Political factors, carbon footprints, and fertility of women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract

The study aims to investigate how political factors such as government policies and economic development impact carbon emissions and subsequently affect the fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study made use of the data sourced from the World Development Indicators (WDI) and World Governance Indications (WGI) covering 45 SSA countries for the period 2000 -2021. The study applied the Pooled Ordinary Least Squares, and control for endogeneity, and the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). The results show that carbon footprints have the potential of reducing fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This impact in the full sample was also reflected in most of the subregions. With respect to governance, the result shows that regulatory quality has the potential of improving fertility rate in SSA. On the other hand, government effectiveness has a reduction impact on fertility rate. The research highlights the need for sustainable development policies that take into consideration the impact of carbon footprints on fertility rates in SSA.