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Methane (CH4), an often-overlooked greenhouse gas (GHG), has a significant impact on the environment. Although it receives less attention than carbon dioxide (CO2), it is the second most important GHG in terms of its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere. Few studies have analyzed the determinants of CH4 emissions, especially those from the energy sector. Therefore, this study provides relevant information on the impact of GDP, primary and renewable energy consumption, human development index and trade openness on methane emissions in OECD countries. Using advanced cointegration approaches, we find that GDP and primary energy consumption increase CH4 emissions, while renewable energy consumption and human development mitigate their growth. However, the impact of these variables varied over time. No significant effect of trade openness on methane emissions was found. We recommend specific policies for OECD countries to reduce methane emissions, especially for the most polluting countries. Governments should promote renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro) to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, thereby minimizing methane leakage during extraction and transport. In addition, investing in human development can promote sustainable behaviors and further reduce emissions, addressing both environmental and social concerns.

This study examines the role of environmental taxes and environmentally-related technologies in the link between natural resources and load capacity factor in G10 nations over the period 1994 to 2019. Using robust econometric techniques, the study reveals that natural resources damage environmental quality by mitigating the nations’ load capacity factor while environmental taxes and environmentally-related technologies promote sustainable environment by increasing load capacity factor. The relevance of environmental taxes and environmentally-related technologies in moderating the effect of natural resources on environmental quality is dampened by extant average levels of natural resources rents which are negative. Policy implications are discussed.

The COP26 Glasgow conference stressed the importance of all nations committing to more ambitious targets for reducing emissions to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 ​°C above pre-industrial levels. This is crucial since any temperature greater than that will have grave and irreversible climatic repercussions. This research, utilizing data from Ghana from 1980 to 2018, investigates the role of green innovation, green energy consumption, and green human capital in mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to achieve carbon neutrality within the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) framework while using natural resources and industrialization as additional variables in the study model. Current econometric techniques are employed for accurate and reliable analyses, and the findings reveal the study variables as stationary and co-integrated in the long run. The novel quantile-on-quantile regression is adopted, and the empirical discoveries reveal that green energy consumption, green innovation, and green human capital mitigate CO2 emissions. However, the findings indicate that natural resources and industrialization escalate CO2 emissions in the country. The findings also validate the N-shape EKC hypothesis between economic growth and CO2 emissions in Ghana. Policy recommendations are offered based on these insights.

This paper investigates the effects of the asset-based community development (ABCD) approach, thus, local resources, asset mobilization, and citizens’ participation on rural poverty alleviation in the northern part of Ghana by employing the moderating role of government policies. A total of five hundred fifty (550) questionnaires were administered in three (3) regions of the northern part of Ghana (Upper West, Upper East, and Northern); however, five hundred twenty-two (522) accurately filled responses were retrieved and used for the analysis. More robust structural equation modeling techniques are used to uncover accurate and reliable results. The results prove that local resources, asset mobilization, and citizen participation boost rural poverty alleviation. Also, the moderation role of government policies between asset mobilization and rural poverty alleviation is positive and significant. However, the moderation role of government policies on local resources and rural poverty alleviation nexus, and citizens’ participation and rural poverty alleviation nexus are statistically insignificant. Based on the study’s findings, policy recommendations applicable in Ghana and other developing regions have been proposed.

AbstractThis study examines the impact of Digitalized Environmental, Social, and Governance (DESG) practices on rural banks in Ghana, focusing on their relationship with stakeholder engagement, customer loyalty, brand equity, and financial performance. The study collected data from 724 respondents, including bank customers and officials. The study finds that DESG practices directly and positively affect rural banks’ brand equity using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Additionally, stakeholder engagement indirectly and positively mediates the relationship between DESG and brand equity. Meanwhile, customer loyalty significantly mediates DESG and brand equity, and the combination of stakeholder engagement and customer loyalty jointly and significantly mediates the relationship between DESG and brand equity. Furthermore, DESG and brand equity indirectly and significantly impact rural banks’ financial performance during the study. These results underscore the essential role of digitalizing ESG practices in enhancing banks’ brand equity and overall performance. As a result, the study recommends that rural banks invest in digital infrastructure and platforms to enable effective stakeholder engagement, customer loyalty programs, and ESG reporting.

In the past few decades, the local economic development (LED) policy has gained prominence in Ghana as an effective bottom-up approach for poverty reduction and rural development. Adopting this bottom-up approach to reducing poverty, this paper investigates the impact of local business and local employment creation on poverty reduction in Ghana by employing the moderating role of LED policy. Data were obtained through an online survey platform from 357 respondents from local government officials working within the various districts across the northern parts of Ghana. The study used structural equation model analytical tool to examine the relationships between the variables. The findings affirmed both local business and local employment creation as positive determinants of poverty reduction. Also, employing LED policy as a moderator, local business creation plays the most significant role in reducing poverty at a 1% significant level. However, the moderating role of LED policy between local employment and poverty reduction was insignificant. Also, local employment insignificantly mediated local business and poverty reduction. Therefore, there is a need for development actors at local and international levels to collectively make a continuous effort to drive the local economic development policy agenda. This can be done through the promotion of local businesses creation to improve standards of living and reduce poverty to the lowest level in Ghana and other developing countries at large.

