: +2.3, left: -1.38) and Malaysia (right: +1.89, left: -0.72) exhibit asymmetric effects due to their dependence on natural resource exports and tourism, while Romania shows more stable performance (constant: 0.37) owing to compliance with European Union environmental standards. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China presents high uncertainty (±6.13), while in Thailand, it shows volatility linked to tourism (right: +2.77, left: -2.34). Belarus, however, records the least impact (constant: 0.24). Hydropower consumption (HP) in Turkey (right: +3.58, left: -3.25) and Romania (right: +3.38, left: -3.14) is associated with significant uncertainty due to large-scale projects, whereas Russia has a minimal role (constant: 0.007). In conclusion, the findings indicate that resource-dependent countries (e.g., Iran, Azerbaijan) impose greater environmental pressures, while economically diversified nations (e.g., China) and those with stringent environmental regulations (e.g., Romania) achieve better integration of economic growth with environmental sustainability. This highlights the need for revising development policies to prioritize ecological considerations.This highlights the need for revising development policies to prioritize ecological considerations.
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