Does energy poverty contribute to gender inequality and environmental degradation in Africa?

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether energy poverty impacts gender inequality and CO₂ emissions in African countries with the biggest economies by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita from 1996 to 2020. Additionally, this study examines the existence of the gender Kuznets curve (GKC) and the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theories. Furthermore, it evaluates the connection between economic development and carbon emissions, on the one hand, and economic development and gender inequality on the other.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the augmented Dickey–Fuller and Phillip–Perron unit root tests to determine the degree of integration between the variables. It also uses the Pedroni and Fisher–Combine Johansen cointegration tests to assess a long-run relationship between the variables. The authors adopted the pooled mean group (PMG)-autoregressive distributed lag model and used the E-Views 12 software to run the analysis.

Findings

The empirical analysis approves the long-run correlation among the variables used in this study. Increased energy poverty and GDP increase CO₂ emissions, whereas income square hurts CO₂ emissions. These results are consistent with the EKC hypothesis, which proposes a non-linear relationship between CO₂ emissions and economic growth in the studied areas (similar to an inverted U shape). Long-term foreign direct investment (FDI) has a negative correlation with CO₂ emissions. On the contrary, energy poverty, GDPsq and FDI find a positive relationship with gender inequality, whereas GDP finds a negative association with gender inequality. The negative relationship between GDPsq and gender inequality establishes a “U”-shaped connection between income and gender inequality. Thus, it supports the hypothesis of the GKC. Therefore, this study proposes that decreasing energy poverty is vital for promoting a clean environment and mitigating gender inequality.

Originality/value

This study supports the hypothesis of the GKC. Therefore, this study proposes that decreasing energy poverty is vital for promoting a clean environment and mitigating gender inequality.

Citation

Butty, O.N., Seraj, M. and Özdeşer, H. (2025), "Does energy poverty contribute to gender inequality and environmental degradation in Africa?", International Journal of Energy Sector Management, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 101-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJESM-01-2024-0027