Distributional Energy Justice and the Inclusive Human Development Agenda in Africa

Abstract

This study employs macro data for 36 African countries to address three important gaps in the inclusive human development (IHDI) literature. First, previous studies have not investigated the effect of distributional energy justice (hereafter: energy justice) on IHDI. Second, prior contributions have not explored whether climate change readiness interacts with energy justice to promote IHDI. Third, studies have examined whether the energy justice-climate change readiness interactive effect (if any) has different effects in low-income, and middle- and high-income African countries. Robust findings based on the generalised method of moments reveal that: (i) energy justice promotes IHDI, (ii) climate change readiness amplifies the positive effect of energy justice on IHDI, and (iii) vis-à-vis low-income countries, middle- and high-income countries realise remarkable increase in IHDI with progress in energy justice and climate change readiness. Across the economic, social, and governance perspectives of climate change readiness, I find that the contingency effect of governance readiness is remarkable in all the samples. I conclude that investments in broadening energy justice and Africa’s climate change readiness are critical to inclusive human development.

Presenters

Isaac Kwesi Ofori
Student, PhD. Economics, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Technical, Political, and Social Responses

KEYWORDS

Africa; Energy justice; Climate change readiness; Inclusive human development