Literature survey on the relationships between energy variables, environment and economic growth
This paper provides an extensive survey of the great progress in the literature of energy environment growth nexus for both specific and multi county studies covering the period from 1978 to 2014. The survey focuses on country (ies) coverage, periods, modeling methodologies, and empirical conclusions. Our survey is based on the direction of causality between (i)energy consumption (electricity, nuclear, renewable and non renewable) and economic growth; (ii) between economic growth and environment; and between the three variables at the same time. As a general remark from these studies is that the literature produced paradoxical and not conclusive results which energy consumption can boost economic growth through the productivity enhancement and it can boost also the environmental damages through the enhancement of pollutant emissions. This survey gives researchers a 'snap shot' of the literature on the causality between the four types of energy, environment and economic growth for both individual and collective cases. Understanding the causal links between environment, economic growth and different types of energy consumption provides a basis for discussion in order to design and implementating effective energy and environmental policies.