Carbon emissions and development paths : A discussion of the Kuznets environmental curve

A common goal among governments is to promote socio-economic development and raise living standards of populations worldwide. As of today, some countries have achieved considerable development levels as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). On the other hand, a large part of the world population lives in developing countries, and many still lack access to the services and goods thought to be standard in the modern society. This discussion paper engages in a critical discussion of the Kuznets Environmental Curve concept which implies a emporary increase in carbon emissions per unit of GDP as countries transition to higher development levels. The coming years will see enduring efforts for socio-economic improvements in low and mid-developed countries, but the feasibility of conventional development models is put into question. Development paths based on emission-intensive growth have to be phased-out towards a low-carbon equivalent, not only by the leading countries but most importantly in the developing world.Qc 2012021