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Transitioning to clean cooking fuels is not only part of achieving SDG7 but also makes a significant contribution to mitigating climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Research projects and pilots across a number of countries in Africa and South Asia have been exploring the suitability and energy performance of different cooking appliances and fuels. The paper presents the first statistical analysis across these multiple datasets to determine the range of energy required to cook dishes using different technologies and fuels. The paper draws out distinctions between African and Asian dishes, notably the impact of energy-intensive dishes prepared mostly in Africa. The paper demonstrates that the standard efficiency-based approaches to comparing the performance of stoves are not appropriate to modern electric cooking devices, so a novel alternative approach based on specific energy consumption and termed energy ratios is developed. Charcoal stoves are shown to use 15 times as much energy as electric pressure cookers (EPCs) to cook African dishes, and a detailed review of how the EPC works explains why this should be. Energy ratios provide a basis for estimating carbon emission reductions associated with transitioning to modern cooking fuels and also for estimating household cooking costs. Fuel and electricity prices from studies show that the cost of cooking with an EPC can be only 20% of the cost of cooking with charcoal, which highlights the potential for modern, energy-efficient electric cooking devices to defy the conventional wisdom of the energy ladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unflinching upsurge in global warming has put the world into a state of disarray, and policymakers are not sure of what the future holds for the ecosystem. To get the global environment back on track of sustainability, efforts are relentlessly emanating from both developed and developing economies to identify the hindering and enhancing factors. Given the preceding narratives, this paper investigates the tripartite impacts of renewable and nonrenewable energy, trade openness, and institutions on sustainable environment in 54 African countries from 1996 to 2019. The study employs the two-step system generalized methods of moment (SYS-GMM) in estimating the effects of the regressors on four indicators of sustainable environment. Six findings are prominent from the study. First, nonrenewable energy (NRE) and trade openness (TO) hinder sustainable environment, while renewable energy enhances it. Second, the unconditional impacts of institutions drive the path to a sustainable environment. Third, the interaction of institutions with NRE and TO hinders sustainable environment. However, after conducting institutional enhancement estimations, the interactive terms became supportive of sustainable environment. Fourth, the thresholds are policy-relevant across the specifications. Specifically, a 31.11% utilization of nonrenewable energy and 43.75% openness to trade contribute to a sustainable environment. Sixth, the impacts of economic growth and its square empirically support the inverted U-shaped EKC. This study suggests the adoption of carbon-taxing on nonrenewable energy products, price-subsidization for renewable energy goods and services, and institutional quality reforms as pathways towards achieving a sustainable environment in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of economic growth has implications for carbon emissions and climate change. Achieving low carbon development is important for attaining the targets of the sustainable development goals. Africa is often described as a largely import-dependent continent. The continent also requires significant investment in information and communication technologies (ICT) and renewable energy to achieve low-carbon economic growth. However, empirical evidence on the joint impacts of imports of goods and services, clean energy use, ICT, and economic growth on carbon emissions in Africa is scanty and mixed. This paper investigated the impacts of information and communication technologies, renewable energy consumption, import and economic growth on carbon emissions by using rich data on total per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, economic growth, import of goods and services, renewable energy consumption, fixed telephone subscriptions, mobile cellular subscriptions, and individuals using the internet in Africa (2001 ─ 2020) obtained from the World development indicators (WDI) database. Using the Panel autoregressive distributed lag model (PARDL), we found that mobile cellular subscriptions, and level of economic growth significantly increased per capita CO2 emissions in Africa in the long run while renewable energy consumption and technologies and import of goods and services significantly decreased per capita CO2 emissions in the long run. We conclude that information and communication technologies, level of economic growth, import of goods and services, and renewable energy consumption exert impacts on carbon emissions in Africa. Highlights: Achieving low-carbon development in Africa is possible. This research investigated the impacts of information and communication technologies, renewable energy consumption, import and economic growth on carbon emissions in Africa. This study utilized the Panel autoregressive distributed lag model and panel data from 31 African countries. The results shed new light on the emission reduction potential of renewable energy consumption and import of goods and services. The study also shows that ICTs increase carbon emissions in Africa. This article offers recommendations concerning carbon emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analysed the causal link between education, employment, renewable energy consumption and carbon emissions in Africa, where there is scant evidence. Relying on panel data obtained from the World Development Indicators for thirty-two African countries covering a period of 19 years, and five panel rigorous regression models, we found that renewable energy, investment in education, school enrolment, net national income per capita, and employment had negative and significant effects on carbon emission, thus increasing these predictors would result in significant reduction in carbon emission in Africa. We identified a bidirectional causality between carbon emissions and net national income per capita, education expenditure and renewable energy consumption, and carbon emissions and employment. Our findings suggest that investment in education, renewable energy, and employment are relevant in mitigating carbon emissions in Africa. We recommend African governments to invest heavily in education, improve school enrolment, environmental education, renewable energy and employment provision to mitigate carbon emissions. Highlights: • Achieving carbon neutrality in Africa is important. • This research investigated the impact of education, employment, and renewable energy consumption on carbon emissions in Africa. • This study utilized five panel regression models – fixed effect with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, panel fixed effect model, random effect model, panel fully modified ordinary least square model, and panel canonical correlation analysis and panel data from 32 African countries. • The results shed new light on the emission reduction potential of renewable energy consumption, education expenditure, school enrolment, per capita income, and employment. • This article offers recommendations to attain carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning for the eventual electrification of transport in sub-Saharan Africa requires accurate simulation of its unique transport systems. The few studies that attempt to model electric minibus taxis—vehicles extensively used in sub-Saharan Africa's public transport systems—vary greatly in their results. This paper analyses, compares and corrects the only two existing studies that project energy consumption of electric minibus taxis in the region. One of the studies projected an energy consumption of 0.39 kWh/km, while the other projected 0.93 kWh/km. This paper carefully analyses the simulation tools and models and cumulatively applies corrections from the literature and scientific analyses. As a result, the discrepancy between the two simulation tools is eliminated for a given data input and a final energy consumption is estimated in the range of 0.49–0.52 kWh/km, depending on the input