IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i3p3303-3330.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quest for SDG‐13: The Aptness of Green Investments and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to Emission Mitigation Among Central‐African States

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen Taiwo Onifade
  • Mohammed Musah
  • Bright Akwasi Gyamfi
  • Divine Q. Agozie
  • Evans Opoku‐Mensah

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG‐13) enunciates the need to combat climate change by encouraging necessary actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and this laudable goal was re‐echoed at COP‐28 in the UAE. Although negatively impacted by climate change, the vast literature is silent on the Central Africa (CA) region. Thus, we empirically dissect the emission‐mitigating roles of green investment while integrating the moderating influences of ICT, foreign capitals (FDI), and non‐renewable energy intake, within the region's economic expansion and population growth. We observe that economic expansion has a non‐linear impact on emissions (an inverted U‐Shaped pattern); with initial emission‐inducing effects from non‐renewable energy, financial development, population, and foreign capitals while green investment and ICT mitigate regional emissions. Subsequent expansion in indicators (green investments, FDI, and ICT) significantly mitigates emissions except for non‐renewable energy intake. Green investments' interactive impacts with overall financial development trends also enhance regional environmental goals. Overall, the study posits that CA states can potentially mitigate environmental degradation by leveraging ICT and green investments towards the realization of SDG‐13.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Taiwo Onifade & Mohammed Musah & Bright Akwasi Gyamfi & Divine Q. Agozie & Evans Opoku‐Mensah, 2025. "Quest for SDG‐13: The Aptness of Green Investments and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to Emission Mitigation Among Central‐African States," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 3303-3330, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:3303-3330
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3290
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3290
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.3290?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. Usman, Muhammad & Jahanger, Atif & Makhdum, Muhammad Sohail Amjad & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel & Bashir, Adnan, 2022. "How do financial development, energy consumption, natural resources, and globalization affect Arctic countries' economic growth and environmental quality? An advanced panel data simulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    2. Anindya Banerjee & Josep Lluís Carrion-i-Silvestre, 2017. "Testing for Panel Cointegration Using Common Correlated Effects Estimators," Journal of Time Series Analysis, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 610-636, July.
    3. Jushan Bai & Josep Lluís Carrion-I-Silvestre, 2009. "Structural Changes, Common Stochastic Trends, and Unit Roots in Panel Data," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 76(2), pages 471-501.
    4. Sergej Gricar & Stefan Bojnec & Tea Baldigara, 2022. "GHG Emissions and Economic Growth in the European Union, Norway, and Iceland: A Validated Time-Series Approach Based on a Small Number of Observations," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, November.
    5. Karim, Sitara & Appiah, Michael & Naeem, Muhammad Abubakr & Lucey, Brian M. & Li, Mingxing, 2022. "Modelling the role of institutional quality on carbon emissions in Sub-Saharan African countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 213-221.
    6. Chunji Zheng & Feng Deng & Chengfeng Zhuo & Weiheng Sun, 2022. "Green Credit Policy, Institution Supply and Enterprise Green Innovation," Journal of Economic Analysis, Anser Press, vol. 1(1), pages 20-34, September.
    7. Tamazian, Artur & Bhaskara Rao, B., 2010. "Do economic, financial and institutional developments matter for environmental degradation? Evidence from transitional economies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 137-145, January.
    8. Mary Donkor & Yusheng Kong & Emmanuel Kwaku Manu & Albert Henry Ntarmah & Florence Appiah-Twum, 2022. "Economic Growth and Environmental Quality: Analysis of Government Expenditure and the Causal Effect," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-23, August.
    9. Joakim Westerlund, 2007. "Testing for Error Correction in Panel Data," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 69(6), pages 709-748, December.
    10. Shiyun Cao & Qiankun Zhou, 2022. "Common Correlated Effects Estimation for Dynamic Heterogeneous Panels with Non-Stationary Multi-Factor Error Structures," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-27, August.
    11. York, Richard & Rosa, Eugene A. & Dietz, Thomas, 2003. "STIRPAT, IPAT and ImPACT: analytic tools for unpacking the driving forces of environmental impacts," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 351-365, October.
