Senior Capstone 2021
A Comparative Study of Bangladesh and Vietnam
Abstract: Economic development in the past few decades has lifted millions of people in developing countries out of poverty. However, at the same time, this development has also added billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. In order to avoid a climate disaster, it is crucial for developing countries to find a way to increase the public’s standard of living while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. This paper examines the economic growth and carbon emissions of Bangladesh and Vietnam over the last 40 years. Consideration of current trends shows a positive correlation between increasing standard of living and carbon emissions. In addition, the paper explores options for governments to promote sustainable growth including implementation of more modern technology across all sectors, investment in family planning programs to decrease population growth, and investment in education and healthcare to create a healthy and high-skilled labor force.
Anh Bui is a fourth-year Economics student at Northeastern University with an interest in energy and economic development. His immediate plan is to graduate and work in the technology sector.