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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to revisit the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries by focusing on two indicators of environmental change (EC), namely rate of deforestation (RD) and all greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture (Agric_GHG) with aim of addressing two key objectives in the study. First, to investigate whether the EKC hypothesis exists for both indicators considered in the region. Second, to examine the effects of macroeconomic and institutional variables on both indicators in the study.Design/methodology/approach The authors employ a balanced panel data covering 43 countries from 1990-2009 in the study. Subsequently, the study uses serial correlation/autoregressive order one corrected cross-section time series model based on Feasible Generalized Least Square method.Findings The empirical results show that the EKC exists (i.e. as inverted U-shaped) only for all GHG emissions from agriculture. Agricultural production and trade openness increase significantly both indicators of EC considered in the study. Other results show that, population growth reduces significantly Agric_GHG, while economic growth increases significantly RD in SSA.Originality/value This is the very first study to investigate the applicability of EKC hypothesis to emissions from non-oil sector such as agriculture (i.e. all GHG emissions from agriculture) in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the debate on the determinants of deforestation, a menace that is posing threat to sustainable development particularly in tropical developing regions. Specifically, the paper focuses on the effect of energy justice and democratization. The main contribution to the literature hinges on the emphasis on energy justice - operationalized as rural-urban equality in access to electricity and clean fuels and technologies for cooking - and its interaction with democracy. Using a panel data of 47 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000–2020 and the dynamic two-step generalized method of moment estimator, the results generally indicate that improvement in rural-urban equality in access to electricity and clean fuels and technologies for cooking is associated with a reduction in deforestation. Democracy is similarly found to be associated with reduction in deforestation. The conditional effect analysis largely depicts an intensified reducing effect of energy justice on deforestation in the presence of improved democratic practices. The results though robust to an alternative estimator, the Driscoll-Kraay estimator, differ when sub-regional analysis is considered. The paper aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 7, 13, 15 and 16. • How energy justice and democratization contribute to deforestation is examined. • Energy justice is measured by rural-urban equality in modern energy access. • Participatory, deliberative, egalitarian, liberal and electoral democracy are used. • Improving rural-urban equality in access to modern energy reduces deforestation. • Improving democracy reduces deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]