    12. Olivier Damette & Antonio C. Marques, 2019. "Renewable energy drivers: a panel cointegration approach," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(26), pages 2793-2806, June.
    13. Stephen Taiwo Onifade & Bright Akwasi Gyamfi & Ilham Haouas & Simplice A. Asongu, 2024. "Extending the frontiers of financial development for sustainability of the MENA states: The roles of resource abundance and institutional quality," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 1971-1986, June.
    14. Hashem Pesaran, M. & Yamagata, Takashi, 2008. "Testing slope homogeneity in large panels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 50-93, January.
    15. Aminu Hassan Jakada & Suraya Mahmood & Umar Ahmad Ali & Danmaraya Ismail Aliyu, 2023. "The moderating role of ICT on the relationship between foreign direct investment and the quality of environment in selected African countries," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 2197694-219, December.
    16. Burcak Polat, 2021. "The Impact of Financial Development on Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption," Energy Economics Letters, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 8(1), pages 42-48, June.
    17. Markus Eberhardt, 2012. "Estimating panel time-series models with heterogeneous slopes," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 12(1), pages 61-71, March.
    18. Adem Gök & Ayesha Ashraf & Elzbieta Jasinska, 2024. "The Role of Carbon Emissions on Inward Foreign Direct Investment: A Nonlinear Dynamic Panel Data Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-16, June.
    19. Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Roubaud, David & Farhani, Sahbi, 2018. "How economic growth, renewable electricity and natural resources contribute to CO2 emissions?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 356-367.
    20. Shahid Iqbal & Abdul Qayyum Khan & Muhammad Yar Khan & Lamya Al-Aali, 2021. "The Dynamics of Financial Development, Government Quality, and Economic Growth in Different Groups of Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-14, July.
    21. Mansoor Ahmed & Wen Huan & Nafees Ali & Ahsan Shafi & Muhsan Ehsan & Kamal Abdelrahman & Anser Ali Khan & Saiq Shakeel Abbasi & Mohammed S. Fnais, 2023. "The Effect of Energy Consumption, Income, and Population Growth on CO 2 Emissions: Evidence from NARDL and Machine Learning Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-19, August.
    22. Wen-Cheng Lu, 2017. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Energy Consumption and Economic Growth: A Panel Cointegration Analysis for 16 Asian Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, November.
    23. Mazignada Sika Limazie & Soumaïla Woni, 2024. "Foreign direct investment and carbon emissions in ECOWAS: does good governance matter?," Journal of Economics and Development, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 26(2), pages 139-153, March.
    24. Ma, Qiang & Tariq, Muhammad & Mahmood, Haider & Khan, Zeeshan, 2022. "The nexus between digital economy and carbon dioxide emissions in China: The moderating role of investments in research and development," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    25. Chudik, Alexander & Pesaran, M. Hashem, 2015. "Common correlated effects estimation of heterogeneous dynamic panel data models with weakly exogenous regressors," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 188(2), pages 393-420.
    26. Zheng, Jiajia & Wang, Xingwu, 2021. "Can mobile information communication technologies (ICTs) promote the development of renewables?-evidence from seven countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    27. Tamazian, Artur & Chousa, Juan Piñeiro & Vadlamannati, Krishna Chaitanya, 2009. "Does higher economic and financial development lead to environmental degradation: Evidence from BRIC countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 246-253, January.
    28. Zeinegul Yessymkhanova & Gulmira Azretbergenova & Ainura Saparova, 2024. "Testing the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis in BRIC Countries," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(1), pages 371-376, January.
    29. Usman, Ahmed & Ozturk, Ilhan & Ullah, Sana & Hassan, Ali, 2021. "Does ICT have symmetric or asymmetric effects on CO2 emissions? Evidence from selected Asian economies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    30. Serena Fatica & Roberto Panzica, 2021. "Green bonds as a tool against climate change?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2688-2701, July.
    31. Valentina Boamah & Decai Tang & Qian Zhang & Jianqun Zhang, 2023. "Do FDI Inflows into African Countries Impact Their CO 2 Emission Levels?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-18, February.
