Table 2.
Variable description.
| Variable name | Abbreviation | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial bank branches (per 100,000 adults) | CBBR | Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults, representing financial access and the institutional reach of the banking system | WDI |
| Renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) | RENW | Share of renewable energy in total final energy consumption, reflecting the transition toward clean and sustainable energy sources | WDI |
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (total), excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e) | CO2E | Total national carbon dioxide emissions excluding land-use change and forestry, measuring aggregate environmental pressure from economic activity | WDI |
| PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (μg/m3) | PM2.5 | Population-weighted average exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), capturing air quality and environmental degradation | WDI |
| Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) | IMR | Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age per 1,000 live births, representing child health outcomes | WDI |
| Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) | U5MR | Number of children dying before age five per 1,000 live births, indicating broader public health conditions | WDI |
| GDP per capita (constant US$) | GDPPC | Income per person, measuring economic development, included as a control variable to capture scale effects consistent with the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis | WDI |
| Urban population (% of total population) | URB | Share of population living in urban areas, included as a control variable to capture demographic concentration, pollution exposure intensity, and urban health risks | WDI |
| Government expenditure (% of GDP) | GOV | Total government expenditure as a percentage of GDP, included as an additional macroeconomic control to capture the role of public spending in environmental quality and health outcomes | WDI |
| Energy use/fossil fuel consumption share (% of total energy use) | EFCS | Share of total energy consumption derived from fossil fuels, included to capture the impact of energy use and fossil fuel dependency on environmental quality | WDI |
| GDP per capita squared (constant US$) | GDPPC2 | The square of GDP per capita, included to test the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, reflecting the non-linear relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation | WDI |