data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution has aggravated the climate change issues posing unusual challenges to the survival and growth of humanity, including extreme weather, loss of species, and sustainability of the ecosystem in developing countries. Unlike previous studies, this paper adds new dimension to the literature by incorporating corruption into agriculture production-environment nexus. This study adds new dimension to the literature by examining corruption, agriculture, and renewable energy on CO2 emissions. The study therefore examines the effects of governance (corruption) and agriculture production on CO2 emissions in 20 countries in Africa from 1990 to 2019. The study employed recent panel econometric approach which accounts for cross-sectional dependence in the variables. The findings of the fixed effect model and panel dynamic ordinary least squares (PDOLS) show that forest and renewable energy consumption decrease CO2 emissions. However, corruption, agriculture production, export, and urbanization escalate CO2 emissions in African countries covered in the paper. Moreover, the Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger causality indicates a bidirectional causality between agriculture production and CO2 emissions, renewable energy use, agricultural output, and forest. Also, unidirectional Granger causality runs from corruption to forest and agriculture production. On these premises, consented efforts by governments should be made to support good institutions in order to promote good governance to avert pervasive consequences of corruption on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport energy use contributes to pollution, so it generates negative externalities. This paper analyzes the effect of urbanization on the transport final energy consumption in African countries. To that end, the paper applies the panel threshold regression (PTR) model for a panel of 25 African countries over the period 1992–2017. The findings show that there is a significant positive relationship between total and per capita transport energy consumption and the share of the urban population in the total population. Thus, urbanization fosters transport energy consumption, either per capita energy consumption or total energy consumption. Therefore, the results from this study suggest that African countries should promote sustainable urbanization in terms of transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is an abundant element and a flexible energy carrier, offering substantial potential as an environmentally friendly energy source to tackle global energy issues. When used as a fuel, hydrogen generates only water vapor upon combustion or in fuel cells, presenting a means to reduce carbon emissions in various sectors, including transportation, industry, and power generation. Nevertheless, conventional hydrogen production methods often depend on fossil fuels, leading to carbon emissions unless integrated with carbon capture and storage solutions. Conversely, green hydrogen is generated through electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy. This production method guarantees zero carbon emissions throughout the hydrogen's lifecycle, positioning it as a critical component of global sustainable energy transitions. In Africa, where there are extensive renewable energy resources such as solar and wind power, green hydrogen is emerging as a viable solution to sustainably address the increasing energy demands. This research explores the influence of policy frameworks, technological innovations, and market forces in promoting green hydrogen adoption across Africa. Despite growing investments and favorable policies, challenges such as high production costs and inadequate infrastructure significantly hinder widespread adoption. To overcome these challenges and speed up the shift towards a sustainable hydrogen economy in Africa, strategic investments and collaborative efforts are essential. By harnessing its renewable energy potential and establishing strong policy frameworks, Africa can not only fulfill its energy requirements but also support global initiatives to mitigate climate change and achieve sustainable development objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the energy consumption in conventional shea butter production processes and its impact on sustainability. The socio-cultural significance of shea butter extraction and the environmental challenges posed by the demand for firewood in the Shea belt are considered. The aim of this study is to review the existing research on energy consumption in conventional shea butter production processes and provide insights into reducing energy consumption while improving sustainability. The specific objectives are to analyse critical operations in the process and quantify their electricity, water, and heat demand. The study identifies grinding shea kernels into a paste, fat recovery, and oil clarification as the key operations regarding electricity, water, and heat demand, respectively. The conventional production process heavily relies on firewood as an energy source, consuming approximately 8–10 kWh of heat per kg of produced crude shea butter when improved cookstoves/roasters are used. However, the use of three-stone cookstoves can double or even quadruple the heat demand. Valorisation of shea butter process residues, such as kneading sludges, has the potential to cover 50% of the required heat and replace significant amounts of firewood. However, this approach necessitates careful process design and potentially alternative fuels from the residues to ensure efficient combustion and reduce smoke emissions. The conventional shea industry generates a considerable amount of by-products, yet no systematic and efficient valorisation scheme is currently implemented. By implementing improved cookstoves and developing a comprehensive valorisation strategy for process residues, significant reductions in energy consumption and environmental impact can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the macro-financial externalities of environmental degradation in Africa. Specifically, we examine whether and how changes in non-renewable and renewable energy consumption affect financial instability in 35 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. We use an original econometric approach based on panel logit-probit models, as well as the bootstrap inference method for quantile regressions to explore the occurrence of systemic banking crises, as an indicator of extreme financial instability (from 1990 to 2018), and the quantile function of the banking sector stability index (Z-score), as a measure of different levels of banking instability (from 1990 to 2021). Empirical results support the climate fragility hypothesis by indicating that an increase in non-renewable and renewable energy consumption leads to a higher probability of systemic banking crises and a decrease in banking stability, especially in the lower quantiles (extreme instability). These results are mainly explained by the transition and physical risks in SSA related to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how institutional quality conditions energy consumption to influence private capital inflows in Africa using data from 1990 to 2019. The paper employed a modified dynamic system GMM. Our results show that energy consumption has a direct influence on private capital inflows, particularly FDI to Africa. Institutional qualities do not directly influence the effect of energy consumption on FDI but do influence the effect on portfolio investment. However, independently, institutional quality positively motivates FDI inflows into Africa. On the contrary, the reverse analysis showed that private capital inflows do not influence energy consumption in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has seen an increase in renewable energy sources in the energy mix due to global environmental and supply security concerns. This paper aimed to investigate renewable energy effects on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). The investigation is from 1988 to 2018, using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), Nonlinear ARDL (NARDL), and fully modified OLS (FMOL) techniques. Based on empirical analyses of ARDL and FMOLS, it was found that both renewable and nonrenewable energies have a positive impact on economic growth in the Southern African power pool. However, the NARDL estimation indicates that neither renewable nor nonrenewable energy has a significant effect on