IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/natres/v49y2025i3p2794-2813.html

Renewable energy transition and green productivity growth in sub‐Saharan African countries: A convergence analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Souleymane Diallo

Abstract

Climate change is one of the main issues facing countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. Improving green productivity is essential for transitioning to low‐carbon economies and mitigating climate change in this region. The existing literature does not emphasise the role of the energy transition in green productivity growth. Yet this analysis is important given the essential role of energy in the production process and the high endowment of renewable energy sources in the area. Thus, this paper contributes to the literature by examining the effect of the renewable energy transition on green productivity growth through a convergence analysis for 35 sub‐Saharan African countries from 2000 to 2020. The results of the logt test reveal the existence of three main convergence clubs in terms of green productivity. The first club with low productivity is made up of 23 countries, the second club with average productivity contains 8 countries, and the third club with high productivity comprises 3 countries, while 1 country is divergent. The renewable energy transition is a determining factor in the formation of these convergence clubs. Indeed, the results of the ordered logit regression show that an increase in the level of the renewable energy transition has a positive impact on the probability of countries joining convergence clubs with higher green productivity. Further analysis with the Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) reveals that the critical threshold for renewable energy share in the energy mix that allows countries to converge globally toward the green productivity frontier in the long term is 32.63%. Regarding policy implications, the results highlight the need to encourage the renewable energy transition to increase green productivity in sub‐Saharan African countries. This could involve strengthening policies to promote investment in the sector (creation of green funds and/or tax incentives) and subsidies for renewable energy consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Souleymane Diallo, 2025. "Renewable energy transition and green productivity growth in sub‐Saharan African countries: A convergence analysis," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(3), pages 2794-2813, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:49:y:2025:i:3:p:2794-2813
    DOI: 10.1111/1477-8947.12511
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-8947.12511
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1477-8947.12511?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ordás Criado, C. & Valente, S. & Stengos, T., 2011. "Growth and pollution convergence: Theory and evidence," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 199-214, September.
    2. Peter C. B. Phillips & Donggyu Sul, 2007. "Transition Modeling and Econometric Convergence Tests," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 75(6), pages 1771-1855, November.
    3. Robert C. Feenstra & Robert Inklaar & Marcel P. Timmer, 2015. "The Next Generation of the Penn World Table," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(10), pages 3150-3182, October.
    4. Xu Tian & Xiaohua Yu, 2019. "Crop yield gap and yield convergence in African countries," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(6), pages 1305-1319, December.
    5. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    6. Kumar, Surender, 2006. "Environmentally sensitive productivity growth: A global analysis using Malmquist-Luenberger index," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 280-293, February.
    7. William Nordhaus, 2018. "Projections and Uncertainties about Climate Change in an Era of Minimal Climate Policies," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 333-360, August.
    8. Lichtenberg, Frank R, 1994. "Testing the Convergence Hypothesis," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(3), pages 576-579, August.
    9. Bartkowska, Monika & Riedl, Aleksandra, 2012. "Regional convergence clubs in Europe: Identification and conditioning factors," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 22-31.
    10. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    11. Acheampong, Alex O. & Dzator, Janet & Savage, David A., 2021. "Renewable energy, CO2 emissions and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa: Does institutional quality matter?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 1070-1093.
    12. Galor, Oded, 1996. "Convergence? Inferences from Theoretical Models," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(437), pages 1056-1069, July.
    13. Deshan Li & Rongwei Wu, 2018. "A Dynamic Analysis of Green Productivity Growth for Cities in Xinjiang," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-13, February.
    14. Dong-hyun Oh, 2010. "A global Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 183-197, December.
    15. Houjian Li & Xiaolei Zhou & Mengqian Tang & Lili Guo, 2022. "Impact of Population Aging and Renewable Energy Consumption on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity in Rural China: Evidence from Panel VAR Approach," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-19, May.
    16. N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer & David N. Weil, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 407-437.
    17. Nickell, Stephen J, 1981. "Biases in Dynamic Models with Fixed Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(6), pages 1417-1426, November.
    18. Sun, Huaping & Kporsu, Anthony Kwaku & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad & Edziah, Bless Kofi, 2020. "Estimating environmental efficiency and convergence: 1980 to 2016," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    19. Joseph E. Aldy, 2007. "Divergence in State-Level Per Capita Carbon Dioxide Emissions," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 83(3), pages 353-369.
    20. William Brock & M. Taylor, 2010. "The Green Solow model," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 127-153, June.
    21. Biresselioglu, Mehmet Efe & Kilinc, Dilara & Onater-Isberk, Esra & Yelkenci, Tezer, 2016. "Estimating the political, economic and environmental factors’ impact on the installed wind capacity development: A system GMM approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA), pages 636-644.
    22. Philippe Aghion & Peter Howitt & David Mayer-Foulkes, 2005. "The Effect of Financial Development on Convergence: Theory and Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(1), pages 173-222.
    23. Bourcet, Clémence, 2020. "Empirical determinants of renewable energy deployment: A systematic literature review," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    24. LAU, Chi Keung Marco, 2010. "New evidence about regional income divergence in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 293-309, June.
    25. Peter C. B. Phillips & Donggyu Sul, 2009. "Economic transition and growth," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(7), pages 1153-1185.
