ABSTRACT

The presence of EKC (Environmental Kuznets Curve) hypothesis is quite important in terms of economic effects. Depending on economic developments there is an opposite relationship between the increase in the level of welfare of people and the increase in the level of emissions of greenhouse gases that causes climate change and have a negative effect on human life, which is arising from economic activities.

According to this hypothesis, depending on economic development, environmental pollution initially increases with increasing per capita income level but after a certain amount of income, precautions are taken for the protection of the environment due to the increase in environmental awareness and environmental quality rises. In our study for determining the evidence of EKC hypothesis we examine parametric panel data models for 88 countries. Then deviations from the assumptions in these models is discussed and by applying the tests for this purpose the results were interpreted.