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• Cointegration levels among life expectancy and its determinants have explored. • The structural breaks stemming in the data has been investigated with ARDL. • Economic growth is positively associated with life expectancy. • Energy consumption lowers life expectancy via environmental degradation. This paper tends to investigate the linkage between economic growth and life expectancy by considering the potential role of financial development and energy consumption using data of Pakistan. Traditional as well as advanced unit root tests for observing the stationary properties of the variables were applied. For exploring the cointegration levels among life expectancy and its determinants, ARDL bounds testing technique in the existence of structural breaks which were stemming in the data has been investigated. The empirical results provide the confirmation for the presence of cointegration between the variables. Further, economic growth is positively associated with life expectancy. Financial development is revealing a negative effect on life expectancy in the scenario of Pakistan. Energy consumption lowers life expectancy via environmental degradation. Furthermore, this empirical analysis provides new insights to policymakers for using financial development and energy consumption as economic tools to improve life expectancy by directing energy and finance policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of Pakistan is increasing rapidly and hence the energy demand. Since ninety׳s, people of Pakistan has been experiencing load shedding because of the intense shortfall throughout the country. Pakistan, being an agricultural country, has a lot of potential of renewable energy sources especially biomass. The thing is to utilize the potential in a right direction. This paper presents the policy direction to get rid of the current energy crisis in the country through utilization of different types of biomass. The animal manure, municipal solid wastes and the crop residues are the main biomass sources in the country. This study also focuses the potential of main biomass sources present in the country and its technical routes for the production of bioenergy. The design parameters for standard bioreactor of gasifier and anaerobic digestion and their economic comparison are highlighted with respect to Pakistan environmental conditions. The development of anaerobic digestion technology is reviewed critically. This paper also discusses the different scenarios for the use of biomass sources in urban and rural environment. This verifies the use of biogas energy as the cheapest and the safest way to remove the crisis from the country. The stand-alone biogas plants should be constructed throughout the country where there is not electrification infrastructure exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper deals with fundamental policy mistakes in Pakistan for the cause of sustainable development through renewable energy. It then identifies that the low level of awareness regarding the potentials of renewable energy is the key hurdle in achieving the said cause. The paper further traces the root cause of this low awareness in educational and S&T policies of Pakistan and finally provides some recommendations to avoid dilemmas related to such policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper empirically examines the impact of energy prices on economic growth in Pakistan using various channel variables. For this purpose, a macroeconometric model is estimated using GMM estimation technique using quarterly data for the period 1991–2011. The results indicate that the overall effect of energy prices on growth is negative, confirming results from existing empirical literature for Pakistan. However, our methodology allows us to go beyond previous research and describe what drives this overall result. We find evidence that high energy price decreases real interest rate, investment and stock prices. It also decreases the real value of local currency. High energy price puts pressure on government expenditures and increases unemployment in the country. The results reveal that energy price positively affects output growth through its impact on real interest rate and government consumption, while it negatively affects output growth through investment, stock prices, real exchange rate and unemployment. The results show that most of the effect of energy price on economic growth is captured by stock prices, real exchange rate, government consumption and unemployment. In turn, real interest rate and investment captures a small effect of energy price on economic growth. The study highlights that to improve economic growth policy makers in Pakistan should design appropriate policies to control energy prices and to plan energy conservative policies that will motivate to explore alternative energy sources to meet high energy demand in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]