The relationship between renewable energy consumption and health expenditures: The case of G-7 countries

This study examines the impact of renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and death rates on healthcare expenditures in G-7 countries over the 1992-2023 period using panel data analysis. Preliminary analyses indicate cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity across countries. The Fourier LM unit root test reveals that the variables are non-stationary, while the LM Bootstrap cointegration test supports a long-run relationship. Panel-wide AMG estimation results indicate that renewable energy consumption reduces healthcare expenditures, while economic growth and death rates increase healthcare expenditures. Country-based results indicate that renewable energy consumption reduces healthcare expenditures in Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. While economic growth increases healthcare expenditures in France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, death rates increase healthcare expenditures in France, Germany, and the United States, and decrease them in Japan. Furthermore, according to the Dumitrescu & Hurlin causality test, there is a unidirectional causality relationship running from renewable energy consumption and economic growth to healthcare expenditures. The findings show that energy and health policies should be integrated and that renewable energy investments can have positive effects on health systems.