Work

Assessing Energy Poverty and Environmental Indicators in Sub‐Saharan Africa Leveraging a New Advanced Spatiotemporal Artificial Intelligence Regression Technique

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Energy poverty, associated with SDG 7, remains pervasive in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) and is closely linked to sustainability (SDG 13), yet prior evidence is fragmented and often limited to a single indicator. This study re‐examines the energy poverty–environment nexus adopting three different environmental metrics and allowing impacts to vary across space and time. Using an SSA panel (1990–2023 and 30 countries), the Geographically Neural Network Weighted Regression (GNNWR) is applied to model load capacity factor (LCF), CO 2 emissions, and ecological footprint (EF) as functions of energy poverty (POV), GDP, urbanization, globalization, renewable energy use, and natural‐resource rents; robustness is assessed with Geographically and Temporally Neural Network Weighted Regression (GTNNWR). Diagnostic tests indicate a strong fit ( R 2 ≈0.81–0.93) and spatiotemporal non‐stationarity. POV is associated with higher CO 2 emissions, while it significantly reduces LCF, implying weaker ecological carrying capacity. Conversely, POV is linked to a lower EF, consistent with constrained access dampening consumption‐based pressures even as pollution and biocapacity dynamics worsen. Renewable energy consumption improves environmental quality by lowering EF and increasing LCF. GDP growth increases CO 2 and EF, whereas urbanization shows mixed effects (higher CO 2 and LCF but lower EF). Globalization raises CO 2 and EF but has a weak effect on LCF. Spatial diagnostics show that adverse POV effects cluster in Southern and Western SSA. GTNNWR confirms the main results. Policy should treat POV as an environmental risk and couple electrification and clean‐cooking access with accelerated deployment of renewables and region‐targeted measures where impacts are strongest.

Source: Sustainable Development

DOI: 10.1002/sd.71867

Authors: Solomon Prince Nathaniel, Dimitrios Dimitriou, Süleyman Bolat, Cosimo Magazzıno

Institutions: Pan-Atlantic University, University of West Attica, Aksaray University, Western Caspian University, Bahçeşehir Cyprus University

Language: English

Topic: Energy, Environment, Economic Growth

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, No poverty, Affordable and clean energy, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Reduced inequalities, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W7225348248

FWCI:

Cites: 86

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Related to: 10