The impact of freedom of expression and belief on CO2 emissions: An examination of the group of seven.

Growing concerns about the level of CO emissions have made identifying the key drivers of the emission issue a critical agenda item. These developments have turned identifying drivers of CO emissions into a popular research area. Researchers have been attempting to determine the root causes of CO emissions for quite some time. While many economic factors have been associated with the emission levels, researchers' interest in undiscovered factors has brought political factors to the forefront. Although some institutional/political factors have been linked to CO emissions in the relevant literature, the specific impact of freedom of expression and belief (FEB) has yet to be examined. Notably, as democracies' provision of economic freedoms motivates production and consumption, exerting pressure on the environment, FEB can balance it. This study is a pioneering attempt to seek answers to this question. By assigning a specific role to FEB, the research seeks to determine the key factors influencing CO emissions in the Group of Seven (G7) between 2006 and 2022. Results suggest that FEB might be crucial in lowering CO emissions, whereas economic expansion and energy use tend to increase CO emissions. However, the impact of trade openness has yet to be found to be significant. Thus, securing and enhancing FEB could lead to significant environmental gains in G7 countries and globally.