economic growth in Southern African power pool. Therefore, based on the findings from both ARDL and FMOLS, the growth hypothesis is supported regarding the connection between renewable energy and economic growth in the Southern Africa power pool. Centered on the results, some policy implications were drawn for SAPP for sustainable economic growth, which includes measures to increase renewable energy in the energy mix, and also to encourage the optimization of cross-border connections where energy production from countries within SAPP that are not restricted by natural resources can be relied on to export sustainable energy. Additionally, building a more sustainable integrated power system in the region will assist SAPP with sustainable energy access and reduce the dependence on nonrenewable energy within the interconnected countries soon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although energy supply is not the only factor of the production function, it remains an important driver for any economy despite its negative environmental impacts. This paper examines the determinants of carbon dioxide emissions in a sample of 35 African countries from 1980 to 2016. It uses several econometric methods to ensure robust and reliable findings. Results from Mean group (MG) and Dynamic common correlated effects mean group (DCCEMG) models prove that the environmental degradation in the selected sample is caused mostly by economic growth and non-renewable energy consumption. Moreover, the results confirm that the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis is not significant when consider cross sectional dependence. These finding are contradictive to those obtained from similar studies that used traditional panel estimators. This means that energy consumption and economic growth will continue to increase emissions in the future. Furthermore, the study provides evidence of bidirectional causal relationships between carbon dioxide emissions and economic growth, non-renewable energy consumption and economic growth and between non-renewable energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. These findings imply that a hard work must to be done by the African policymakers and a long corrective measure series have to be adopted to ensure more efficient and clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern Africa has a huge potential for renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal. However, electricity access remains a key policy issue for most member states, with a global average access to electricity of only 54% in 2019. This low electrification rate is a strong motivation for member states to increase renewable energy use and improve access to electricity for all. The goal of this paper was to present a literature review of methodologies, energy plans, and government programs that have been implemented by the Southern African Development Community member states to address the region's low average electrification rate and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The study presents the most commonly used methodologies for the integration of renewable energies into electrical systems, considering the main grid and distributed generation systems. LCOE minimization methodologies and software options, such as GIS, HOMER, LEAP, and EnergyPLAN, are the most common among the identified studies. The traditional method of electrifying by expanding the grid has not contributed to the eradication of energy poverty in rural areas. Therefore, to improve electricity access in Southern Africa, it is essential to consider off-grid solutions based on renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of increased renewable energy consumption has been widely debated, and this has become a central energy policy concern for developing and developed countries. The existing literature provides evidence that there is a positive relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in developed economies. However, findings in respect of developing/emerging economies remain inconclusive. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the impact on renewable energy consumption on economic growth by controlling other macroeconomic variables for regions of Sub-Saharan Africa (East, Central and West) covering the 1990–2018 sample period. For this purpose, common correlated effects mean group estimator (CCEMG) and Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger causality test approach are used to consider both cross-sectional dependency and cross-country heterogeneity across countries. The CCEMG result indicates that an increase in renewable energy consumption led to reduction in economic growth even when the sample is analyzed based on geographical locations as East, West, and Central Africa. Granger causality results validate the feedback hypothesis for only Central Africa; the growth hypothesis is supported for East and West Africa. The empirical results suggest that energy planners, governments, and policy makers must act together to increase the renewable energy consumption share in her energy mix to promote economic growth for regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise in global food insecurity, pollution, and wildlife extinction caused by climate change, development policies are now tailored toward addressing this quagmire. However, the unresolved question is, are climate-related development finances effective in greening the environment in developing countries? In this milieu, this study assessed the effectiveness of climate-related development finances and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions in Africa by applying the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation technique on data from 2000 to 2020 for 41 selected countries. The findings show that the overall climate-related development finances, adaptation-related development finances, and mitigation-related development finances have short-run carbon-enhancing and long-run carbon-reducing effects in Africa. Similarly, renewable energy consumption and the net inflows of foreign direct investment have short-run worsening and long-run carbon-abatement effects in Africa. In contrast, higher GDP per capita, urbanization, and higher energy intensity are effective in reducing CO2 emissions in Africa only in the short run, however, they exacerbate CO2 emissions in Africa over the long run. In this light, the study underscores the need to invest heavily in climate-related development projects, and green technology innovation and production in Africa. The results also suggest the need to upgrade the current energy structure in Africa to renewable energy sources for a greener, cleaner, and brighter Africa. However, these policy perspectives require enough funds for effective implementation. Hence, the study calls on the developed countries (the polluters) to support Africa with the required funds to pay off climate debt by 2030 and build climate-resilient practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pace of urbanisation, the intensity of energy consumption, and the quality of environmental regulation level pose a severe threat to environmental sustainability in Africa. Hence, we examine the role of regulatory quality on environmental pollution through urbanisation and energy consumption channel in 33 African nations between 1996 and 2020. Our study considers cross sectional dependence in Africa; as a result, we employ the Augmented Mean Group method and Common Correlated Effect Mean Group for a robustness check to analyse the panel series. The study finds that (i) urbanisation increases environmental pollution, (ii) energy consumption accelerates environmental degradation, (iii) regulatory quality can partially mediate pollution in Africa via urbanisation and energy consumption channels, and (iv) the interaction of regulatory quality with urbanisation and energy consumption, respectively, reduce environmental pollution establishing a moderation effect. The study suggests that African countries tighten environmental regulatory policies to lessen carbon emissions and drive environmental sustainability towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper provides an analysis of the energy-carbon Kuznets curve hypothesis (CKC) using a second-generation panel methodology. Design/methodology/approach: Specifically, the authors investigate whether energy consumption, natural resources and governance explain the CKC proposition. The study's empirical strategy is based on the Westerlund panel cointegration test, augmented mean group (AMG) and vector autoregressive (VAR) panel Granger-causality tests. Findings: The results suggest that the CKC hypothesis is incomplete without these mechanisms, as they play a critical role in reducing carbon emissions in Africa. The authors recommend improving the environmental standards and proper regulatory and monitoring systems to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable development in the continent. Originality/value: The study revisits the CKC hypothesis with particular emphasis on governance and more robust empirical estimation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study examines the role of natural resources (NRs) and energy consumption in managing the climate crisis in Africa, using annual series data from the World Bank from 1980 to 2019. