DETERMINANTS OF ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN TÜRKIYE: THE ROLES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY AND HUMAN CAPITAL (1990–2023)

Abstract

Improving environmental quality has become an essential goal in our society, as environmental degradation worsens and causes many problems, primarily harming the economic well-being of nations. The ecological footprint is preferred as a sustainability indicator in analyses due to its comprehensiveness and holistic approach to measuring environmental degradation. In this study, annual data for Türkiye from 1990-2023 were used to test the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), employing indicators such as per capita income, energy use, and trade openness to explain the ecological footprint, with a specific focus on human capital and renewable energy. The results of the study indicate that a significant portion of the changes in the ecological footprint is explained by macroeconomic variables such as energy consumption and income; the long-run contribution of human capital accumulation and renewable energy consumption becomes more prominent, highlighting their strategic importance for environmental sustainability.