Environmental sustainability and health outcomes: Do ICT diffusion and technological innovation matter?

This research aims to determine the nexus between environmental sustainability, proxied by environmental performance index, and human health outcomes, particularly disability-adjusted life-year and life expectancy, in the presence of policy variables, namely information and communication technology (ICT) as well as technological innovation (TI) in Saudi Arabia for an annual period spanning from 2000 to 2020. We used the DOLS estimator to solve the issues of serial correlation and endogeneity that were present in the model. The findings indicate that the influence of environmental performance on human health outcomes is improved with the existence of good and sophisticated technologies. We find that over the long term, the parameters of the interaction terms between environmental performance and all dimensions of technological indicators are negative (positive) and statistically relevant for the disability-adjusted life-year (life expectancy) specification. Policymakers in Saudi Arabian economy should therefore include the use of technological indicators in the already established programs and policies to maximize their positive impacts on health outcomes.

Automated summary

This research investigates the relationship between environmental sustainability and human health outcomes in Saudi Arabia, considering factors such as information and communication technology and technological innovation. The findings suggest that advanced technologies can enhance the influence of environmental performance on human health outcomes.