Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors
This study investigates the impact of economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) on China’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), specifically Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Life on Land (SDG 15). It examines ecological footprints and load capacity factors (LCFs) in cro...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1513158/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849763998216486912 |
|---|---|
| author | İlkay Güler Mustafa Naimoğlu Orhan Şimşek Zafer Adalı Sefa Özbek |
| author_facet | İlkay Güler Mustafa Naimoğlu Orhan Şimşek Zafer Adalı Sefa Özbek |
| author_sort | İlkay Güler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the impact of economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) on China’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), specifically Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Life on Land (SDG 15). It examines ecological footprints and load capacity factors (LCFs) in cropland, fishing, forest, and grazing land using Fourier bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration analysis and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) estimators. The study covers the period from 1979 to 2022. Key findings reveal that while GDP and FDI often exacerbate environmental degradation, urbanization and value-added agriculture, forestry, and fishing (FAFGDP) improve sustainability in some areas. The study confirms the pollution haven hypothesis for most models, suggesting that China’s legal and regulatory frameworks may inadequately mitigate FDI’s adverse environmental effects. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is not supported as GDP growth generally increases ecological footprints. However, trade openness and urbanization show positive influences on environmental sustainability. Policy recommendations include enhancing energy efficiency, promoting renewable energy, implementing green technologies in agriculture and urban development, and revising FDI policies to incentivize environmentally friendly practices. These strategies are crucial for achieving China’s sustainable development goals and mitigating the pressures of human activities on natural resources. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bde92eeadeaf4a9ab1dfdaffd3a7c202 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-bde92eeadeaf4a9ab1dfdaffd3a7c2022025-08-20T03:05:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2025-04-011310.3389/fenvs.2025.15131581513158Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factorsİlkay Güler0Mustafa Naimoğlu1Orhan Şimşek2Zafer Adalı3Sefa Özbek4Department of Land Registry and Cadastre, School of Land Registry and Cadastre, Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University, Ankara, TürkiyeDepartment of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Bingöl University, Bingöl, TürkiyeDepartment of Economics, Hopa Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Artvin Coruh University, Artvin, TürkiyeDepartment of Economics, Hopa Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Artvin Coruh University, Artvin, TürkiyeDepartment of Customs Management, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Tarsus University, Mersin, TürkiyeThis study investigates the impact of economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) on China’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), specifically Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Life on Land (SDG 15). It examines ecological footprints and load capacity factors (LCFs) in cropland, fishing, forest, and grazing land using Fourier bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration analysis and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) estimators. The study covers the period from 1979 to 2022. Key findings reveal that while GDP and FDI often exacerbate environmental degradation, urbanization and value-added agriculture, forestry, and fishing (FAFGDP) improve sustainability in some areas. The study confirms the pollution haven hypothesis for most models, suggesting that China’s legal and regulatory frameworks may inadequately mitigate FDI’s adverse environmental effects. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is not supported as GDP growth generally increases ecological footprints. However, trade openness and urbanization show positive influences on environmental sustainability. Policy recommendations include enhancing energy efficiency, promoting renewable energy, implementing green technologies in agriculture and urban development, and revising FDI policies to incentivize environmentally friendly practices. These strategies are crucial for achieving China’s sustainable development goals and mitigating the pressures of human activities on natural resources.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1513158/fullecological footprintsenvironmental Kuznets curveforeign direct investmentload capacity factorsSustainable Development Goalsenergy economics |
| spellingShingle | İlkay Güler Mustafa Naimoğlu Orhan Şimşek Zafer Adalı Sefa Özbek Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors Frontiers in Environmental Science ecological footprints environmental Kuznets curve foreign direct investment load capacity factors Sustainable Development Goals energy economics |
| title | Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors |
| title_full | Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors |
| title_fullStr | Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors |
| title_short | Analyzing the impact of economic growth and FDI on sustainable development goals in China: insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors |
| title_sort | analyzing the impact of economic growth and fdi on sustainable development goals in china insights from ecological footprints and load capacity factors |
| topic | ecological footprints environmental Kuznets curve foreign direct investment load capacity factors Sustainable Development Goals energy economics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1513158/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ilkayguler analyzingtheimpactofeconomicgrowthandfdionsustainabledevelopmentgoalsinchinainsightsfromecologicalfootprintsandloadcapacityfactors AT mustafanaimoglu analyzingtheimpactofeconomicgrowthandfdionsustainabledevelopmentgoalsinchinainsightsfromecologicalfootprintsandloadcapacityfactors AT orhansimsek analyzingtheimpactofeconomicgrowthandfdionsustainabledevelopmentgoalsinchinainsightsfromecologicalfootprintsandloadcapacityfactors AT zaferadalı analyzingtheimpactofeconomicgrowthandfdionsustainabledevelopmentgoalsinchinainsightsfromecologicalfootprintsandloadcapacityfactors AT sefaozbek analyzingtheimpactofeconomicgrowthandfdionsustainabledevelopmentgoalsinchinainsightsfromecologicalfootprintsandloadcapacityfactors |