CO2 emission thresholds for inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa

TLDR: This study examines how increasing CO2 emissions affects inclusive human development in 44 sub-Saharan African countries for the period 2000–2012 using a dataset decomposed into fundamental characteristics of inclusive development and environmental degradation.

Abstract: We provide policy-relevant critical masses beyond which, increasing CO2 emissions negatively affects inclusive human development. This study examines how increasing CO2 emissions affects inclusive human development in 44 Sub-Saharan African countries for the period 2000-2012. The empirical evidence is based on Fixed Effects and Tobit regressions. In order to increase the policy relevance of this study, the dataset is decomposed into fundamental characteristics of inclusive development and environmental degradation based on income levels (Low income versus (vs.) Middle income); legal origins (English Common law vs. French Civil law); religious domination (Christianity vs. Islam); openness to sea (Landlocked vs. Coastal); resource-wealth (Oil-rich vs. Oil-poor) and political stability (Stable vs. Unstable). All computed thresholds are within policy range. Hence, above these thresholds, CO2 emissions negatively affect inclusive human development.

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Table 1: Fixed Effects and Tobit Regressions

Table 4: Comparative analysis and CO2 thresholds

Table 3: Comparative analysis with Tobit regressions

Table 2: Comparative analysis with Fixed Effects

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What contributions have the authors mentioned in the paper "Co2 emission thresholds for inclusive human development in sub-saharan africa" ?

The authors provide policy-relevant critical masses beyond which, increasing CO2 emissions negatively affects inclusive human development. This study examines how increasing CO2 emissions affects inclusive human development in 44 Sub-Saharan African countries for the period 2000-2012. In order to increase the policy relevance of this study, the dataset is decomposed into fundamental characteristics of inclusive development and environmental degradation based on income levels ( Low income versus ( vs. ) Middle income ) ; legal origins ( English Common law vs. French Civil law ) ; religious domination ( Christianity vs. Islam ) ; openness to sea ( Landlocked vs. Coastal ) ; resource-wealth ( Oil-rich vs. Oil-poor ) and political stability ( Stable vs. Unstable ). 

Q2. What have the authors stated for future works in "Co2 emission thresholds for inclusive human development in sub-saharan africa" ?

Future studies can assess whether the established findings withstand empirical scrutiny from country-specific perspectives. 

Q3. What are the effects of a Kuznets shape?

After computing corresponding marginal and net effects for all the identified fundamental features, the authors have noticed overwhelmingly that positive net effects are associated with Kuznets shapes owing to decreasing marginal effect whereas negative effects are linked with U-shapes because of increasing marginal effects. 

Q4. What is the intuition for religious domination as a comparative feature?

the intuition for religious domination as a comparative feature builds on the factthat religions translate some form of solidarity towards sustainable development (Asongu & Nwachukwu, 2017). 

Q5. What is the significance of income levels in comparative economic development?

the intuition motivating the relevance of income levels in comparativeeconomic development extends to resource-wealth, since resource-wealthy nations are alsoassociated with comparatively higher average income levels. 

Q6. What are the main variables used to determine the quality of inclusive development?

In order to avoid variable omission bias, four control variables are employed, namely: education quality, private domestic credit, foreign aid and foreign direct investment. 

Q7. What are the main reasons for the nefarious consequences of climate change in Africa?

while environmental sustainability is a key theme in the post-2015sustainable development agenda (Akpan et al., 2015; Asongu et al., 2016a; Mbah & Nzeadibe, 2016), the consequences of climate change are projected to be most nefarious in Africa for at least three fundamental reasons, notably: growing energy crises, consequences of energy mismanagement and climate change and crises of environmental pollution. 

Q8. What are the thresholds for CO2 emissions?

CO2 emissions is measured with CO2 emissions per capita, CO2 emissions from electricity and heat production, CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption and CO2 intensity. 

Q9. Why are the controls not included in the specifications?

while control variables used in the baseline regressions are included in the specifications, their estimated coefficients are not reported for lack of space. 

Q10. What is the effect of education on social mobility?

Education is a component of the IHDI and recent literature is consistent with the positive nexus between education and inclusive development (Dunlap-Hinkler et al., 2010).