The Effect of Macroeconomic Variables on Environment Quality during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects every part of human life, including the physical world. The measures taken to control the spread of the virus have had a significant impact on slowing economic activity and the quality of the environment. This study discusses the macroeconomic variables on environmental quality during the pandemic. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between economic growth, human quality, poverty, and global trade on the quality of the environment in Indonesia. The data used a cross-sectional study for 34 provinces in Indonesia during 2020, while it analyzed the data using a multiple linear regression approach. The study results found that human quality has a positive effect on environmental quality in Indonesia, while the economic growth, poverty, and global trade variables have a negative effect. Novelty in this study examines the factors in the economy that affect the environment in the pandemic era.