Affiliation:
1. University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
2. University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
3. University of Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
The goal of this study is to evaluate how urbanization and renewable energy affect CO2 emissions in Africa and to determine how much of a moderating influence renewable energy has on this relationship. The study relies on secondary data from 1995 to 2021 for seven African countries (Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Kenya, South Africa, Ivory Coast, and Zimbabwe) that have witnessed a high level of growth in their urban population in recent times. The data was analyzed using regression analysis with the fully modified OLS. The findings indicate that CO2 emissions are directly increased by urbanization and decreased by renewable energy. Once more, it was discovered that in the chosen African nations, renewable energy lessens the impact of urbanization on CO2 emissions. The policy implications from the findings include intensifying energy efficiency and identifying innovative ways of switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.