Carbon Emissions and Growth: The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa

Zwakele Dlamini; Ntokozo Nzimande; Mduduzi Biyase; Hlalefang Khobai; Mathias Manguzvane; Sanele Gumede

doi:10.32479/ijeep.15940

Carbon Emissions and Growth: The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa

Zwakele Dlamini, Ntokozo Nzimande, Mduduzi Biyase, Hlalefang Khobai, Mathias Manguzvane, Sanele Gumede

School of Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In this study, we employed a system generalised method of moments (GMM) to investigate the effect of trade, urbanization, and income on the environmental quality in a panel of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries, covering the period 1990-2018. Our findings demonstrated that urbanization does not have significant explanatory power over carbon emissions, whereas, trade positively and significantly drives emissions. Our findings further exhibit an inverted U-shape relationship between income and carbon dioxide emissions. This substantiates the existence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore concluded that policymakers can focus on growth-promoting policies and should not adopt stringent conservative policies, which may hurt growth and delay the process of reaching a turning point in the Kuznets curve.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	605-614
Number of pages	10
Journal	International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy
Volume	14
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.15940
Publication status	Published - 7 Sept 2024

Keywords

Emissions
Environmental Kuznets Curve
Growth
Trade
Urbanization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Energy
General Economics,Econometrics and Finance

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.32479/ijeep.15940

Cite this

@article{7f91128a9cd6424d845d74262c49d9cb,

title = "Carbon Emissions and Growth: The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa",

abstract = "In this study, we employed a system generalised method of moments (GMM) to investigate the effect of trade, urbanization, and income on the environmental quality in a panel of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries, covering the period 1990-2018. Our findings demonstrated that urbanization does not have significant explanatory power over carbon emissions, whereas, trade positively and significantly drives emissions. Our findings further exhibit an inverted U-shape relationship between income and carbon dioxide emissions. This substantiates the existence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore concluded that policymakers can focus on growth-promoting policies and should not adopt stringent conservative policies, which may hurt growth and delay the process of reaching a turning point in the Kuznets curve.",

keywords = "Emissions, Environmental Kuznets Curve, Growth, Trade, Urbanization",

author = "Zwakele Dlamini and Ntokozo Nzimande and Mduduzi Biyase and Hlalefang Khobai and Mathias Manguzvane and Sanele Gumede",

year = "2024",

month = sep,

day = "7",

doi = "10.32479/ijeep.15940",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

pages = "605--614",

journal = "International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy",

issn = "2146-4553",

publisher = "EconJournals",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Carbon Emissions and Growth

T2 - The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa

AU - Dlamini, Zwakele

AU - Nzimande, Ntokozo

AU - Biyase, Mduduzi

AU - Khobai, Hlalefang

AU - Manguzvane, Mathias

AU - Gumede, Sanele

PY - 2024/9/7

Y1 - 2024/9/7

N2 - In this study, we employed a system generalised method of moments (GMM) to investigate the effect of trade, urbanization, and income on the environmental quality in a panel of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries, covering the period 1990-2018. Our findings demonstrated that urbanization does not have significant explanatory power over carbon emissions, whereas, trade positively and significantly drives emissions. Our findings further exhibit an inverted U-shape relationship between income and carbon dioxide emissions. This substantiates the existence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore concluded that policymakers can focus on growth-promoting policies and should not adopt stringent conservative policies, which may hurt growth and delay the process of reaching a turning point in the Kuznets curve.

AB - In this study, we employed a system generalised method of moments (GMM) to investigate the effect of trade, urbanization, and income on the environmental quality in a panel of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries, covering the period 1990-2018. Our findings demonstrated that urbanization does not have significant explanatory power over carbon emissions, whereas, trade positively and significantly drives emissions. Our findings further exhibit an inverted U-shape relationship between income and carbon dioxide emissions. This substantiates the existence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore concluded that policymakers can focus on growth-promoting policies and should not adopt stringent conservative policies, which may hurt growth and delay the process of reaching a turning point in the Kuznets curve.

KW - Emissions

KW - Environmental Kuznets Curve

KW - Growth

KW - Trade

KW - Urbanization

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204387010&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.32479/ijeep.15940

DO - 10.32479/ijeep.15940

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85204387010

SN - 2146-4553

VL - 14

SP - 605

EP - 614

JO - International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy

JF - International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy

IS - 5

ER -

Carbon Emissions and Growth: The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

University of Johannesburg Researchers Release New Data on Economics (Carbon Emissions and Growth: The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa)

Cite this

Carbon Emissions and Growth: The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Press/Media

University of Johannesburg Researchers Release New Data on Economics (Carbon Emissions and Growth: The Role of Trade and Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa)

Cite this