- 學位論文
環境保護相對效率及其影響因素: 歐盟 12 國之實證研究
A Study on the Determinants of Relative Efficiency of Environmental Protection Activities: Evidence from 12 EU Countries
摘要
近年來環境保護已然成為國際間重要議題，本研究旨在探究國家環境保護之效率，並進一步討論影響環境保護效率之潛在因子，以期促進環境保護效能之提升。 本研究以 1997 年至 2008 年間， 12 個歐盟國家為研究對象。使用環保相關工作勞動力、政府部門投資、一般產業環境投資以及環保產業投資為投入，環境品質之改善為產出。納入資料包絡分析 (Data Envelope Analysis, DEA) 模型以估計各國環境保護之相對效率。 過去文獻曾提出許多影響環境保護成效但實證結果並不一致之可能因素，本研究試以資料包絡分析模型所估計之各國環保效率指標為觀測值，並以Tobit 模型結合極端界限分析法 (Extreme Bound Analysis, EBA) 檢驗影響環境保護效率之潛在因素是否穩健。實證結果顯示，盧森堡與斯洛伐克在環境保護效率上表現，較本研究所含樣本之其他國家突出。研發和環境保護效率有顯著負向相關；國際貿易和環境保護效率有顯著的正向相關；各國人口密度和環境稅分別對環境保護效率有負向與正向相關，但此二者之統計結果並不顯著。 本研究實證結果建議未來政策之制定可將焦點著重於促進國際貿易流通及審慎評估研發，而非仰賴環境稅之課徵。
並列摘要
Environmental protection is an important global issue in contemporary economics. The major objects of this study are to estimate the relative efficiency of environmental protection activities (EPA) of 12 European Union countries in the period 1997 to 2008, and to test the robustness of factors that could influence the environmental protection performance. The Data Envelope Analysis (DEA) method is applied to estimate the relative efficiency of EPA in each country, for which investments in EPA by government and by related industries as well as EPA manpower are considered as inputs; while environmental improvement is treated as EPA output. A large number of potential factors that could affect the efficiency of EPA have been discussed, but without unanimous agreement, in existing literature. Upon securing relative efficiency score by the DEA model, this study employs the Tobit regression in association with the Extreme Bound Analysis (EBA) method to test the robustness of the selected determinants, such as population density, R&D expenditures, international trade, and green tax revenue, along with other macro-variables. Empirical results reveal that Luxemburg and Slovakia are relatively more efficient than other sampled countries under study. R&D expenditures show a robust negative relationship with EPA efficiency. International trade displays a robust positive impact on EPA efficiency. Although population density and green tax have negative and positive relationship with EPA efficiency, respectively, they are fragile in nature. The implications of the study indicate that globalization in economic activities can be of benefit to environmental quality; however, devoting too much resource to R&D efforts might be in vain in sustainability. In addition, the function of green tax on environment seems unreliable.