Analysis of research trends on economic growth and environmental degradation: a bibliometric study

ABSTRACT

The effects of environmental degradation on human health and the life of plants and animals have motivated politicians, researchers, and organizations such as the OECD to address this issue. The text adheres to conventional academic structure, using clear and objective language with precise word choice. The language is formal and free from grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. The text maintains a balanced perspective and avoids biased language. No changes in content were made. Abstract: This study examines the research trends on the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. The study employed a quantitative, exploratory methodology and conducted a bibliometric analysis of articles registered in the Scopus and Web of Science databases from 1972 to 2022. The search equations were structured based on the parameters of the international declaration PRISMA. The study considered bibliometric indicators of quality, quantity, and structure. VOSviewer was used to construct and visually present bibliometric networks on the structure and dynamics of the subject under study. The data indicates a noteworthy rise in the quantity of publications and authors examining the applicability of the Kuznets curve to ecological footprint and carbon emissions indicators, which are considered the most significant factors. This suggests an inverted U-shaped correlation between economic growth and environmental degradation. Notably, it underscores the adverse contribution of inadequate natural resource consumption, especially non-renewable energy, to environmental degradation. Overall, these implications underscore the urgency of concerted efforts to address this critical issue.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental degradation
• PRISMA-2020
• renewable energy
• Scopus
• sustainability
• Web of Science

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data may be provided free of charge to interested readers by requesting the correspondence author’s email.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.