Modelling the impact of total energy consumption on economic growth and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan Africa
The interplay between energy consumption, economic growth, and carbon emissions remains a central focus in economic, energy and environmental policy research. While often assumed to be symmetric, changes in energy consumption do not always produce uniform effects on economic growth and carbon footpr...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Energy Strategy Reviews |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X25002032 |
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| Summary: | The interplay between energy consumption, economic growth, and carbon emissions remains a central focus in economic, energy and environmental policy research. While often assumed to be symmetric, changes in energy consumption do not always produce uniform effects on economic growth and carbon footprint, and the reverse is also true, particularly across different regions of the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this interplay remains underexplored, especially with regard to the distinct impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on economic growth and carbon footprint. This study addresses this gap by examining the long- and short-run relationships among total energy consumption, economic growth, and carbon footprint in 41 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1990 to 2021 using a panel linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework with symmetry tests, while robustness is assessed using the Nonlinear ARDL model and asymmetric causality techniques. The results reveal that total energy consumption positively impacts economic growth in the long run, though the short-term effects are negligible. Conversely, energy consumption contributes to an increased carbon footprint in the short run but significantly reduces carbon emissions in the long run. These results challenge the traditional assumption of a symmetric energy-growth nexus and emphasize the importance of tailored energy policies to balance economic development and environmental sustainability in the region. Long-term energy subsidies for both renewable and non-renewable energy are recommended to promote sustainable growth. Countries such as Comoros and Guinea-Bissau should prioritize reaching an energy consumption threshold necessary for sustained growth, while Nigeria and South Africa should refine existing energy policies to ensure long-term efficiency. Furthermore, the significant impact of energy consumption on carbon emissions underscores the urgency of promoting renewable energy sources and implementing sustainability-focused measures, such as carbon pricing and industrial emission regulations. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-467X |