Renewable energy and healthcare expenditure-environmental emissions nexus

This study aims to explore the moderating effect of renewable energy on the relationship between healthcare expenditures and environmental emissions. The study uses panel data covering 52 developing countries from 2012 to 2020. The generalized method of moments estimation results reveal that higher renewable energy consumption mitigates the increase in environmental emissions caused by rising healthcare expenditure, indicating a significant moderating effect. The results suggest that the positive association between healthcare expenditure and emissions is weaker in countries with higher overall renewable-energy consumption.. Furthermore, the computed marginal effect shows that healthcare expenditure has a significant impact on environmental emissions at both the mean and maximum levels. As a result, the study's findings recommend that renewable energy consumption be integrated into healthcare expenditures, with a minimum threshold of 2.543%, to improve environmental quality while enhancing healthcare services.