Towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 in sub‐Saharan Africa: Role of governance and renewable energy

Abstract

Energy poverty plagues the sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) region and impedes its socio‐economic development. It is impossible to attain sustainable‐development without alleviating energy‐poverty. In this study, we examine the role of governance and renewable‐energy in alleviating energy poverty for 22 SSA countries from 2000 to 2018 using system generalised method‐of‐moments and three‐stage least‐squares models. Government expenditure is found to increase economic growth, which in turn, reduces energy poverty. On the other hand, energy poverty is found to initially increase and then fall with rising renewable‐energy share. Additionally, the association of energy poverty with socio‐economic, environmental and governance factors, is analysed within a structural‐equation modelling (SEM) framework. Our SEM model shows that government institutional‐factors remain central to reducing energy poverty without compromising environmental‐sustainability. This study suggests that SSA needs transparent governance, strong institutions and a rising renewable‐energy share along with a resilient grid infrastructure to address the energy poverty problem.

Decoupling the role of renewable energy, green finance and political stability in achieving the sustainable development goal 13: Empirical insight from emerging economies

“…In order to avoid biased results, it is necessary to conduct the CSD test before proceeding with further empirical analysis (Shariff et al, 2022). Following the CSD test, we employ the ‘cross‐sectionally augmented Im‐Pesaran (CIPS) and covariate augmented Dickey Fuller (CADF)’ unit root tests by Pesaran (2007) to test for the stationarity level of the variables since the first‐generation unit root tests may give misleading and biased results in the presence of CSD (Haldar et al, 2023). Further, the Wooldridge (2010) autocorrelation test, the Westerlund cointegration test, and Breusch and Pagan (1979) are used to check for the existence of serial autocorrelation, long‐run nexus, and heteroskedasticity among the variables, respectively.…”

Assessment of Solar Energy Technologies in Meeting the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals Under an Interval-Valued Fermatean Fuzzy Environment

“…SE research in Africa has been conducted in countries such as Nigeria [26], Cameroon [27], Ghana [28], Ethiopia [29], Kenya [30], Tanzania [31], and Morrocco [32], accompanied by an extensive study spanning various regions [33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. Despite these efforts, a limited number of researchers have established connections between SE and SDGs in the African context, with references to this linkage found in works by Adenle [12], among others [12,40,41]. Notably, Adenle [12] is one of the few researchers who have evaluated SE technologies in Africa and the associated challenges in aligning with the 2030 agenda and SDGs.…”

Energy and the social contract: From “energy consumers” to “people with a right to energy”

“…Throughout the last decade, the goal of acknowledging and alleviating energy poverty has made its way to the core of energy policies across Europe and beyond. Complementary, cumulative, cross‐country datasets, show that energy poverty is pervasive in people's daily lives (Jiglau et al (2023) for a focus on Europe, Haldar et al (2023) for a focus on sub‐Saharan Africa). While much debate is still devoted to conceptual and empirical clarifications, its measurement through indicators, or the appropriate policies aimed at tackling it, there is widespread acceptance that energy poverty impacts tens of millions of lives across Europe and beyond.…”