Complementary materials: Energy policy risk and carbon emissions in Africa

Africa’s growing energy needs and continued reliance on fossil fuels make it increasingly difficult to balance development goals with environmental sustainability. Frequent changes in regulation and uncertainty around energy policy further slow the transition to cleaner energy systems by discouraging long-term investment. This paper explores how energy policy risk affects carbon emissions in 37 African countries between 2000 and 2022, and how external investments—especially those from China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—influence these outcomes.