How CO2 emissions respond to changes in government size and level of digitalization? Evidence from the BRICS countries.

The role of government size and digitization in the process of environmental quality is a matter of considerable debate in the field of environmental economics. BRICS economies have suffered from environmental pollution. This paper scrutinizes that how CO2 emissions respond to government size and digitization in BRICS economies. Empirical estimates of the ARDL approach show that government size has a positive impact on CO2 in Brazil, India, and China, while negative impact on CO2 in Russia in the long run. The long-run estimates reveal a negative and significant effect of digitization on CO2 in Brazil, India, and China. Education and e-learning activities have a favorable and crucial role played in environmental quality in Brazil, India, and China. Based on these findings, BRICS authorities should improve the efficiency of government expenditures and invest more in digitization to improve the quality of the environment.