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical strategy is based on the second-generation panel techniques that account for cross-sectional dependency in the series. Specifically, the empirical evidence is based on the Westerlund (2017) panel cointegration test, panel augmented mean group, common correlated effects mean group and the vector autoregressive (VAR)-vector error correction (VEC) approaches. Findings: Evidence from the panel analysis confirmed the existence of Carbon Kuznets Curve (CKC) U-shaped nexus in Africa, but the country-level results are mixed. Furthermore, results using the VAR-vector correction model indicate possible convergence among the variables across the African countries. NR unidirectionally Granger-causes carbon emissions. The authors suggest the consideration of environmental factors in the utilisation of NRs. Similarly, energy efficiency is crucial to decouple carbon from energy usage. Originality/value: The study complements the extant literature by assessing the role of NRs and energy consumption in managing climate crisis in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The policy debate on the effects of urbanization, demographic dividend and biomass energy consumption on human development in Africa has long suffered from a scarcity of empirical evidence. This study, therefore, explores the relationship between urbanization, demographic dividend, biomass energy consumption and human development (measured by the human development index, human capital, life expectancy and infant mortality) in 33 African countries between 1990 and 2019. We employ Driscoll‐Kraay, instrumental variable and the panel quantile regression methods. We find that an increase in urbanization, demographic dividend and biomass energy consumption leads to a higher level of human development. Accounting for different facets of human development such as education (human capital) and health (life expectancy and infant mortality), the results show that urbanization and biomass energy consumption improve education and health. The results also show that while demographic dividend improves education and infant mortality, its effect on life expectancy is negative and significant. These findings are robust for reliable and consistent policy directives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan African countries are among mineral-rich developing countries strategically competing to guarantee sustainable economic development through resource exploration. The possibility of increasing the level of carbon emission due to using low-cost fuels and high pollutants during mineral resource extraction activities leading to environmental degradation continues to draw the attention of researchers and policy makers. This research aims to analyze the response of carbon emissions in the African continent to symmetric and asymmetric shocks on resource consumption, economic growth, urbanization, and energy consumption. Following the Shin et al. (2014a) linear and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) methodology in panel form, we construct symmetric and asymmetric panel ARDL–PMG model to evaluate both short- and long-run impacts of resource consumption on carbon dioxide emissions for a panel of 44 African countries over the period 2000–2019. The symmetric results show that the effect is not statistically significant despite natural resource consumption positively impacting carbon emission in the long and short runs. Energy consumption was found to affect environmental quality in the long and short runs adversely. Interestingly, economic growth was found to improve environmental quality in the long run significantly, and no significant impact was reported in the case of urbanization. However, the asymmetric results prove that a positive and negative shock to natural resource consumption contributes significantly to carbon emission, contrary to the insignificant impact established in the linear framework. The gradual growth in the manufacturing sector and an expansion in the transportation sector in Africa led to high demand and consumption of fossil fuels. This possibly accounts for the adverse effect of energy consumption on carbon emissions. Most African countries depend mainly on exploring natural resource endowment and agricultural activities to drive the growth of their economies. Due to the weak environmental regulatory frameworks in most African countries and public corruption, multinational companies (MNCs) in the extractive sector do not adhere to environmentally friendly activities. The majority of African countries are also battling illegal mining activities and illicit felling of trees, which may account for the positive relationship between natural resource rents and environmental quality reported. In terms of policy implications of the study, governments in Africa must preserve natural resources, use environmentally friendly and technologically advanced resource extraction methods, opt for green energy, and strictly apply environmental laws to promote environmental quality on the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to achieve shared prosperity or inclusive growth, we investigate whether increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Africa can foster sustainable development (inclusive growth). Additionally, as the region is endowed with renewable energy, we examine whether renewable energy consumption can directly enhance inclusive growth and (or) complement FDI to enhance inclusive growth. Using 30 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for 21years for the period of 2000–2020, our Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) results suggest that FDI is inclusive growth-enhancing, whereas renewable energy hampers inclusive growth. The high cost of renewable energy technologies in developing countries, such as SSA, has led to low investment in these resources, thereby explaining how renewable energy hampers inclusive growth. However, renewable energy consumption is effective in promoting the impact of FDI on inclusive growth in SSA. This is attributed to the investment opportunities in renewable energy consumption in SSA, thereby attracting foreign investors. Globally, renewable energy received about $85.2 billion in FDI in 2022, promoting job creation, revenue growth, and affordable energy access. We suggest that policymakers should attract sufficient FDI because higher levels of FDI promote inclusive growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the effects of energy transition on pollution emissions in Africa. In addition, it explores the indirect channels through which energy consumption impacts environmental quality. