Energy Consumption, Environmental Quality and Health Nexus in West African Countries: Implications for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Energy remains indispensable in production and consumption activities and is therefore the driving force of economic growth and improved living standard. Despite the fact that Africa is rich in renewable energy, the continent’s energy mix is largely dominated by the fossil fuels. This could have deteriorating effects on the environment and subsequently on the health of people across the continent. The sustainable development goals are geared towards ensuring a sustainable future for all, with good health, well-being and sustainable environment as part of the principal targets. However, most developing countries including West African countries have been experiencing declining health patterns following the lack of attention on health-related factors like energy and environment. This study therefore intends to examine the nexus among energy consumption, environmental quality and health in West African countries while employing data from 2000 to 2019. The study disintegrates energy consumption into renewable and non-renewable energy. Pooled Mean Group Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG/ARDL) model was employed for the study. Short run estimates reveal a negative influence of non-renewable energy on life expectancy in West African countries. Similarly, non-renewable energy exerts a significant and negative influence on child mortality. Non-renewable energy also reduces health expenditure. Renewable energy was observed to increase life expectancy and reduce child mortality. The study concludes that a substantial amount of renewable energy be incorporated into the energy basket of West African countries to improve health conditions.