Energy Saving in Transition Economies: Environmental Activities in Manufacturing Firms

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the relationship between active environmental activities and energy saving in firms operating in a set of Transition countries. For this purpose, we exploit the enterprise survey data collected by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank Group (WBG). Employing a probit regression model, the main finding shows a positive relation between environmental practices and energy saving, controlling several firms’ characteristics such as size, affiliation, credit line, ownership status and age. The results are also confirmed when we perform the robustness check. Interestingly, medium and small firms appear to save more energy than large ones.