Role of income in pollution and growth across Belt and Road Initiative countries: new insights from dynamic functional regression model

This study employed function-on-scalar regression (FOSR) to model the complex nexus and spatial-temporal dynamic impact of income distribution on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and economic growth (EG) for 80 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries (1990-2021). Results discovered a robust positive nexus between income, CO2, and EG across the spatial-temporal BRI domain. Increased income levels are associated with heightened EG, subsequently driving higher CO2. Decreased income levels were linked to reduced EG and a corresponding decline in CO2 intensity. Accordingly, we suggested policy implications to guide BRI towards a balanced and sustainable development pattern.