The impact of pesticides and dry residual biomass on the ecological footprints in OECD countries

The present study explores the impacts of pesticide usage and burned biomass on the ecological footprints in OECD countries. Based on 500 panel observations from 25 sample OECD countries during the period of 2000 to 2019, the study applies panel data regression approch. The panel data regression models are estimated by pooled OLS method in one way and fixed effects with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors method in other way. The latter method is a robust method of capturing heteroskesedasticity and autocorrelation. In both estimations, the results find that pesticide usage and burned biomass have positive and significant impacts on the ecological footprints of OECD countries but in particular pesticide usage has stronger effect in Driscoll-Kraay standard errors approach and less in pooled OLS method. This means that both variables increase the PM2.5 concentration in OECD countries and cause climate change. Therefore, organic pest-resistant techniques and the use of residual biomass as feedstock could be the possible solutions to improve ecological footprints in OECD countries.