Total factor carbon emission performance: A Malmquist index analysis

This paper introduces a Malmquist CO2 emission performance index (MCPI) for measuring changes in total factor carbon emission performance over time. The MCPI is derived by solving several data envelopment analysis models. Bootstrapping MCPI is proposed to perform statistical inferences on the MCPI results. Using the index the emission performance of the world's 18 top CO2 emitters from 1997 to 2004 is studied. The results obtained show that the total factor carbon emission performance of the countries as a whole improved by 24% over the period and this was mainly driven by technological progress. The results of a cross-country regression analysis to investigate the determinants of the resulting MCPI are presented.