Renewable Energy Consumption and Consumption-Based Carbon Emissions in Sub-Saharan African Countries

The determinants of production-based carbon emission (PCE) have been extensively examined in the literature. However, PCE only accounts for emissions generated within the territory of a country and does not capture emissions embedded in imported goods. The rapid growth in Consumption-based Carbon Emissions (CCE) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), driven by increasing imports and economic activities, highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of these emissions. This motivates us to examine the impact of Renewable Energy Consumption (REC) on CCE in SSA. We employed a two-step system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methodology, utilizing data from 1995 to 2020. The results show a negative effect of REC on CCE, suggesting that increases in renewable energy consumption tend to reduce CCE. In contrast, the positive impact of real GDP and population indicates that economic growth and population expansion tend to bolster carbon emissions. These findings underscore the importance of implementing policies harmonizing economic growth with sustainable energy strategies. They provide valuable insights for informed environmental and economic planning decisions.