Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis Research Articles

Towards carbon neutrality: asymmetric impact of financial development and digitalization on carbon dioxide emissions in Mediterranean countries

The current research investigates the impact of financial development, digitalization, green trade, manufacturing, and national income on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of six Mediterranean countries (MEDIT-6). The study uses a nonlinear panel quantile regression model with panel data of MEDIT-6 countries from 1994 to 2022. The study asserts that higher financial development will reduce CO2 emissions for MEDIT-6 countries, as it provides more financing options to invest in green energy and potentially curb excessive energy consumption which in turn reduces CO2 emissions. The study also provides evidence that digitalization in MEDIT-6 countries has led to dematerialization, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. Digitalization makes trade and commerce platforms more efficient by facilitating the smooth flow of information and enhancing the efficiency of production processes. The positive relationship between manufacturing and national income and CO2 emissions exhibits a U-shaped pattern, which supports the existence of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. The study shows how the MEDIT-6 countries have been successful in promoting financial development and digitalization, which helps reduce their CO2 emissions. However, it also raises concerns for policymakers as promoting developmental activities such as manufacturing is inevitable, but it comes with environmental challenges such as higher CO2 emissions. The current study contributes to the reservoir of existing literature by providing fresh evidence from the Mediterranean region on the impact of financial development and digitalization on CO2 emissions.Graphical

FDI, industrialisation and environmental quality in SSA—the role of institutional quality towards environmental sustainability

In light of the quest to achieve economic development without compromising environmental quality, we empirically examine whether institutional quality (INSQY) can help moderate the possible harmful effects of foreign direct investments (FDI) and industrialisation on environmental quality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We utilise the Driscoll and Kraay standard error estimation technique on a panel of 45 SSA countries from 2000 to 2019. The results indicate that FDI and industrialisation generally have a significant harmful effect on the environment. Our findings reveal that INSQY directly promotes environmental quality. Notably, the results confirm that INSQY plays a stimulating role in mitigating the adverse effects of FDI and industrialisation on environmental quality. The results further validate the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in SSA. These findings contribute to environmental sustainability literature and offer policymakers insights on how INSQY can enhance environmental quality. Our empirical results are also robust to different estimation techniques, such as the two-stage least squares. We recommend SSA leaders strengthen institutional capacities, enforce environmental regulations, and implement strict policies to ensure environmental quality while promoting industrialisation and FDI inflows.

Revisiting the sustainable industrialization paradigm in Africa: Exploring the influence of digitalization

AbstractThis research contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding the sustainable industrialization of African nations, a pivotal aspect emphasized by the United Nations within the Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing inspiration from the burgeoning digitalization trends across Africa, this study examines the role of digitalization in mediating the environmental repercussions of industrialization within the 45 African countries spanning the years 2000–2022. The assessment of environmental sustainability is gauged through ecological footprint and biocapacity. Employing the Environmental Kuznets Curve, and the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology framework, empirical analyses leverage the Generalized Method of Moments and the mediation analysis using structural equation modeling to unveil insightful findings. The research findings highlight the detrimental impact of industrialization on ecological health, evidenced by its correlation with an increase in ecological footprint and a decrease in biocapacity. Conversely, digitalization emerges as a positive influence on environmental well‐being. These findings remain consistent across diverse categorizations of digitalization, and ecological balance. Further examination of their interplay reveals a discernible favorable impact on environmental sustainability, with mediation analysis suggesting that digitalization mitigates approximately 4% and 6% of the overall impact of industrialization on ecological footprint and biocapacity, respectively. Additionally, our analysis lends credence to the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis. As a result, it is imperative for governments to incentivize industries to adopt eco‐friendly practices and technologies in order to mitigate their ecological footprint. At the same time, policies that promote digitalization should be encouraged to further enhance environmental quality.

