Investigating the Causal Linkage Among Economic Growth, Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in Thailand: An Application of the Wavelet Coherence Approach

The study aims to explore the causal linkage between CO2 emissions, economic growth and energy consumption in Thailand utilizing the wavelet coherence approach, conventional Granger and the Toda-Yamamoto causality techniques. In this study, time-series data spanning the period between 1971 and 2018 were used. No prior study has used the wavelet coherence approach to collect information on the association and causal interrelationship among these economic variables at different frequencies and timeframes in Thailand. The study objectives are structured to answer the following question: Does economic growth and energy consumption lead to CO2 emissions in Thailand. The findings revealed that: (a) Changes in economic growth led to changes in CO2 emissions in Thailand at different frequencies (different scales) between 1971 and 2018. (b) A bidirectional causal relationship between CO2 emissions and energy consumption. (c) A positive correlation between CO2 emissions and energy usage in the short and long-run between 1971 and 2018. (d) A positive correlation between GDP growth and CO2 emissions in the short and long-run between 1971 and 2018. The study suggested that Thailand should initiate stronger policies towards enhancing the efficiency of energy and energy-usage programs to minimize unnecessary energy waste.