    26. Mulugeta Bekele & Maria Sassi & Kedir Jemal & Beyan Ahmed, 2024. "The dynamic linkage between renewable energy consumption and environmental sustainability in Sub-Saharan African countries: Heterogeneous macro-panel data analysis," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 2285188-228, December.
    27. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    28. Chuku Chuku & Victor Ajayi, 2022. "Working Paper 363 - Growing Green: Enablers and Barriers for Africa," Working Paper Series 2489, African Development Bank.
    29. Sayel Basel & R. Prabhakara Rao & K. U. Gopakumar, 2021. "Analysis of club convergence for economies: identification and testing using development indices," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 885-908, October.
    30. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    31. Marques, António C. & Fuinhas, José A. & Pires Manso, J.R., 2010. "Motivations driving renewable energy in European countries: A panel data approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 6877-6885, November.
    32. Henryk Dzwigol & Aleksy Kwilinski & Oleksii Lyulyov & Tetyana Pimonenko, 2023. "The Role of Environmental Regulations, Renewable Energy, and Energy Efficiency in Finding the Path to Green Economic Growth," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, March.
    33. Florence Appiah-Twum & Xingle Long, 2023. "Human Capital, Trade Competitiveness and Environmental Efficiency Convergence Across Asia Pacific Countries," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 85(1), pages 109-132, May.
    34. Quah, Danny T, 1996. "Convergence Empirics across Economies with (Some) Capital Mobility," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 95-124, March.
    35. Li, Rongrong & Wang, Qiang & Li, Lejia & Hu, Sailan, 2023. "Do natural resource rent and corruption governance reshape the environmental Kuznets curve for ecological footprint? Evidence from 158 countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    36. Joseph Aldy, 2006. "Per Capita Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Convergence or Divergence?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 33(4), pages 533-555, April.
    37. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    38. Fan, Meiting & Shao, Shuai & Yang, Lili, 2015. "Combining global Malmquist–Luenberger index and generalized method of moments to investigate industrial total factor CO2 emission performance: A case of Shanghai (China)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 189-201.
    39. Yan, Zheming & Zou, Baoling & Du, Kerui & Li, Ke, 2020. "Do renewable energy technology innovations promote China's green productivity growth? Fresh evidence from partially linear functional-coefficient models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    40. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    41. Nicholas Apergis & Christina Christou & Stephen Miller, 2012. "Convergence patterns in financial development: evidence from club convergence," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 1011-1040, December.
    42. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aweng Peter Majok Garang & Hatice Erkekoglu, 2021. "Convergence Triggers in Africa: Evidence from Convergence Clubs and Panel Models," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 89(2), pages 218-245, June.
    2. Vaseem Akram & Badri Narayan Rath & Pradipta Kumar Sahoo, 2024. "Club convergence in per capita carbon dioxide emissions across Indian states," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19907-19934, August.
    3. Cavallaro, Eleonora & Villani, Ilaria, 2022. "Beyond financial deepening: Rethinking the finance-growth relationship in an uneven world," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    4. Octavio Fernández-Amador & Doris A. Oberdabernig & Patrick Tomberger, 2019. "Testing for Convergence in Carbon Dioxide Emissions Using a Bayesian Robust Structural Model," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 73(4), pages 1265-1286, August.
    5. Burnett, J. Wesley, 2016. "Club convergence and clustering of U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 62-84.
    6. Mulas-Granados, Carlos & Sanz, Ismael, 2008. "The dispersion of technology and income in Europe: Evolution and mutual relationship across regions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 836-848, June.
    7. Jochen Hartwig, 2009. "A panel Granger-causality test of endogenous vs. exogenous growth," KOF Working papers 09-231, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    8. Hartwig, Jochen, 2012. "Testing the growth effects of structural change," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 11-24.
    9. Osvaldo Lagares, 2016. "Capital, Economic Growth and Relative Income Differences in Latin America," Discussion Papers 16/03, Department of Economics, University of York.
    10. Yan, Zheming & Du, Keru & Yang, Zhiming & Deng, Min, 2017. "Convergence or divergence? Understanding the global development trend of low-carbon technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 499-509.
    11. Cristian Incaltarau & Gabriela Carmen Pascariu & Adelaide Duarte & Peter Nijkamp, 2021. "Migration, regional growth and convergence: a spatial econometric study on Romania," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 66(3), pages 497-532, June.
    12. Alali, Walid Y., 2010. "Impact of Institutions and Policy on Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence," MPRA Paper 115610, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Stefano Magrini, 2007. "Analysing Convergence through the Distribution Dynamics Approach: Why and how?," Working Papers 2007_13, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    14. Menegaki, Angeliki N. & Ahmad, Nisar & Aghdam, Reza FathollahZadeh & Naz, Amber, 2021. "The convergence in various dimensions of energy-economy-environment linkages: A comprehensive citation-based systematic literature review," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    15. Magrini, Stefano, 2004. "Regional (di)convergence," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: J. V. Henderson & J. F. Thisse (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 62, pages 2741-2796, Elsevier.
    16. Imen Mohamed Sghaier, 2022. "Foreign Capital Inflows and Economic Growth in North African Countries: the Role of Human Capital," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(4), pages 2804-2821, December.
    17. Liu, Chang & Hong, Tao & Li, Huaifeng & Wang, Lili, 2018. "From club convergence of per capita industrial pollutant emissions to industrial transfer effects: An empirical study across 285 cities in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 300-313.
    18. Ikonen, Pasi, 2017. "Financial depth, debt, and growth," Bank of Finland Scientific Monographs, Bank of Finland, volume 0, number e51, December.
    19. Imen Mohamed Sghaier, 2021. "Foreign Financial Flows, Human Capital and Economic Growth in North African Countries," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 355-371, September.
    20. Hartwig, Jochen, 2010. "Is health capital formation good for long-term economic growth? - Panel Granger-causality evidence for OECD countries," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 314-325, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:49:y:2025:i:3:p:2794-2813. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1477-8947 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.