Carbon dioxide emissions and vulnerability to climate change in Africa: How public goods moderate policy syndromes

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) emissions and climate vulnerability are major concerns affecting sustainable development in Africa. This study assesses how the provision of public goods moderates the effects of policy syndromes on CO ₂ emissions and vulnerability to climate change in the continent. Public goods are proxied by sanitation, access to basic water, and electricity while policy syndromes are documented factors that promote vulnerability to climate change and CO ₂ emissions, notably: temperature, foreign investment, population growth, and natural resource rents. The study focuses on 51 African countries, and the empirical evidence is based on interactive quantile regressions. The findings show critical levels of public goods must be attained to prevent policy syndromes from increasing CO ₂ emissions and vulnerability to climate change. The underlying critical levels of public goods, which are expressed as a percentage of the population, are actionable thresholds that are relevant to both corporations and governments in the design of respectively, corporate social responsibilities and policies for the provision of public goods. Policy implications are discussed.