Evaluating the advancement of sustainable development objectives in recently industrialized nations by tying gold prices, fossil fuel prices, and energy use

Rapid industrialization in recently industrialized countries (NICs) has exacerbated environmental degradation, raising urgent concerns about how energy consumption, gold prices, and fossil fuel prices contribute to this growing issue. This study aims to evaluate the asymmetric relationships between these factors and environmental degradation across 10 NICs, including Brazil, India, South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, Malaysia, and the Philippines, from 1995 to 2023. Using the CS-ARDL model, our study demonstrates that while energy costs and renewable energy consumption reduce environmental degradation, gold prices and fossil fuel consumption significantly increase ecological harm. Additionally, the study employs FGLS, CS-DL, AMG, and Driscoll-Kray to verify the robustness of these findings. Notably, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis holds true in these economies. Key results show that a 1 % increase in renewable energy use decreases emissions by 0.7 %, while a 1 % rise in gold prices correlates with a 0.5 % increase in pollution levels. These findings underscore the need for NICs to implement green investments, promote renewable energy, and initiate structural reforms to ensure sustainable development.

Investigation of the relationship between economic growth and mismanaged construction waste: evidence from 268 cities in China

Developing countries face the unprecedented environmental protection challenges associated with urban regeneration and economic development. These challenges are particularly evident in managing the vast quantities of construction waste (CW) generated by new building construction and demolition at an urban scale. Capturing the dynamic relationships between CW and urban economic development is a key step in addressing the imbalance between the two and in exploring effective management strategies. This study innovatively uses urban-level data to analyze the non-linear relationship between CW and economic development, while verifying the applicability of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in the context of CW management. By exploring both short-term and long-term equilibrium effects using data from selected Chinese cities, the study investigates the heterogeneity among four agglomerations through hybrid panel econometric methods. Subsequently, quantitative data analysis is conducted to uncover the socioeconomic drivers of CW generation and to explore their unidirectional causality relationships. This approach not only provides crucial evidence for developing a strategic framework for CW management, but also extends the applicability of the EKC hypothesis to the domain of CW.

Achieving Carbon Neutrality in Emerging Markets: The Dual Impact of Energy Transition Investments on Economic Growth and Carbon Emissions.

This study investigates the effectiveness of energy transition investments (ETIs) in achieving net-zero emissions. Specifically, it revaluates the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) by analysing whether ETIs can simultaneously stimulate economic activity and reduce carbon emissions (CE) using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. The analysis focuses on a sample of emerging countries. In contrast to previous research, the study expands the EKC model by incorporating the ETIs variable, which encompasses a broader and more comprehensive range of investments that contribute to climate change mitigation, beyond just renewable energy. Additionally, the study employs total factor productivity (TFP) as a measure of economic activity, instead of GDP, considering the efficiency of technology, energy, and other resources. Key findings indicate that the TFP coefficient is higher in the short term compared to the long-term supporting the validity of the EKC hypothesis. This suggest that emerging countries have reached a TFP level of that helps reduce their CE, aiding climate change adaptation and mitigation. The study also reveals a negative effect of ETIs on CE and shows that an increase in TFP significantly enhances ETIs, suggesting that higher TFP levels attract more investment in energy transitions. These findings provide insights for policymakers on the impact of ETIs on CE and aid in formulating effective policies to achieve net-zero emissions.

Exploring the drivers of ecological footprint: Impacts of road transportation infrastructure, transport tax, and environment technologies