This article explored the dynamic nexus among economic growth, industrialization, medical technology, and healthcare expenditure in West Africa while using urbanization and aged population as control variables. West African countries were sub-sectioned into low-income (LI) and lower-middle-income (LMI) countries. Panel data extracted from the World Development Indicators (WDI) from 2000 to 2019 were used for the study. More modern econometric techniques that are vigorous to cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity were employed in the analytical process in order to provide accurate and trustworthy results. The homogeneity test and cross-sectional dependency test confirmed the studied panels to be heterogeneous and cross-sectionally dependent, respectively. Moreover, the CADF and CIPS unit root tests showed that the variables were not integrated in the same order. This, thus, leads to the employment of the PMG-ARDL estimation approach, which unveiled economic growth and urbanization as trivial determinants of healthcare expenditure in the LI and LMI panels. However, the results affirmed industrialization as a major determinant of healthcare expenditure in the LI and LMI panels. Additionally, medical technology was confirmed to decrease healthcare expenditure in the LMI panel, whereas in the LI panel, an insignificant impact was witnessed. Also, the aged population was found to intensify healthcare expenditure in both the LI and LMI panels. Lastly, on the causal connection between the series, the outcome revealed a mixture of causal paths among the variables in all the panels. Policy recommendations have therefore been proposed based on the study's findings.

Purpose- Protecting the natural environment and its wealth for future generations has become an essential topic for policymakers and executives. This study seeks to examine the impact of green Human Resource Management practices through green innovation on the environmental performance of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Ghana. Design/Methodology- Through simple random probability sampling, data were obtained from three hundred (300) business owners and employees from ten (10) small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. However, two hundred and ninety-four (294) accurate responses were used in the analysis due to incomplete and missing figures. Data were analyzed using partial least squared based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings- The studied data met internal consistency reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity from the results, and also, there was no multicollinearity issue in the study model. The findings revealed that green Human Resource Management practices directly and significantly influence environmental performance. Furthermore, green innovation partially mediated the influence of green Human Resource Management practices on environmental performance. Green compensation through green innovation has the most incredible impact on environmental performance and was statistically significant at p< 0.01. Practical Implications- This finding provides valuable suggestions for policymakers, emerging and existing organizations, particularly manufacturing firms, to encourage environmentally-friendly activities and produce goods and processes through a successful incentive scheme, thus increasing customer loyalty.

Purpose- This paper explored the link between employee engagement, work environment, and job satisfaction on organizational commitment and employee performance in Ghana's Banking sector considering moderated-mediated interaction. Design/Methodology- Data were obtained from seven hundred and twenty (720) employees from selected financial banks in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana through simple random probability sampling. However, seven hundred (700) responses were deemed accurate and therefore used in the analysis. In the analytical process, Weighted Partial Least Squares (WPLS) and Partial Least Squares (PLS) based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed. Findings- From the findings, the studied data for both WPLS-SEM and PLS-SEM models met internal consistency reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity. Also, organizational commitment fully mediated the link between work environment and employee performance in the WPLS-SEM model compared to PLS-SEM with partial mediation. It was statistically significant at p

Purpose- Organizations that enforce effective supervisory support through their cultural traits see their employees reciprocating through positive outcomes. The study explored the impact of supervisory support on employee engagement in Ghana’s telecommunications sector and the moderating effect of supportive organizational culture on the relationship. Design/Methodology- A correlational descriptive research design was adopted. A sample of three hundred and fifty-three (353) employees was drawn randomly from a top selected telecommunication company in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana. Information collated were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 26) and partial least square based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Findings- The findings indicate that supervisory support significantly influences employee engagement. Again it was revealed that supportive organizational culture influences employee engagement and substantially moderates the relationship between supervisory support and employee engagement. Practical Implications- The findings provide valuable suggestions for organizations, managers, and supervisors to emphasize on measures such as a robust feedback system, training of supervisors, and enhancing employees' freedom to operate within the organization, which increases employee engagement and optimizing the organization’s competitive advantage.

Purpose- Marketers want to know the best advertisement medium which can make their advertising more effective. This study seeks to find a linkage between television advertisement, radio advertisement, newspaper advertisement, and outdoor advertisement towards customers’ purchase decisions in Ghana. Design/Methodology- Using University students in Ghana as a population, the study employed a simple random sampling approach and collected data from University students in UCC and KNUST. Seven hundred and fifty (750) responses were gathered from participants, but only seven hundred and thirty-two (732) responses were deemed suitable and were adopted to justify the proposed relationships. Data were analyzed using partial least squared built on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Findings- The findings revealed that television advertisement has the greatest impact on customer purchase decision and was statistically significant at p< 0.01. Practical Implications- This finding provides helpful suggestions for advertising professionals, market researchers, existing and emerging organizations to see television advertisements as an opportunity to increase awareness of goods and services as it tends to appeal to viewers’ visual and sound senses, influencing customers’ purchasing decisions and increasing sales of goods and services.