Abstract

The issue of climate change is a pressing challenge for many countries as populations feel its harmful effects through the disasters it produces. Governments can help control climate change mitigation efforts through the environment and economic policies they enforce. This study investigates how climate change, economics and politics are all intertwined. Scholars argue that the regime type of a country is a significant factor in climate change mitigation as democracies and autocracies both have different attributes that help them combat climate change. A state’s level of economic development is also argued by scholars to be a significant factor in the production of greenhouse gases that degrade the environment. This study conducted several multivariate regressions to discover how the regime types and economic development levels of different countries impact their greenhouse gas emissions. Data was collected on several economic indicators, greenhouse gasses and regime type from member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade agreement to be studied. Results of this study produced evidence that suggests democracies are associated with less greenhouse gas emissions than autocracies and that higher economic development levels are associated with less greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, this study exhibits how regime type and economic development directly impact greenhouse gas emissions in different countries while also highlighting the importance of climate change awareness and sustainable development.

Advisor

Lantis, Jeffery

Department

Political Science

Disciplines

International Relations

Publication Date

2023

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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