Impact of carbon emissions sources on life expectancy in Asia and the Pacific region

Abstract

AbstractThis study aligns with the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 11, which aim to “ensure healthy lives and promote well‐being for all at all ages” and “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable”. The study objectives are to (i) explore the impact of different sources of carbon emissions on life expectancy; (ii) evaluate if the impact differs across income groups, and (iii) determine if life expectancy is persistent. It contributes to the health‐environment literature but differs from two standpoints. First, it uses two essential sources of carbon emissions: liquid and solid fuels. Second, it engages robust analyses comprising the full sample and sub‐samples of income groups to further interrogate this intrinsic relationship. For this purpose, an unbalanced sample of 36 countries from Asia and the Pacific region (2005–2010) is used, and for robust analyses, three econometric methods: bootstrap ordinary least squares (BOLS), instrumental variables (IV), and system generalized method of moments (GMM) are implemented. Empirical results reveal that: (1) liquid and solid fuel emissions exert significant negative outcomes, (2) liquid fuel emissions exhibit the most adverse effect, (3) life expectancy is persistent, and (4) impact of liquid and solid fuel emissions on life expectancy across the income groups is diverse. These findings suggest that the management authorities of Asia and the Pacific region need to devise prudent and effective policies concerning human health and carbon emissions while allocating sufficient budget to the health sector to rescue more lives and, thereby, lengthen the life expectancy in the region.