The relationship between foreign direct investment and CO2 within the framefork of sustainable development: The case of Turkey

Globalization process has led to the international freedom of capital. Countries seeking to achieve sustainable economic growth targets and trying to finance new investments tries to attract FDI's through international companies in this environment where capital becomes free. For developing countries that have to grow rapidly in order to catch up with developed countries in industrialization, FDIs have a more important place. In the developed countries which are responsible for CO2 emissions and damage to the environment resulting from industrialization and economic growth activities implements strict environmental policy by international contracts. In developed countries it is noteworthy that international companies are driving their dirty industries to developing countries through FDI. In the literature, the applied studies on this subject are based on the Pollution Haven Hypothesis. In this study, the relationship between CO2 emissions, economic growth and incoming FDI flows to Turkey, was investigated. The hypothesis established that there is a mutual causality relationship between CO2 emissions, FDI and GDP in Turkey, was investigated by Granger Causality Test using data from the period 1980-2017. As a result of the analysis, there was no mutual causality between the variables however, there is a unidirectional causality from FDI and GDP to CO2 emissions. It was also determined that GDP is the cause of FDI. The obtained findings confirm the Pollution Haven Hypothesis. In the light of this information, it is seen that the production growth due to FDI coming to Turkey and economic growth, increases CO2 emissions in the country and damages the environment. Although Turkey is turning to environmentally friendly renewable energy sources to reduce CO2 emissions in recent years, it can be said that it has not reached the desired level yet.