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses system Generalised Method of Moments approach for a panel of 51 developing African countries over the 1996–2020 period. Findings: The results show that fossil fuel and renewable energy consumption increase pollution emissions. The environment-degrading effect of renewable energy in Africa is however counter-intuitive, though the results are robust across regional economic blocks and income groups except for upper-middle-income countries where energy consumption is environment enhancing. Moreover, the results show that the environmental impacts of non-renewable energy consumption are modulated through financial development and information and communication technology (ICT) adoption, leading to respective positive net effects of 0.04460796 and 0.07682873. This is up to respective policy thresholds of 203.265 and 137.105 of financial development and ICT adoption, respectively, when the positive net effects are nullified. Practical implications: Contingent on the results, the study suggests the need for African countries to develop sound financial systems and encourage the use of green technologies, to ensure that energy transition effectively contributes to emissions reduction. Policymakers in Africa should also be aware of the critical levels of financial development and ICT, beyond which complementary policies are required for non-renewable energy consumption to maintain a negative impact on environmental degradation. Originality/value: Firstly, extant studies on the nexus between energy transition and environmental degradation in Africa are very sparse. Therefore, this study fills the existing research gap by comprehensively examining the effects of energy transition on pollution emissions across 51 African economies. Additionally, besides accounting for the direct environmental effects of energy transition, the current study accounts for the indirect channels through which the environmental impacts of energy transition are modulated. Hence, this study provides critical thresholds for the policy modulating variables, which enlighten policymakers on the necessity of designing complementary policies once the modulating variables attain the established thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of informality in the relationship among renewable and nonrenewable energy consumption, economic growth, and CO2 emissions in a panel of 19 Eastern and South African countries. The empirical strategy exploits the panel generalized method of moments, panel fixed effects models using the Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, panel method of moments quantile regressions, and the Dumitrescu-Hurlin bootstrap panel Granger causality analysis. The results are fourfold. First, nonrenewable energy consumption is positively associated with CO2 emissions, while renewable energy consumption is not. Second, there is a nonlinear ∩ -shaped relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions, consistent with the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Third, the results show a nonlinear ∪ -shaped relationship between informality and CO2 emissions, suggesting that higher informality is associated with lower CO2 emissions up to a certain critical point beyond which further increases in informality precipitate higher CO2 emissions. Fourth, the results show unidirectional causality from CO2 emissions to renewable energy, from CO2 emissions to nonrenewable energy, from informality to CO2 emissions, and feedback causality between GDP growth and CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonrenewable energy makes up a sizeable portion of Africa's gross domestic product. The continent heavily relies on nonrenewable energy sources, such as gasoline, for industrial and commercial uses, which helps it expand and develop, especially in oil-producing nations. Incorporating nonrenewable energies when analyzing the relative effects of renewable energy consumption and economic growth on environmental quality is paramount. The transition to renewable energy has been identified as a contributing factor in clean energy and sustainable development, but the consumption of renewable energy in Africa is negligible. This study employed panel threshold regression and covered data from 1990 to 2019, and examined the non-linear relationship between renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental quality. According to the study's findings, the consumption of renewable energy has a nonlinearly negative relationship with carbon emission proxied environmental quality. The relationship between environmental quality and economic growth was also shown to be nonlinearly positive, pointing to the dominance of nonrenewable resources in the African industry. The report recommends an effective policy for boosting the use of renewable energy sources in order to support clean energy and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the result of a systematic review of published life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on water and wastewater treatment in Africa. After applying the search and selection criteria, 32 observations for energy use were included and 20 for the global warming potential (GWP) and the eutrophication potential (EP). The dependent variables were categorized by technical, method, and typology factors. The meta‐regression model aligned with the descriptive statistics on the variation of the dependent variables due to water source but not location. Regarding energy use, GWP, and EP, the water source and the study location had the most significant influence in contrast to the life cycle impact assessment method. There is a need for more such LCA studies in Central and Western parts of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In hot climates, such as sub-Sahara Africa, window sizing and orientation pose challenges as they add, through solar insolation, to the building cooling energy demand and thus the cause of indoor overheating risk. This risk can be reduced through passive building-design-integrated measures, e.g., optimizing the window size, orientation and solar shading strategies. Through an IDA-ICE building performance simulation tool, the current study explores the impact of window size, optimization and building-integrated PV panels as shading strategies on cooling energy demands in three cities (Niamey, Nairobi and Harare) in sub-Sahara Africa. Results show that thermal comfort and cooling energy demand are sensitive to a window-to-wall ratio (WWR) > 70%, while the need for artificial lighting is negligible for a WWR > 50%, particularly in the north for cities in the Southern hemisphere and the south in the Northern hemisphere. A WWR > 70% in the east and west should be avoided unless shading devices are incorporated. Internal blinds perform better in improving occupant thermal comfort but increase artificial lighting while integrating PV panels, as external shading overhangs reduce cooling energy but also produce energy that can be utilized for building services, such as air conditioning. In this study, the results and implications of the optimization of window size, orientation and building-integrated shading and operation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of energy security has become an increasingly challenging issue in Africa, forcing energy-deficient countries to forge mutual partnerships with energy sufficient countries to access it for their domestic consumption. This study formulates a composite index of energy security in Africa as well as evaluates its impacts and trends using a sample of 28 countries on the continent, during the 2000–2018 period by using a principal composite factor analysis (PCA), with the series of 13 variables. Further interpretation was carried out using these tests: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett's test of sphericity, Pearson correlation test, and Cronbach's alpha test. The key results show a trend of energy insecurity among the countries studied, as energy imports loads high in most countries as well as per capita emission, together with fossil fuel source consumption correlating high. These results validate the stark reality on the African continent. The inference from the results of the anaylsis conclude that the principal component analysis (PCA) results of the energy index were considered fit and reliable for the analysis, with the most important Cronbach's alpha test coefficient of 0.8797, far above the standard 0.6 model reliability level. Based on this study, the paper proffers there should be increased intra-regional trading of energy among the various power pools on the continent and increased regional renewable energy investments as well as investment in energy infrastructure, measures to reduce electricity system losses, environmental sustainability, and the adoption of energy in efficiency on the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth‐energy‐environment relationship has been debated over the last decades. The devastating impacts of economic growth and energy consumption on the environment have concerned environmental stakeholders worldwide. Although education has been identified as an essential determinant of environmental degradation, its moderating role is overlooked in the literature. This study examines the direct and moderating roles of education in the growth‐energy‐environment relationship in 23 African countries. The panel mean group (MG), pooled mean group (PMG), fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and the Driscoll–Kraay standard errors are used for the analysis. The study finds that the direct