Asymmetric nexus between financial inclusion and environmental quality: the case of 10 most polluted economies

Financial inclusion is critical element of economic growth as it makes financial services available to all facets of society and hence has an influence on environmental quality. Using data from 2004 to 2019, this research evaluates the asymmetric nexus between financial inclusion and environmental quality in the top-10 polluted nations (China, India, Russia, USA, Japan, Iran, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Indonesia). Previous research used panel data approaches, which resulted in usual findings of the connection between financial inclusion and environmental quality, even with the reality that numerous nations did not show such a linkage individually. This research, conversely, utilizes an exclusive method ‘Quantile-on-Quantile (QQ)’, which permits us to probe each nation distinctly to provide multilateral yet country-specific information about the relation between the variables. The estimations demonstrate that financial inclusion degrades environmental quality in 7 out of the 10 economies at many quantiles of data distribution. Additionally, the outcomes reveal that the degree of asymmetry between financial inclusion and carbon emissions differs by nation, stressing the need of governments giving particular attention while implementing policies related to financial inclusion and a sustainable environment.