    32. John A. Jinapor & Shafic Suleman & Richard Stephens Cromwell, 2023. "Energy Consumption and Environmental Quality in Africa: Does Energy Efficiency Make Any Difference?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-26, January.
    33. Sadorsky, Perry, 2010. "The impact of financial development on energy consumption in emerging economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 2528-2535, May.
    34. Yi-Bin Chiu & Wenwen Zhang, 2023. "Moderating Effect of Financial Development on the Relationship between Renewable Energy and Carbon Emissions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, February.
    35. Ramzan, Muhammad & Abbasi, Kashif Raza & Iqbal, Hafiz Arslan & Adebayo, Tomiwa Sunday, 2023. "What's at Stake? The empirical importance of government revenue and debt and renewable energy for environmental neutrality in the US economy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 475-489.
    36. Liddle, Brantley, 2014. "Impact of population, age structure, and urbanization on carbon emissions/energy consumption: Evidence from macro-level, cross-country analyses," MPRA Paper 61306, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    37. Hualin Xie & Zhenyi Ouyang & Yongrok Choi, 2020. "Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Green Finance Development in the Yangtze River Delta of China: Analysis Based on the Spatial Durbin Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-15, November.
    38. Liton Chandra Voumik & Md. Azharul Islam & Abidur Rahaman & Md. Maznur Rahman, 2022. "Emissions of carbon dioxide from electricity production in ASEAN countries: GMM and quantile regression analysis," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(9), pages 1-20, September.
    39. Chunji Zheng & Feng Deng & Chengfeng Zhuo & Weiheng Sun, 2022. "Green Credit Policy, Institution Supply and Enterprise Green Innovation," Journal of Economic Analysis, Anser Press, vol. 1(1), pages 20-34, September.
    40. Tang, Qianning & Shahla, Rzayeva & Leyla, Aliyeva & Sevinj, Huseynova, 2023. "Moderating role of carbon emission and institutional stability on renewable energy across developing countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 413-419.
    41. Habiba, Umme & Xinbang, Cao & Anwar, Ahsan, 2022. "Do green technology innovations, financial development, and renewable energy use help to curb carbon emissions?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 1082-1093.
    42. Khan, Syed Abdul Rehman & Zia-Ul-Haq, Hafiz Muhammad & Ponce, Pablo & Janjua, Laeeq, 2023. "Re-investigating the impact of non-renewable and renewable energy on environmental quality: A roadmap towards sustainable development," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    43. Joseph Owusu Amoah & Imhotep Paul Alagidede & Yakubu Awudu Sare, 2023. "Impact of foreign direct investment on carbon emission in Sub-Saharan Africa: The mediating and moderating roles of industrialization and trade openness," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(3), pages 2266168-226, December.
    44. Xiaoxin Ma & Qiang Fu, 2020. "The Influence of Financial Development on Energy Consumption: Worldwide Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-15, February.
    45. Maxwell Chukwudi Udeagha & Marthinus Christoffel Breitenbach, 2023. "Exploring the moderating role of financial development in environmental Kuznets curve for South Africa: fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-52, December.
    46. Rinku Manocha, 2024. "Do FDI Flows Lead to Environmental Degradation in Developing Economies? A Case Study of Select Asian Economies," Vision, , vol. 28(2), pages 237-250, April.
    47. Burcak Polat, 2021. "The Impact of Financial Development on Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption," Energy Economics Letters, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 8(1), pages 42-48.
    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. Mohammed Musah & Bright Akwasi Gyamfi & Stephen Taiwo Onifade & Frank Gyimah Sackey, 2025. "Assessing the roles of green innovations and renewables in environmental sustainability of resource‐rich Sub‐Saharan African states: A financial development perspective," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(1), pages 461-490, February.
    2. Saqib, Najia & Ozturk, Ilhan & Sharif, Arshian & Cichoń, Dariusz, 2024. "Enhancing sustainable energy: Mineral exports, financial development, and foreign investment can build a greener future?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. Musah, Mohammed & Onifade, Stephen Taiwo & Ankrah, Isaac & Gyamfi, Bright Akwasi & Amoako, George Kofi, 2024. "Achieving net-zero emission target in Africa: Are sustainable energy innovations and financialization crucial for environmental sustainability of sub-Saharan African state?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 364(C).
