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• We test how ICT affects environmental quality in Sub-Saharan Africa. • ICT has a positive direct effect on CO 2 emissions. • ICT has an indirect effect on CO 2 emissions through energy consumption, trade openness and financial development. • The total effect of ICT on CO 2 emissions is positive. • Improvements in energy efficiency and adoption of green technologies could mitigate the effect of ICT on CO 2 emissions. This paper contributes to the literature on the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICT) and environmental quality. Despite a growing attention on the topic, existing studies have not yet investigated the channels through which ICT affects the environment. We use an extended Stochastic Impact by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology model to estimate both the effect and the transmission channels of ICT on CO 2 emissions in 21Sub-Saharan African countries from 1996 to 2014. The empirical results show that ICT use - measured by mobile phone and internet penetrations - significantly stimulates CO 2 emissions. Moreover, the mediation analysis reveals that ICT does not only have a direct positive effect on CO 2 emissions, but also an indirect positive effect through its effect on energy consumption and financial development and an indirect negative effect through trade openness. However, the total effect is positive and indicates that ICT worsens environmental quality in SSA. Finally, we find an environmental Kuznets curve between economic growth and CO 2 emissions. To mitigate the adverse effects of ICT on environmental quality, governments should design policies to improve energy efficiency, promote the use of renewable energy and provide financial incentives for green technology development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of globalization on progress toward SDG 7, with a particular focus on electricity access, renewable energy consumption, and energy intensity. Data are on 42 African countries over the 2000 – 2015 period. Findings from the fixed-effects model with the Driscoll-Kraay estimator show that overall globalization improves electricity access, while its effect on renewable energy consumption and energy intensity is insignificant. Additional findings show that economic globalization improves electricity access and energy efficiency; social globalization undermines renewable energy consumption while improving energy efficiency; political globalization increases electricity access and renewable energy consumption. Some recommendations are provided. • The contribution of globalization to the progress toward SDG 7 is investigated. • The data are based on a sample of 45 countries over the 2000–2019 period. • Globalization increases electeicity access with no relevant effects on renewable energy consumption and energy intensity. • Distinguishing between various dimensions and aspects of globalization provides more specific findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous reduction of two imbalances, the under-exploitation of human resources and the over-exploitation of natural resources, has become an objective of economic policy in the landscape of implementing sustainable development. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of environmental taxes on employment in a sample of 94 countries with different levels of development, both within and outside the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). More specifically, the study examines the influence of the environmental tax on total employment, female employment and male employment. After applying several estimation techniques for panel data such as fixed effects, Driscoll and Kraay, kiviet (2020),Generalised Method of Moments in system (GMMs), Lewbel two stage least square (Lewbel 2SLS), mediating and moderating effects, the results are very interesting and revealing. They are of threefold importance. First, the environmental tax has a positive and significant effect on total employment, implying that environmental policies promote the emergence of new sectors of activity or types of employment. Secondly, in terms of women's employment, it can be seen that they benefit less from these new jobs following the introduction of the environmental tax. Thirdly, the environmental tax has had positive and significant effects on the employment of men. A green economy policy whose instruments use environmental protection to develop employment should be adopted by governments. Policies to facilitate and reduce discrimination in women's employment must be linked to this green economy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]