Sustainable development aims to both alleviate poverty and protect the environment. Previous research has explored the connection between poverty and carbon emissions. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly half of the population lives below the international poverty line, hindering economic growth and sustainable development. Therefore, this current study aims to further explore different age groupings of poverty and economic growth relates to environmental pollution, in 43 Sub-Saharan African nations. This study addresses existing gaps by employing the Driscoll-Kraay (D-K) standard error technique and the method of moments quantile regression to examine the connections between variables, yielding significant findings. The results indicate that youth and middle age poverty has an inverse relationship with environmental pollution. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the critical importance of addressing poverty in the formulation of policies aimed at mitigating environmental pollution and promoting sustainable development in Sub-Saharan African countries. Insights from this research can inform policymakers and other stakeholders in designing more effective interventions, programs, and initiatives to combat both poverty and environmental degradation, ultimately leading to a better and more equitable environment.
Keywords: Carbon neutrality; Economic growth; Poverty alleviation; Sub-Saharan Africa; Sustainable Development Goals.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.