Does shipping cause environmental emissions? Evidence from African countries

Shipping is particularly important for international trade and the economic performance of economies globally. Despite its relevance, emissions from shipping have been a global concern in recent years. Given this, it is imperative to empirically understand the influence of shipping on environmental emissions. This paper, therefore, examines the impact of shipping on environmental emissions in Africa using data from 31 countries for the period 2006–2016. The system- Generalised Method of Moments estimation technique is employed for the regression analysis. The findings reveal that, in the short run and long run periods, shipping increases environmental emissions in Africa. Based on this outcome, it is recommended that attention is paid to emissions from ships since it could be an effective mechanism that policymakers can prioritize in the quest to reduce environmental emissions in African countries

Global shipping and climate change impacts in Africa: the role of international trade

Abstract This paper examines the interacting effect of global shipping and trade on climate change in Africa using data on 31 countries for the period 2006–2016. We employ the system generalized method of moments estimation technique for our analysis. The results reveal that, in both the short run and long run, global shipping and trade contribute significantly to climate change in African countries. Furthermore, we document that the impact of shipping on climate change become larger through the aggregate trade channel. Based on these outcomes, policies designed to reduce emissions from global shipping are important in mitigating the menaces of climate change in Africa

The Choice of Healthy Source of Energy for Cooking Among Households in Ghana: Does Financial Inclusion Matter?

Air pollution resulting from the use of unhealthy/unclean energy sources for cooking causes illnesses such as lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ischaemic heart disease. In Ghana, each year, about 18 000 deaths are recorded due to the use of unhealthy energy sources for cooking. While financial inclusion can influence the adoption of healthy energy sources for cooking, less attention has been paid to it. This study, therefore, investigates the effect of financial inclusion on the choice of healthy source of energy for cooking among households in Ghana. Doing so reveals whether financial inclusion can be employed as a tool to decrease the use of unhealthy sources of energy for cooking in Ghana. We employ the Ghana Living Standards Survey round 7 (GLSS7) as the data source for the study whiles the binary logistic regression is used as the estimation technique. The findings show that, households with financial inclusion (using a single indicator) are more likely to choose healthy sources of energy for cooking relative to those without financial inclusion (OR = 2.52, P  < .01). Moreover, the effect of financial inclusion (using a single indicator) on choosing a healthy source of energy for cooking is greater among rural households (OR = 3.18, P  < .01) relative to their urban counterparts (OR = 2.27, P  < .01). The findings are robust even after using a different estimation technique and a combined index of financial inclusion. Thus, in the quest to improve the use of healthy sources of energy for cooking, enhancing financial inclusion among households, could be a useful strategy