ABSTRACT
Introduction The world is getting warmer at an increasing pace, with each of the last three decades being warmer than the preceding decade since 1850 (IPCC, 2013). Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are considered one of the most important causes of global warming. Among the GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent in the atmosphere. Most of the CO2 emissions come from the consumption of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Driving the acceleration of economic growth across the world requires intensive use of fossil fuels, which eventually leads to huge CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Economic activities such as manufacturing, agriculture and transportation necessitate the intensive use of coal, oil and gas, which consequently generates significant amounts of CO2 each year. CO2 emissions and economic growth are thereby intrinsically linked.
