Innovation, institutions, and sustainability: Evaluating drivers of household green technology adoption and environmental sustainability of Africa

Energy access, affordability, and quality of institutions play an important role in adopting green technologies at the household level and facilitating the transition towards a sustainable future. This study examines environmental sustainability dynamics in 26 nations from 2001 to 2021 to emphasize Africa's ecological calamity. The study evaluates the individual and interactive effects of green technology adoption-innovation, institutional quality, and energy access on household clean fuels technologies (CFT) adoption and GHG emissions. The hypotheses are robustly tested using Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS), Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE), and Bootstrap Granger Causality is used for country-specific outcomes. The research revealed positive associations between CFT energy usage, climate change, and R&D expenditure but negative correlations with population and affordability. Innovation lowers GHG and CO2 emissions, and forests mitigate environmental damage. However, green innovation and institution quality (INIQ) negatively affect CFT. Meanwhile, the CTIQ reveals that adopting clean fuel technology and institutional quality has moderate environmental impacts. The study observed robust uni/bidirectional causality evidence in country-specific cases. The outcomes emphasize strategic investments in clean energy absorption, innovation, and institutional quality to promote sustainable environmental practices in African countries via customized green policies. (c) 2024 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.