A Path Towards the Sustainable Environment from Environmental Governance: Testing the LCC and EKC Hypotheses with the Environmental Policy Stringency and Government Effectiveness in France

OpenAlex İngilizce

Abstract Governance is the driving force for environmental policy. This study investigated the validity of the LCC and EKC hypotheses for France in the 1996–2020 period with government effectiveness and environmental policy stringency control variables. Fourier unit root, cointegration, long-term estimators, and causality tests were used in the study. The results of the study showed that both LCC and EKC hypotheses are valid for France. While government effectiveness negatively affects environmental sustainability, environmental policy strictness affects it positively. Finally, there is a unidirectional relationship from environmental governance to load capacity factor and ecological footprint, and there is bidirectional causality between environmental policy stringency and load capacity factor, while there is a unidirectional causality relationship from ecological footprint to environmental policy stringency. It is recommended that France review the governance elements and ensure environmental governance so that the positive impact of environmental policies is sustainable.