This study explores the dynamic effects of road transportation infrastructure, transport taxes, economic growth, trade openness, and environmental technologies on the ecological footprint using three quantile regression techniques: Simultaneous, Powell, and Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR). These variables are selected for their significant influence on both economic outcomes and environmental sustainability, reflecting the interconnectedness of transportation systems, government policies, and technological advancements in shaping ecological impacts. Based on panel data from 19 European countries between 1995 and 2020, the results reveal that investments in road infrastructure and higher transport taxes contribute to reducing ecological footprint. At the middle and high quantiles, advancements in environment-related technologies further decrease the ecological footprint, whereas trade openness tends to worsen ecological quality. Importantly, the relationship between GDP and the ecological footprint follows an inverted U-shape, confirming the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis across all quantiles, which suggests that economic growth can support environmental sustainability in the long run. These findings are validated by robustness checks using fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), and canonical cointegration regression (CCR) models. Key policy implications include the need for targeted investments in road infrastructure and transport tax strategies, tailored to national contexts, along with technology-driven strategies to curb environmental degradation. Lastly, the panel causality test reveals unidirectional causality from economic growth, road transportation infrastructure, and environment-related technologies to ecological footprint, highlighting their significance as short-term contributors to environmental improvement.

Green governance and the EKC hypothesis: Evidence from Vietnamese provinces

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) posits an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental degradation and economic development, suggesting that while economic growth may initially harm the environment, it can ultimately lead to both economic and environmental benefits in the long run. Empirical evidence of this hypothesis strongly supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Good Jobs and Economic Growth), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). While the EKC literature focused more on national or cross-country analyses, limited studies examined this hypothesis at the regional or provincial level and often used data from the U.S. and China. This study revisits the EKC hypothesis in Vietnamese provinces by examining municipal solid waste (MSW), which is important to the SDGs but has attracted less attention compared to other pollutants. The role of green governance, measured via the provincial green index (PGI), is also examined. Findings indicate that the EKC exists at the provincial level in Vietnam, with the PGI reducing the GDP requirement for the EKC turning point, thereby accelerating environmental improvements. Consequently, promoting green governance is important for emerging countries such as Vietnam to achieve sustainable development and the SDGs.

The simple analytics of the environmental Kuznets curve: a reformulation

PurposeThis paper aims to review the relationship between per capita income and aggregate emission in an economy populated by rational agents. According to the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, pollution–income relationship is an inverted U-shaped curve. This paper aims to derive that relationship in an endogenous way and extends the relevant literature in an important way.Design/methodology/approachThis paper formulated a general equilibrium model of homogenous population with identical tastes and preferences. Production side is modelled with firms operating in a monopolistically competitive environment. The approach is modelling the economy in an analytical way so that closed form solutions can be achieved. Model simulations have also been performed to get a clear view of results.FindingsThis study shows that increasing returns to scale in abatement technology ceases to be a sufficient condition for the generation of the EKC hypothesis. The general equilibrium structure of the model allows studying the endogenous evolution of income, emissions and prices of the abatement goods in a unified setting.Originality/valueThe paper is novel and original in nature. The results are new in the literature. These results extend and generalise the previous research work in this area in an important way. The sufficient condition that is obtained in this study limits the applicability of EKC in an otherwise identical economy as used in previous literature. Therefore, this paper adds value to the ongoing research related to EKC.

The Effect of Innovation and Renewable Energy on CO2 Emissions For Emerging Asian Countries

This study investigates the impact of innovation and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions in seven emerging Asian countries using static panel data methods. The analysis employs Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Fixed Effect (FE), and Random Effect (RE) models to estimate the relationships, with the most appropriate model selected based on the Breusch-Pagan LM test and the Hausman test. Our findings reveal that both GDP and urbanization significantly increase CO2 emissions, while GDP squared and renewable energy consumption significantly decrease emissions, supporting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Diagnostic tests indicate the presence of heteroskedasticity and first-order autocorrelation, addressed using robust standard errors. The results underscore the dual role of economic growth and technological advancement in shaping environmental outcomes, highlighting the critical importance of sustainable development policies in emerging economies.

