title: Testing the relationships between energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and economic growth in 24 African countries: a panel ARDL approach.
abstract: This study complements existing literature by examining the nexus between energy consumption (EC), CO2 emissions (CE), and economic growth (GDP; gross domestic product) in 24 African countries using a panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach. The following findings are established. First, there is a long-run relationship between EC, CE, and GDP. Second, a long-term effect from CE to GDP and EC is apparent, with reciprocal paths. Third, the error correction mechanisms are consistently stable. However, in cases of disequilibrium, only EC can be significantly adjusted to its long-run relationship. Fourth, there is a long-run causality running from GDP and CE to EC. Fifth, we find causality running from either CE or both CE and EC to GDP, and inverse causal paths are observable. Causality from EC to GDP is not strong, which supports the conservative hypothesis. Sixth, the causal direction from EC to GDP remains unobservable in the short term. By contrast, the opposite path is observable. There are also no short-run causalities from GDP, or EC, or EC, and GDP to EC. Policy implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: African Governance and Development Institute, P. Box 8413, Yaoundé, Cameroon. asongusimplice@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Simplice
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asongu
authors.affiliation: Department of Quantitative Methods, École Supérieure de Commerce de Tunis, University of Manouba, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ghassen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: El Montasser
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Sfax, Street of Airport, km 4.5, LP 1088, Sfax, 3018, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hassen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toumi
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics*; D057217:Economic Development / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D059066:Gross Domestic Product / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Africa; CO2 emissions; Economic growth; Energy consumption