and moderating roles of education aggravate environmental degradation. The findings also reveal that the marginal impacts of energy consumption are contingent upon education and increase environmental degradation. The study recommends transforming the school curriculum to foster environmental awareness, competence, and mindset to improve the environment in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first top-down CO fire emissions inventory for Africa based on the direct relation between geostationary satellite-based fire radiative power (FRP) observations and polar-orbiting satellite observations of total column carbon monoxide (TCCO). This work significantly extends the previous Fire Radiative Energy Emissions (FREM) approach that derived total particulate matter (TPM) emission coefficients from FRP and aerosol optical depth (AOD) observations. The use of satellite-based CO observations to derive biome-specific CO emission coefficients, ECCOb , addresses key uncertainties in the use of AOD observations to estimate fire-generated CO emissions including the requirement for a smoke mass extinction coefficient in the AOD to TPM conversion and the large variation in TPM emission factors – which are used to convert TPM emissions to CO emissions. We use the FREM-derived CO emission coefficients to produce a pan-African CO fire emission inventory spanning 2004 to 2019. Regional CO emissions are in close agreement with the most recent version of GFED(v4.1s), despite the two inventories using completely different satellite datasets and methodologies. Dry matter consumed (DMC) and DMC per unit burned area are generated from our CO emission inventory – the latter using the 20 m resolution Sentinel-2 FireCCISFD burnt area (BA) product for 2019. We carry out an evaluation of our FREM-based CO emissions by using them as input in the WRF-CMAQ chemical transport model and comparing simulated TCCO fields to independent Sentinel-5P TROPOMI TCCO observations. The results of this evaluation show FREM CO emissions to generally be in good agreement with these independent measures – particularly in the case of individual fire-generated CO plumes, where modelled in-plume CO was within 5 % of satellite observations with a coefficient of determination of 0.80. Modelled and observed total CO, aggregated over the full model domain, are within 4 % of each other, though localised regions show an overestimation of modelled CO by up to 50 %. When compared to other evaluations of current state-of-the-art fire emissions inventories, the FREM CO emission inventory derived in this work shows some of the best agreement with independent observations. Updates to previously published FREM TPM emissions coefficients based on this methodology are also provided, along with a similar evaluation as conducted for CO. The methodology described in this work is forming the basis of a forthcoming near-real-time fire emissions product from Meteosat to be issued by the EUMETSAT LSA SAF (https://landsaf.ipma.pt/en/ , last access: 19 December 2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in environmental innovation in Africa during 1990–2019. It utilizes the endogenous growth theory to specify an innovation production function, estimated using the seemingly unrelated regression (SURE) method. The study employs four indicators of environmental innovation and also controls for the influence of resource abundance. Key findings from the study show evidence that FDI inflow enhances environmental innovation practices by improving resource efficiency outcomes. In particular, FDI is found to reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity of output and carbon intensity of energy. Further, the effect of FDI on resource utilization and energy productivity is insignificant. Estimates confirm the learning and imitation, and demonstration effects of FDI on resource utilization, though the formal effect is detrimental. The labour market effect is revealed to promote resource efficiency, while resource abundance plays negligible role in environmental innovation in all models. Policy implications are derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an energy efficiency assessment of 46 African countries and analyzes possible bidirectional relationship between energy efficiency and economic development within a three-stage framework. In the first stage, energy efficiency is measured within a total factor framework using the slack-based measure with undesirable output and sub-regional comparisons are done. The second stage assesses the determinants of energy efficiency in Africa by way of a bootstrapped truncated regression. The third stage tests the reverse causal relationship between energy efficiency and economic development using 2-stage least squares. The results showed African countries to be on average, 56% energy efficient within the study period. Other African sub-regions could adopt the energy efficiency policies of North Africa as benchmark to improve energy efficiency. Economic development and technological progress are found to have significant positive effects on energy efficiency of African countries, while higher energy prices lead to higher inefficiency. Also, a bi-causal relationship is found to exist between total factor energy efficiency and economic development, giving support to the concept of sustainable development and confirming the International Energy Agency's assertion on the positive macroeconomic impacts of energy efficiency. African countries are therefore, encouraged to invest in energy efficiency technologies and policies to drive sustainable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution networks in Southern Africa and elsewhere are witnessing an unprecedented growth of consumerside distributed generation (DG) courtesy of governmental interventions to maximise the utilisation of renewable energy resources through low-carbon grid-edge technologies. To deal with the increasing adoption of consumer-side DG, distribution network operators need to conduct technical studies to foster an understanding of the benefits and impacts of DG and the hosting capacity (HC) of existing distribution networks. This will aid the implementation of measures to manage grid exports. Using a distribution network in Namibia as a case study, this paper presents an algorithm for assessing the HC of consumer-side DG in existing distribution networks that are situated in areas anticipating high and uniform uptake of DG. The algorithm is a hybrid of deterministic and probabilistic methods. The uniqueness of the algorithm is the concept of calculating monthly HC. The algorithm was tested on a real existing residential distribution network and the results confirmed that HC varies monthly. However, the practical implementation of monthly HC requires upgrades to existing inverter technology, which currently contains a single export limit functionality. This opens the possibility to drive innovation in the inverter technology to develop a date-based multiple export limit functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By adopting Westerlund's panel cointegration test, and the panel Granger, non‐causality test, this study investigates the long‐run and causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth and energy transition in Africa. The test took into account cross‐sectional dependency for five African areas from 1990 to 2018. The models additionally contain labour and capital stocks to investigate causality and cointegration in the areas. The cross‐sectional dependency test shows that the African region sample is cross‐sectionally correlated. The panel cointegration test shows evidence of a long‐run relationship between economic growth, energy consumption, labour and capital stock in all areas. The non‐causality result shows a uni‐directional causality from economic growth to energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the residential sector consumes a significant amount of energy. Therefore, bioclimatic architectural systems which consider passive solutions should be studied, analyzed, and implemented to reduce energy consumption. This review aims to promote thermal comfort in African countries by using passive solar systems. It begins with the keyword thermal comfort and then reviews articles published over the last ten years that consider bioclimatic architecture and construction strategies in Africa, the main trends in scientific research in this field, and the possibilities for each climate zone in achieving the highest degree of climate comfort. Following