Examining The Impact of Macroeconomics Factors on Carbon Emissions in Selected 7-ASEAN Members: A Panel Data Analysis

This study investigates the relationships between urbanization, economic growth, energy consumption, transportation, and carbon emissions in seven ASEAN countries from 2011 to 2022. As released by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80 percent of the world’s population living in urban areas were exposed to air quality levels that were above the WHO limits. The region that is most affected comes from those nations categorized as low to middle-income countries. Hence, it is best to examine why these 7 ASEAN nations categorized from the lower to upper-middle income countries are not able to control the increase in the level of their carbon emissions. The analysis would also identify the appropriate empirical model suitable for the data. Using panel data analysis applying econometric modeling which are the Pooled Ordinary Least Square, Fixed Effects Model, and Random Effects Model, the findings support the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, revealing that urbanization and economic growth significantly increase carbon emissions. The study emphasizes the need for renewable energy adoption and sustainable urban planning to reduce carbon footprints. Key recommendations include enhancing energy efficiency and promoting cleaner transportation technologies to achieve sustainable economic growth in the ASEAN region.

The Impact of Green Trade Openness on Air Quality

Environmental degradation is among the most pressing issues the world faces today. Air pollution is one of the many forms of environmental degradation and can drastically impact human health and ecosystem functioning. Research shows that rapid intervention strategies are required to achieve the environmental targets set out by international agreements. One strategy that has been widely accepted to combat this issue of environmental degradation is the introduction of green products. The adoption of green products can be increased through trade. However, knowledge of the impact of trading these products is limited. This study examines the relationship between the trading of green products and air quality in a case study of 33 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries from 2003-2016. We employ several panel strategies, such as the Westerlund (2008) Durbin-H method for cointegration and the Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MM-QR). The trading of green products was proxied by the newly developed ‘Green Openness Index.’ Nitrous oxide (NOx) and sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions served as proxies for air pollution. The relationship between the variables was explored in the context of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). The cointegration analysis reveals that there is a long-run relationship among the series. Long-run estimations prove that the EKC hypothesis is valid for the analyzed series. Additionally, the empirical findings reveal that trading environmentally friendly products increases air quality while energy consumption decreases. We provide several policy suggestions based on the study’s outcomes, such as supporting the trade liberalization of green goods, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers for environmentally friendly products, and promoting the adoption of environmentally friendly goods by providing subsidies and other tax incentives to consumers.

Global Dynamics of Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Cross-Correlation Analysis of Income and CO2 Emissions

The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis posits an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. However, there is no consensus regarding the EKC hypothesis among countries and regions of different income groups. This study revisits the EKC hypothesis by employing cross-correlation analysis to explore the income–CO2 emissions relationship across 158 countries and 44 regions from 1990 to 2020. The empirical method utilizes a dynamic cross-correlation coefficient (CCC) approach, allowing for the assessment of lead-lag dynamics between income and CO2 emissions over time. By categorizing nations into the World Bank’s income classifications, we found a heterogeneous EKC pattern highlighting distinct environmental–economic dynamics across different income groups. The findings indicate that high-income countries show a decoupling of economic growth from CO2 emissions; whereas, low-income countries still exhibit a positive correlation between both variables. This underscores the necessity for tailored policy interventions that promote carbon neutrality, while considering each country’s unique development stage. Our research contributes to the ongoing issue of sustainable economic development by providing empirical evidence of the different pathways nations follow in balancing growth with environmental preservation.

The influence of renewable energy and financial development on testing the environmental Kuznets curve in Lebanon: ARDL approach

This study considers the impacts of financial development and the consumption of renewable energy in Lebanon for the period 1990–2021, employing the Environmental Kuznets Curve. The financial sector in Lebanon is considered a major engine in the economic development. Green energy sources and environmental protection are taking higher importance nowadays with the increase of implications for climate change and global warming worldwide. This paper examines the Environmental Kuznets Curve’s presence and implications for Lebanon’s financial development and renewable energy consumption. The econometric model used annual data from the World Development Indicators. Utilizing the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique, both near- and long-term relationships were estimated. The findings support the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis and show that energy consumption and real income have a statistically significant beneficial effect on carbon emissions and that their square has a statistically significant negative impact on carbon emissions over the long and short term. The results show variations in signs for financial development between the short and long term and stable results for renewable energy with negative signs in both terms. These results show the importance of further research on the influence of financial development and green energy consumption on EKC. Therefore, policymakers need to pay more attention to these variables for a sustainable economy that is facing the effects of climate change.

