INTERNATIONAL TRADE, TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM ASEAN AND GLOBAL ECONOMIES

Abstract

This paper examines the relationships among international trade, technological innovation, foreign direct investment (FDI), carbon dioxide emissions, and environmental efficiency across ASEAN and global economies. A comparative analysis of reported panel quantile regressions, dynamic panel estimates, and environmental-efficiency frontier results provides evidence on the heterogeneity of these relationships. Export activity and trade openness show positive associations with emissions in several ASEAN specifications, whereas import coefficients vary across conditional quantiles. Technological innovation and renewable energy use generally exhibit favorable associations with environmental outcomes. Environmental efficiency differs across six world regions, and the association with FDI varies geographically. These findings demonstrate the importance of distinguishing exports from imports, accounting for energy composition, and recognizing differences in regional technologies and industrial structures. The study identifies measurement and inference limitations and discusses implications for coordinated trade, industrial, and environmental policy.