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Enhancing ICT for Environmental Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Simplice Asongu

    (Yaoundé/Cameroun)

  • Sara Le Roux

    (Oxford, UK)

  • Nicholas Biekpe

    (Cape Town, South Africa)

Abstract
This study examines how increasing ICT penetration in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can contribute towards environmental sustainability by decreasing CO2 emissions. The empirical evidence is based the Generalised Method of Moments and forty-four countries for the period 2000-2012. ICT is measured with internet penetration and mobile phone penetration while CO2 emissions per capita and CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption are used as proxies for environmental degradation. The following findings are established: First, from the non-interactive regressions, ICT (i.e. mobile phones and the internet) does not significantly affect CO2 emissions. Second, with interactive regressions, increasing ICT has a positive net effect on CO2 emissions per capita while increasing mobile phone penetration alone has a net negative effect on CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption. Policy thresholds at which ICT can change the net effects from positive to negative are computed and discussed. These policy thresholds are the minimum levels of ICT required, for the effect of ICT on CO2 emissions to be negative. Other practical implications for policy and theory are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Simplice Asongu & Sara Le Roux & Nicholas Biekpe, 2017. "Enhancing ICT for Environmental Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 17/039, African Governance and Development Institute..
    • Handle: RePEc:agd:wpaper:17/039
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    CO2 emissions; ICT; economic development; Sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • P37 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Legal

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