Building a sustainable environment in EU countries: the critical role of infrastructure investments and institutional quality

ABSTRACT The literature on the intersection of environment and economic growth is extensive, and emerging research emphasizes additional variables that affect both domains. It is well known that institutional quality enhances environmental quality because institutions affect environmental quality and economic growth through regulatory policies. Moreover, infrastructure investment is a critical driver of growth and environmental improvement, providing the necessary foundation for change. This research contributes to the literature by examining the dynamic interaction between ecological footprint, infrastructure investment, institutional quality, and economic growth using the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for the 10 European Union countries with the highest levels of infrastructure investment from 1996 to 2020 to highlight how infrastructure and institutional quality affect environmental outcomes differently across countries. It finds long-run relationships among the variables in the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland. The findings confirm the cointegration by confirming the EKC hypothesis for the panel and particularly for Finland, France, Norway, Slovakia, and Sweden. The study observes that increased infrastructure investments reduce the ecological footprint in Germany and Sweden but increase the ecological footprint in the Czech Republic and France. In Sweden, higher institutional quality significantly reduces the ecological footprint, suggesting that improvements in institutional quality are associated with a lower ecological footprint. These results provide a new perspective on the policy revisions required to achieve net zero emissions under the Paris Climate Agreement, emphasizing the need to integrate green finance into privately financed infrastructure projects.

Investigating the role of biomass energy consumption and forest products trade on the forest footprint in Finland: an environmental Kuznets curve analysis

AbstractForests are essential in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and maintaining ecosystems, mainly through preserving biodiversity. For this reason, the sustainability of forests is essential for human life. This paper examines the role of biomass energy consumption, forest product trade, and economic growth on Finland’s forest footprint from 1970 to 2018. By employing Fourier-based unit root and cointegration tests, we confirm the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, demonstrating a long-term relationship in which economic growth first raises, then reduces the forest footprint. Biomass energy consumption and forest products trade show an insignificant long-term effect on the forest footprint. We found unidirectional causality from the forest footprint to biomass energy consumption and economic growth. This research fills a gap by focusing on the under-researched forest footprint within the EKC framework, particularly in Finland’s context of stringent forestry policies. Our findings emphasize the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance environmental policy and sustainability practices. We further contribute to the broader literature on sustainable forest management and offer actionable policy recommendations for enhancing Finland’s environmental strategies.

Examining the evolution trajectory of construction and demolition waste in China: An empirical analysis based on spatial metrology and the environmental Kuznets curve

Curbing the increasing construction and demolition waste (C&DW) is critical for achieving China's goals of cleaner production and environmental sustainability. This paper based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and combining spatial econometrics with the GM (1,1) model, predicts key time points that will change the growth trend of C&DW and explores measures to reduce production. The results indicate that: (1)As of 2022, more than 87% of China's regional C&DW is unevenly distributed and agglomeration exists. More than 50% of the regions exhibit “high-high” agglomeration, which can lead to an inevitable inter-regional transfer of C&DW, but the central region has formed a “segregation zone”. (2) The evolution trajectory of C&DW shows a “growth-decline-regrowth” pattern, with points of change for regrowth occurring when GDP per capita reaches 142,914.24. Construction enterprises and consumption levels contribute significantly to C&DW, while the opposite is true for education, market competition, and transportation. (3) More than 95% of regions will experience C&DW regrowth during 2036–2040. Economic development is no longer considered to play a leading role in C&DW reduction measures. Even if the economic growth rate is increased by 10%, 30%, or even 50%, C&DW will enter the era of full-scale regrowth only three years earlier on average. This paper aims to shift the current focus of C&DW forecasting from solely on model innovation to accurately calculating the timing of future C&DW regrowth by verifying the EKC hypothesis application. This approach fills the gap in the quantitative analysis of long-term C&DW forecasting and provides new empirical cases for the theory of environmental economics. Furthermore, it addresses potential obstacles for decision-makers in achieving “zero waste cities”, thereby promoting global cleaner production and environmental sustainability.

