The increase in energy consumption is closely linked to environmental pollution. Healthcare spending has increased significantly in recent years in all countries, especially after the pandemic. The link between healthcare spending, greenhouse gas emissions and gross domestic product has led many researchers to use modelling techniques to assess this relationship. For this purpose, this paper analyzes the relationship between per capita healthcare expenditure, per capita gross domestic product and per capita greenhouse gas emissions in the 27 EU countries for the period 2000 to 2020 using Error Correction Westerlund, and Westerlund and Edgerton Lagrange Multiplier (LM) bootstrap panel cointegration test. The estimation of model coefficients was carried out using the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) method adopted by Eberhardt and Teal, when there is heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence in cross-sectional units. In addition, Dumitrescu and Hurlin test has been used to detect causality. The findings of the study showed that in the long run, per capita emissions of greenhouse gases have a negative effect on per capita health expenditure, except from the case of Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Latvia. On the other hand, long-term individual co-integration factors of GDP per capita have a positively strong impact on health expenditure per capita in all EU countries. Finally, Dumitrescu and Urlin’s causality results reveal a significant one-way causality relationship from GDP per capita and CO₂ emissions per capita to healthcare expenditure per capita for all EU countries.

An extensive assessment index system was developed to evaluate the integration of industry and education in higher vocational education. The system was designed using panel data collected from 31 provinces in China between 2016 and 2022. The study utilized the entropy approach and coupled coordination degree model to examine the temporal and spatial changes in the level of growth of the integration of industry and education in higher vocational education, as well as the factors that impact it. In order to examine how the integration of industry and education in higher vocational education develops over time and space, as well as the factors that affect it, we utilized spatial phasic analysis, Tobit regression model, and Dagum’s Gini coefficient. The study’s findings suggest that between 2016 and 2022, the integration of industry and education in higher vocational education showed a consistent improvement in overall development. Nevertheless, there are still significant regional differences, with certain areas showing limited levels of integration, while the bulk of regions are either in a state of low integration with high clustering or low integration with low clustering. Most locations showed either a “low-high” or “low-low” level of agglomeration, indicating a significant degree of spatial concentration, with a clear trend of higher concentration in the east and lower concentration in the west. The progress of industrial structure and the degree of regional economic development have a substantial impact on the amount of integration of industry and education in higher vocational education. There is a notable increase in the amount of integration between industry and education in higher vocational education, which has a favorable effect. Conversely, the local employment rate has a substantial negative effect on this integration. Moreover, the direct influence of industrial structure optimization is restricted. The Gini coefficient of the development level of integration of industry and education in higher vocational education exhibits a slight rising trend. Simultaneously, there is a varying increase in the Gini coefficient inside the group and a decrease in the Gini coefficient between the groups. The disparities in the level of integration between Industry and Education in the provincial area primarily stem from inter-group variations across the locations. To promote the integration of industry and education in higher vocational education, it is recommended to strengthen policy support and resource allocation, address regional disparities, improve professional configuration, and increase investment in scientific and technological innovation and talent development.

At present, states and entire regions that possess significant reserves of sought-after minerals have great potential to maintain and even improve their socio-economic position in the foreseeable future. Since the beginning of 2000, the increase in mining volumes of minerals has been more than 50%; however, more than half of all extracted raw materials fall to only five leading countries: China, the USA, the Russian Federation, Australia, and India. This article presents the results of the analysis of the global structure of mineral production by type and geographic region. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the world’s leading mining companies, identifying the key players in the industry. A comprehensive overview of each company’s performance, including key financial indicators and production statistics, is presented. The main environmental risks as a result of the continued increase in the global scale of mining have been identified. The prospects for the development of the mining sector are shown. The results of the study can be used by the scientific community as an information source.