an extensive review, certain bioclimatic architectural strategies adopted in specific countries can be applied in countries with similar climates and this can contribute to significant energy savings through effective functional solar and ventilation design strategies. Several countries have been identified as having the most significant publications on thermal regulations in buildings, and the associated regulations and projects are discussed. Several studies have also examined static and adaptive models of thermal comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this study is to examine the effect of energy consumption, energy intensity, energy prices on the financial development of some selected top oil exporting countries in Africa. The study takes the period from 1976 until 2019 for the analysis. Both the cross-sectional and the homogeneity tests confirmed the presence of cross-sectional dependency and heterogeneity across the panel data set. Likewise, the dynamic and heterogeneous co-integration result reveals the presence of long run relationship among the scrutinized variables. The estimation result further indicates that both the energy intensity and energy use positively relate with the financial development of the sampled economies, while energy price indicates a negative relationship towards financial development. In addition, the causality results by Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality shows a unidirectional causal relationship from energy use to financial development. It also indicates another one-way causal linkage from energy intensity to financial development. Meanwhile, there exists a feedback causal effect between energy price and the financial development for all the sampled economies. In the last section of the paper, the analysis makes available policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The huge endowment, exploitation and trading of carbon content energy resources by the African OPEC member countries for economic expansion substantiate the fears of increasing global warming and environmental degradation. This study explores the dynamic effects of trade flows, energy consumption and per capita income on environmental degradation in seven of Africa's OPEC member countries (Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya and Nigeria), within the framework of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH). By employing the bootstrap panel cointegration test and the PMG/ARDL estimation technique on panel data spanning from 1990 to 2017, the empirical results show a positive but insignificant effect of trade flows on environmental degradation. The results further show that while renewable energy dampens environmental degradation, non‐renewable energy exerts upward pressure on environmental degradation. In addition, the results provide evidence in support of a U‐shaped EKC in the long run. The study, therefore, recommends the expansion of renewable energy consumption to ensure not only environmental sustainability but also to attain the regional goal of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated systematic review was conducted to assessing on the association between indoor air pollution caused by household energy consumption and childhood pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries. We performed a meta-analysis from the electronic databases of PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science, EMBASE. Studies were selected when they reported childhood pneumonia or ALRI in relation to indoor air pollution resulted from solid fuel. Studies must provide results on exposure prevalence of children aged below 5 years from Asia or Africa. We devoted ourselves to identifying randomized controlled experiments and observational epidemiological researches, which revealed the relation between household usage of solid fuel and childhood pneumonia. Among 1954 articles, 276 were reviewed thoroughly and 16 conduced to such a meta-analysis. It was found that there is a significant relationship between the solid fuel combustion and increasing risk of childhood pneumonia (OR = 1.66, 95%CI 1.36–2.02). The summary odds ratios from biomass use and mixed fuel use were, respectively, 1.86 (95%CI 1.15–3.02) and 1.58 (95%CI 1.38–1.81), with substantial between study heterogeneity (I2 = 87.2% and 29.2%, respectively). According to the subgroup analysis along with the meta-regression analysis, the risk of using solid fuel in Asian regions is higher than that in African regions. Studies based on non-hospital participates (I2 = 49.5%) may also a source of heterogeneity. We found that indoor air pollution generated by the usage of solid fuel might be a significant risk factor for pneumonia in children and suggested improving the indoor air quality by promoting cleaner fuel will be important in undeveloped countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of urbanization and nonrenewable energy consumption on carbon emissions. The context of the analysis is 54 African Union countries from 1996 to 2019. For estimation, we use panel quantile regression (PQR) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). Our regression results demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between urbanization and CO2 emission. Further, our empirical results confirmed that nonrenewable energy consumption increases environmental pollution in African Union countries. The outcomes demonstrate the EKC hypothesis because at the initial stage of development, when economic growth increases, environmental pollution increases; after a threshold point, environmental pollution decreases as economic growth increases. It can find an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and CO2 emission. The findings also show that urbanization should be planned; otherwise, it can lead to environmental degradation in the long run. Africa continent takes strict action and builds a blueprint for efficient and effective energy production and consumption. The only solution to achieve green growth in Africa is to shift from fossil fuel energy supply to renewable energy supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study presents the state of green bond markets in Africa and green bond funds by some countries in the continent. Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopt a case study approach on four different kinds of countries, namely oil-rich economy, green bond innovator, renewable energy user and carbon vulnerability. Findings: The authors found that Africa's green bond is still at the early stages. However, countries are using innovative ways that are adaptable to their current economic conditions and investment attractiveness in issuing green bonds. While some countries focus on central and local government bonds, others use corporate bonds, few combine government and corporate green bonds. Interestingly, the first green bond globally certified by the Climate Bonds Standard was issued by an Africa country in Africa. In some selected countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Namibia and Kenya, green bond markets have seen massive growth and have contributed to numerous infrastructural energy efficiency projects. To expand this market further in these countries, the authors recommend fostering a public–private partnership backed by policies and political will. Originality/value: This study provides an original contribution to the green bond and its likelihood of driving energy efficiency in a continent that has attracted little to no attention in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of finance on energy efficiency in Africa, addressing two fundamental empirical issues in the energy-finance literature: (1) simultaneous modelling of efficiency estimates and determinants of efficiency and (2) two-way endogeneity problem with income and financial depth. I apply the endogenous stochastic frontier method. Life expectancy at birth instruments for income while religion, latitude of capital city and legal system origin instrument for financial depth. Estimated efficiency in electricity consumption is between 9 and 16%, which is quite low, suggesting greater potential to improve electricity consumption efficiency. Without considering the level of development, the result shows that finding a statistically significant negative effect of financial depth on energy inefficiency depends on the choice of instrument and not the indicator of financial depth. Using country latitude and legal system origin as instruments produce robust statistically significant