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We construct a sustainable development model by examining the short‐run relationship, long‐run relationship and causality between renewable energy consumption and economic growth. We consider a sample of 142 countries for 1991–2019 and employ time series analysis. The study noticed the long‐run and short‐run relationship between economic growth and renewable energy consumption in the case of all Countries Groups and regions such as Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Sub‐Saharan Africa and low‐income economies. Overall, we conclude that renewable energy consumption positively influences economic growth, which can motivate countries to achieve sustainable development goals. A nation cannot only focus on economic development when growing environmental and climatic concerns exist. What is essential is the prioritisation of sustainable development goals. The constructed model will help the countries plan, modify and implement national and international sustainable development policies. The results will also be helpful to intergovernmental organisations for channelling countries' efforts towards sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has shocked the global energy system. It has resulted in tremendous uncertainty and diminished the recent advances to increase access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy—an objective preserved in the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG-7). According to the IEA, attaining universal electricity access in Africa in line with SDG-7 entails annual investments of approximately $20 billion over the next decade. Given the sizeable magnitudes involved, it is inevitable that energy projects will need to rely on richer nations for energy aid. This paper explores the linkages between energy-related external aid, carbon emissions, per capita GDP, and electricity access for a sample of 30 low-income SSA countries over 1995 to 2016. Our econometric analysis reveals that while all types of energy aid facilitate economic growth in the long run, there is no direct impact of energy-related aid on electricity access. However, an increase in per capita GDP is positively associated with electricity access in both rural and urban areas. We also find that energy-related aid helps mitigate carbon emissions as well as contribute to GDP. Taken together, our results suggest that enhanced energy-related aid to low-income SSA countries can directly facilitate climate compatible growth and indirectly impel improvements in electricity access thereby helping with poverty reduction. We also advocate regional cooperation among SSA countries as a collective effort to confront shared energy challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following global debate on clean and responsible access to energy (electricity), access to recreation (tourism), technological innovation, and economic growth for sustainable development as captured by the Human Development Index (HDI), the present study is motivated by the inconclusive guidance found in the literature on technology, tourism industry, and energy. This study adopts the Pedroni residual cointegration test to investigate the cointegration properties of the variables under consideration, while the mean group (MG), dynamic fixed effect (DFE), and the pooled mean group (PMG) estimators are employed for simultaneous short‐ and long‐run analysis. The study is based on annual frequency data from 1995 to 2016 with the adoption of panel analysis to show that technological innovation, tourism development, and access to electricity affected the HDI significantly in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) over the investigated study period. This is instructive for policymakers, as the highlighted sectors are good predictors of sustainable development. Furthermore, consolidating the results that tourism development, electricity access, and technological innovation improves economic development. On the other hand, the growth‐induced, HDI‐fitted model reflects the importance of the examined variables in the sustainable development agenda of the continent. For instance, a 1% increase in tourism increases economic growth by 0.0195%. Similarly, a 1% increase in access to electricity and technological development increases economic growth by 0.0019% and 0.0009%, respectively. In conclusion, this study highlights the multifaceted merits that can be gleaned from access to electricity, tourism, and technological innovation in SSA, as they improve economic growth and HDI indicators that comprise life expectancy, quality education, and per capita income level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crucial link between agricultural growth and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations Development Programme is established through efficient use of nitrogen in the cereal production systems. Nitrogen, mostly in its reactive form as fertilizer or synthetic N, governs the food production, and reconciles the productivity with economic and environmental considerations. However, N flows in the production system involves a large N leaking to the environment resulting in abysmally low nitrogen use efficiencies and environmental adversity. Agricultural system with sub-optimal N application is characterized with low crop productivity, spiraling into the vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition and poor economy, a case most common in the sub-Saharan Africa. These essentially relate to SDG 1 (no-poverty), 2 (zero-hunger), 3 (good health and well-being), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 15 (life on land). Excess or imbalanced fertilizer N in most of China and parts of India led to serious environmental hazards, degradation of land and economic loss. Balancing the amount of N input in these regions will contribute in achieving the SDG 13 (climate action). Meeting some of the SDGs (5, gender equality; 6, clean water and sanitation; 10: reduced inequalities; etc.) requires optimum N application, which will also ensure "responsible consumption and production" (SDG 12). The quest for an appropriate N management needs accounting for the N surplus in a production system, and evolving strategies for increasing the nitrogen use efficiency. Much effort has been made to this effect with varying success. Cutting-edge technological options are although available on the horizon, the success lies in improved awareness among the policy makers, stakeholders and farmers, and better research to quantify the linkage between N management and the SDGs, taking collectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty alleviation has been positioned high on the international development agenda following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. African countries initiated various missions to establish sustained economic growth by increasing productivity with an ultimate goal of poverty reduction. The significance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in poverty reduction and employment generation is widely acknowledged. Despite the high failure rate amongst SMEs, particularly in the African context, some are striving with excellent results and are demonstrating signs of growth, innovation and sustainability. This paper explores the development of SMEs as a strategic measure for job creation in sub-Saharan Africa. It examines the role of SMEs in achieving sustainable employment in Africa. This study will benefit governments in Africa, getting them to focus on the development of the SMEs, and guiding them on how best to integrate SME development to achieve poverty alleviation. The recommendations proposed in this study may be helpful in policy formulation, business operation and regulatory practice for sustainable growth and development in the sub-Saharan African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of still-low-but-rising levels of motorization and economic growth, increasing social and spatial inequalities, and growing concerns about air pollution and climate change, the formulation and implementation of policies, practices and partnerships that can support an accelerated implementation of sustainable mobility policies is an urgent concern for rapidly developing cities. This paper seeks to contribute to reframing some of the knowledge and methodologies produced in and about cities of Sub-Saharan Africa, through a comprehensive assessment of mobility patterns and accessibility needs within a larger debate about mobility transitions and sustainable development. By deploying a mixed-methods approach that builds upon case-study focus groups and city-wide accessibility and mobility analysis in the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, the paper maps travel patterns and their links with structural factors such as urban form, poverty, informality and social identities at the macro, meso and micro levels. The paper also presents evidence from a variety of methods that illustrate the significance of accessibility-centred information and analysis for establishing policy priorities for improving urban mobility and accessibility in the local, African and global contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]