    4. Yang, Shuangpeng & umar, Muhammad, 2022. "How globalization is reshaping the environmental quality in G7 economies in the presence of renewable energy initiatives?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 128-135.
    5. Ma, Qiang & Murshed, Muntasir & Khan, Zeeshan, 2021. "The nexuses between energy investments, technological innovations, emission taxes, and carbon emissions in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    6. Ahmad, Munir & Wu, Yiyun, 2022. "Natural resources, technological progress, and ecological efficiency: Does financial deepening matter for G-20 economies?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Arshian Sharif & Usman Mehmood & Salman Tariq & Zia Ul Haq, 2024. "The role of financial inclusion and globalization toward a sustainable economy in ASEAN countries: evidence from advance panel estimations," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 10243-10260, April.
    8. Li, Qingtao & Sharif, Arshian & Razzaq, Asif & Yu, Yangyu, 2022. "Do climate technology, financialization, and sustainable finance impede environmental challenges? Evidence from G10 economies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    9. Chukwuemeka Chinonso Emenekwe & Robert Ugochukwu Onyeneke & Chinedum Uzoma Nwajiuba & Ifeoma Quinette Anugwa & Obioma Uchenna Emenekwe, 2025. "Determinants of consumption-based and production-based carbon emissions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(5), pages 10303-10339, May.
    10. Guo, Xiuping & Meng, Xianglei & Luan, Qingfeng & Wang, Yanhua, 2023. "Trade openness, globalization, and natural resources management: The moderating role of economic complexity in newly industrialized countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    11. Khan, Zeeshan & Malik, Muhammad Yousaf & Latif, Kashmala & Jiao, Zhilun, 2020. "Heterogeneous effect of eco-innovation and human capital on renewable & non-renewable energy consumption: Disaggregate analysis for G-7 countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    12. Bo Yang & Minhaj Ali & Shujahat Haider Hashmi & Mohsin Shabir, 2020. "Income Inequality and CO 2 Emissions in Developing Countries: The Moderating Role of Financial Instability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-24, August.
    13. Khan, Muhammad Tariq Iqbal & Yaseen, Muhammad Rizwan & Ali, Qamar, 2019. "Nexus between financial development, tourism, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas emission in high-income countries: A continent-wise analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 293-310.
    14. Saqib, Najia & Shahzad, U., 2024. "Pathways to sustainability: Evaluating the impact of green energy, natural resources, FinTech, and environmental policies in resource-abundant countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    15. Bilgehan Tekin, 2024. "The catalyzing role of financial inclusion in decoding environmental challenges and fostering a sustainable future in BRICS‐T," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3), pages 1572-1603, November.
    16. Uche, Emmanuel & Ngepah, Nicholas & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier, 2023. "Upholding the green agenda of COP27 through publicly funded R&D on energy efficiencies, renewables, nuclear and power storage technologies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    17. Sylvia Kor & Md. Qamruzzaman, 2024. "Decoding the Environmental Synergy in BRI Nations: Analyzing the Influence of Renewable Energy Adoption, Financial Evolution, FDI, and Capital Resilience on Sustainability," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(3), pages 582-599, May.
    18. Li, Yi & Liu, Christy Ying Ni & Lao, Ut & Dang, Jiangtong, 2024. "Navigating the path to environmental sustainability: Exploring the role of fintech, natural resources and green energy in Belt and Road countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    19. Zhang, Lu & Zhao, Huawei, 2024. "Sustainable development mechanism: The role of natural resources, remittance and policy uncertainty," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    20. Meng, Yue & Wu, Haoyue & Wang, Yunchen & Duan, Yinying, 2022. "International trade diversification, green innovation, and consumption-based carbon emissions: The role of renewable energy for sustainable development in BRICST countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 1243-1253.

    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:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:3303-3330. 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: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    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.