Enhancing governance for environmental sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa

• Published in: Energy exploration & exploitation Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 444 - 463
• Main Authors: Asongu, Simplice A, Odhiambo, Nicholas M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-01-2021; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide emissions; Corruption; Dynamic stability; Economics; Environmental quality; Generalized method of moments; Hypotheses; Method of moments; Political factors; Politics; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa; sustainable development; economic development; Carbon dioxide emissions; Africa; governance
• ISSN: 0144-5987; 2048-4054
• DOI: 10.1177/0144598719900657

This study assesses whether improving governance standards affects environmental quality in 44 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2000–2012. The empirical evidence is based on generalized method of moments. Bundled and unbundled governance dynamics are used, notably: (i) political governance (consisting of political stability and “voice and accountability”); (ii) economic governance (entailing government effectiveness and regulation quality), (iii) institutional governance (represented by the rule of law and corruption-control); and (iv) general governance (encompassing political, economic, and institutional governance dynamics). The following hypotheses are tested: (i) Hypothesis 1 (improving political governance is negatively related to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions); (ii) Hypothesis 2 (increasing economic governance is negatively related to CO2 emissions); and (iii) Hypothesis 3 (enhancing institutional governance is negatively related to CO2 emissions). Results of the tested hypotheses show that the validity of Hypothesis 3 cannot be determined based on the results; Hypothesis 2 is not valid, while Hypothesis 1 is partially not valid. The main policy implication is that governance standards need to be further improved in order for government quality to generate the expected unfavorable effects on CO2 emissions.