Linking energy consumption to ecological footprint in sub-Saharan Africa with education as a moderator

Low levels of environmental education, energy consumption, and other anthropogenic factors strongly contribute to the rising temperature in the world's atmosphere. As such, this study reveals how energy consumption and education affect the ecological footprint (EF) and also determines the education thresholds for EF sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The estimation methods in this study are strictly second-generation econometric techniques because of the problems of slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence discovered in the preliminary analysis. The results confirm cointegration, warranting the need for long-run parameter estimators. The Augment Mean Group estimator suggests that natural resources, non-renewable energy consumption (NRE), and economic growth increase the EF. Although renewable energy consumption (REN) and globalization reduce the EF, these indicators are insignificant. The results of the Method of Moment Quantile Regression (MMQR) reveal that REN exacts an indirect effect on the EF via education. Furthermore, the education thresholds required for ecological sustainability have been established. In line with these outcomes, it is proposed that the region redesign its energy policy to encourage eco-friendly consumption by leaning more on pro-environmental strategies and tightening environmental regulations.