Energy transition in Sub-Saharan Africa and reduction of local sources of carbon emissions in a context of population growth

In recent years, the world’s population and that of Africa have continued to grow. This soaring population exerts pressure on the exploitation of environmental resources, thereby leading to environmental degradation. Faced with this degradation, the transition to green energy remains a recommended solution to reduce the effect of demographics on the environment. This study examines how renewable energy moderates the impact of demographic pressure on carbon dioxide emissions in sub-Saharan Africa. The study covered 34 countries from 2000 to 2020 using the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model. Canonical Cointegration Regression (CCR), Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) were used for data analysis. The results show that population growth increases carbon emissions, whereas renewable energy consumption reduces them. Furthermore, the interaction between population growth and renewable energy consumption reduces carbon emissions, indicating that renewable energy consumption is necessary to reduce the effect of population growth on carbon emissions. Policies aimed at making renewable energy more affordable and widely accessible to the population will play a crucial role in reducing CO₂ emissions. By lowering the financial barriers to adopting clean energy technologies, such measures would encourage a shift away from fossil fuels, promote sustainable energy consumption, and support long-term climate-mitigation efforts.