Unlocking sustainable development: Evaluating the impact of monetary and fiscal policies on ecological footprint in India

India's rapid economic growth underscores the increased necessity of pursuing the paradigms of sustainable development. However, concerns over environmental sustainability have risen in tandem with the country's aspirational goals for economic progress. Therefore, a crucial aspect of managing this is to create a balance between economic prosperity and environmental quality, wherein comprehending how fiscal and monetary policies affect India's ecological footprint becomes an utmost priority. In this vein, this study evaluates the impact of fiscal and monetary policies on India's ecological footprint while controlling for economic growth, squared economic growth, and renewable energy consumption between 1990 and 2022. Given the complexity of these links and well-suitability for examining both short-term dynamics and long-term relationships, this study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model as its methodology for the empirical analysis. Thus, the findings indicate a significant long-term relationship between India's ecological footprint, fiscal policy, monetary policy, economic growth, squared economic growth, and renewable energy consumption while considering the ecological footprint as the dependent variable. Surprisingly, fiscal policy demonstrates insignificat negligible impacts on the ecological footprint in both the short and long run. Conversely, the result underscores that monetary policy effectively curbs the ecological footprint in both the short and long run. Furthermore, the study validates the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in the long run. However, no evidence supports the EKC hypothesis in the short run. Besides, the outcome unveils that renewable energy consumption reduces the ecological footprint with no temporal differences. Hence, the policy implications derived from these findings emphasize the crucial role of monetary policy and integrating renewable energy strategies into policy frameworks for achieving sustainable development outcomes, in addition to the other policy interventions that prioritize ecological conservation alongside economic development, ensuring a balanced approach to solve environmental and economic challenges in India.

Assessing the eco-effectiveness of energy R&D technologies and environmental patents: A comparison between Portugal and Spain

The validity of environmental hypotheses is important for the implications of a sustainable future. In this context, this study investigates the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and the load capacity curve (LCC) for Portugal and Spain. Employing the Fourier-ADL approach from 1983 to 2020, the study concludes that the EKC and LCC hypotheses are valid for both countries, that environmental patents improve ecological quality, but that energy-related R&D expenditures have no significant impact. The findings underline the need to support environmental patents with income growth to ensure a sustainable future.

Balancing growth and preservation: Unravelling Africa's carbon-economic nexus through the environmental kuznets curve

Africa is vulnerable to the challenges of global climate change, which poses a significant obstacle to achieving economic development while protecting the environment. Despite numerous Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) studies, evidence remains inconclusive, especially in African countries. This study delves into the carbon-economic nexus within the EKC framework across 46 African countries from 1990 to 2020. Utilizing advanced econometric techniques such as Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) modeling based on the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator, Common Correlated Effects Pooled Mean Group (CCE-PMG), appropriate U test, and Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test, the research uncovers significant insights into how GDP, energy consumption, and urbanization impact CO2 emissions across different income groups. The findings strongly support the EKC hypothesis for lower-middle-income (LMI) and upper-middle- and high-income (UM&HI) countries, where economic growth initially worsens environmental degradation but eventually leads to improvements as incomes rise. However, in low-income (LI) countries, the study reveals a U-shaped relationship, suggesting that early economic growth may reduce emissions, but continued development could lead to increased environmental stress. Energy consumption is identified as a persistent driver of CO2 emissions across all income groups, while urbanization shows mixed impacts, with negative environmental consequences in LI countries and potential environmental benefits in LMI and UM&HI countries. These findings carry important policy implications for African countries as they seek to balance economic growth with environmental preservation. The research calls for targeted policies that promote green technologies, enhance energy efficiency, and implement sustainable urban planning to ensure that Africa's development trajectory is environmentally sustainable.