The role of environmental degradation in macroeconomic instability: panel evidence from emerging economies

This study examines the role of environmental degradation in macroeconomic instability for a balanced panel sample of 22 emerging market economies from 1996 to 2019. Governance is included in the macroeconomic instability function as a moderating factor. Besides, bank credit and government spending are also included in the estimated function as control variables. The long-run results from using the PMG-ARDL method show that environmental degradation and bank credit induce macroeconomic instability, whereas governance and government spending reduce it. Interestingly, environmental degradation creates greater macroeconomic instability than the bank credit. We also find that governance being a moderating factor weakens the adverse impact of environmental degradation on macroeconomic instability. These findings are robust to the FGLS technique, suggesting that governments in emerging economies should prioritize environmental degradation and governance in mitigating climate change and ensuring macroeconomic stability in the long run.