negative effect for all the indicators of financial depth, but high monetisation of the economy and supply of loanable funds exert the greatest effect, recommending between 0.069 and 0.096% reduction in inefficiency for every 1% increase in these indicators. However, both the choice of instruments and indicator of financial depth matter, when I consider income level. I discuss the policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 which aims "take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts" by investigating the role of per capita income in moderating the impact of energy use on carbon emissions. Using data from 28 selected African countries covering 1990 to 2019 and deploying the FGLS, PCSE, and MM-QR techniques, findings reveal, among others, that: at the 1% significance level, a percentage change in energy use leads to between 0.60% and 0.70% increase in carbon emissions, on average, ceteris paribus. Correspondingly, income shows to be a positive driver of emissions contributing between 0.87% and 0.84% percentage increase, on average, ceteris paribus. Also, per capita income attenuates the impact of energy use on emissions by between -0.27% and -0.23%, on average, ceteris paribus. However, significant heterogeneities occur across the sub-regions. Specifically, Southern Africa shows the largest energy contributor to emissions 1.65% while Central Africa contributes the most to aggravating emissions by 1.87% through increase in per capita income. West Africa shows the largest moderation effect at -0.56%. Across the quartiles, the effects of energy use and per capita are positive. Given these, we submit that the strong correlation between energy usage and per capita income (i.e. economic growth) poses a dilemma for African economies in their drive for growth. Leaving room for trade-offs. Perhaps, the lesson is that as African countries seek for more development without contributing to carbon emissions, governments should invest more in renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the functional relationship between non‐renewable energy (NRE) and life expectancy in four selected oil‐producing African countries (Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Nigeria) from 1990 to 2017. The role of income level and institutional quality (captured by control of corruption and regulatory quality) is evaluated to ascertaining the moderating or exacerbating effects of NRE (measured by natural gas, fuel and coal) on life expectancy. The empirical analyses are anchored on a set of preliminary tests consisting of cross‐sectional dependence test, panel unit root tests and co‐integration test, respectively. In the final analysis, the fully modified OLS panel method is engaged for model estimation. The empirical results reveal the negative effect of NRE on life expectancy both in models. Besides, the positive effects of income level are helpful in subduing the negative impacts of NRE on life expectancy while that of institutional quality further exacerbates it. The impacts of renewable energy and carbon emissions on life expectancy are recorded in a reverse direction. Relevant policy implications are advanced in the light of these emanating outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are very few African regional inventories providing biofuel and fossil fuel emissions. Within the framework of the DACCIWA project, we have developed an African regional anthropogenic emission inventory including the main African polluting sources (wood and charcoal burning, charcoal making, trucks, cars, buses and two-wheeled vehicles, open waste burning, and flaring). To this end, a database on fuel consumption and emission factors specific to Africa was established using the most recent measurements. New spatial proxies (road network, power plant geographical coordinates) were used to convert national emissions into gridded inventories at a 0.1 ∘ × 0.1 ∘ spatial resolution. This inventory includes carbonaceous particles (black and organic carbon) and gaseous species (CO, NO x , SO 2 and NMVOCs) for the period 1990–2015 with a yearly temporal resolution. We show that all pollutant emissions are globally increasing in Africa during the period 1990–2015 with a growth rate of 95 %, 86 %, 113 %, 112 %, 97 % and 130 % for BC, OC, NO x , CO, SO 2 and NMVOCs, respectively. We also show that Western Africa is the highest emitting region of BC, OC, CO and NMVOCs, followed by Eastern Africa, largely due to domestic fire and traffic activities, while Southern Africa and Northern Africa are the highest emitting regions of SO 2 and NO x due to industrial and power plant sources. Emissions from this inventory are compared to other regional and global inventories, and the emissions uncertainties are quantified by a Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, this inventory highlights key pollutant emission sectors in which mitigation scenarios should focus on. The DACCIWA inventory (10.25326/56, Keita et al., 2020) including the annual gridded emission inventory for Africa for the period 1990–2015 is distributed by the Emissions of atmospheric Compounds and Compilation of Ancillary Data (ECCAD) system (https://eccad.aeris-data.fr/ , last access: 19 July 2021​​​​​​​). For review purposes, ECCAD has set up an anonymous repository where subsets of the DACCIWA data can be accessed directly through https://www..obs-mip.fr/eccad/essd-surf-emis-dacciwa/ (last access: 19 July 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In investigating the key contributors (electricity consumption, foreign direct investment, carbon dioxide emissions, and population) of economic growth in Africa, this study clustered the selected countries into their income levels spanning from 1990 to 2018. Applying the Westerlund bootstrap co-integration unveiled, the employed variables have a long-run equilibrium association. Estimates from the dynamic common corrected effects revealed that a 1% rise in electricity consumption increases economic growth by 0.187%, 0.040%, and 0.511% in upper middle income, lower middle income, and low middle income, respectively. The elasticity of carbon dioxide emissions to economic growth is high in low-income countries than in the other two groupings. In contrast, a percentage rise in foreign direct investment heightened economic growth by 0.919% and 0.154% in upper middle income and lower middle income. As the growth hypothesis was established among the panel groupings, it points out that a country's economy is energy dependent. Thus, a rise in electricity consumption in Africa will lead to a surge in economic growth since energy usage is a direct input into the manufacturing process and/or an indirect input that complements labor and capital inputs. However, its ripple effects of polluting the environment need not be overlooked. These findings imply that electricity usage and economic growth are highly corrected. These approaches consider cross-sectional reliance into consideration; thus, the empirical findings have drawn some significant policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy needs are growing in Africa. The continent is rich in renewable energy resources, and the majority of countries are willing to change their energy regime by moving to the development and increased use of renewable energy. Increasing the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix is one way to improve the quality of economic growth. However, although economic growth has improved in Africa, it has not necessarily translated into sustained poverty reduction and equitable sharing. It is therefore important that the benefits of modern and renewable energy are captured by all. In that perspective, this research aims to explore the potential impact of renewable energy consumption on inclusive growth in 44 African countries. To do this, a dynamic panel data model is estimated with the System Generalized Method of Moments for a period covering 1991–2015. Focusing on inclusive growth that increases the size of the economy and creates employment opportunities for different segments of society, the main finding of the study is that renewable energy consumption has a significant positive impact on inclusive growth in Africa, particularly in African countries experiencing low levels of inclusive growth. Thus, if African countries succeed in making the transition to renewable energy effective, then incredible gains in inclusive growth could be captured, especially in countries with low levels of inclusive growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]