Impact of Population growth, Energy consumption and GDP on CO2 emissions in Congo brazzaville

Abstract

Since the industrial revolution, many studies have looked at the connection between environmental markers of progress and that environment. Using annual time-series data from 1990 to 2020, this study investigates the connections between population increase, energy use, economic expansion, and carbon dioxide emissions in Brazzaville, Congo. This study is significant because it enables us to evaluate the IPAT premise that CO2 emissions are mostly influenced by population expansion, economic growth, and technological advancement. The study uses the ARDL bound test method. The results demonstrate both short- and long-term relationships among the variables (population growth, energy consumption, economic growth, and CO2 emissions), with all variables having a positive impact on CO2 emissions in the short term. However, in the long run, energy consumption has a positive impact on CO2 emissions, in addition to the negative effects of population growth and economic growth on CO2 emissions, because without the adoption of low-carbon technological advancements. Ultimately, the results support the IPAT hypothesis in the Congo-Brazzaville economy, according to which population growth does not affect CO2 emissions because the country’s authorities strictly enforce family planning policies to reduce CO2 emissions. When energy consumption affects environmental quality, the Government should develop new renewable energy sources to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.