Governance, institutions, and environmental protection in the countries of the ECCAS

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the effects of governance/institutions on environmental quality—which is successively measured by carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4 ), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions—in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), based on the hypothesis of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). To do this, we added governance and institutional variables to the classic model. The estimation by generalized least squares (GLS) and two-stage least squares with instrumental variables (2SLS-IV) models reveals the existence of a “pseudo EKC,” meaning that we obtained “N- shaped” curves. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would then follow a sinusoidal or cyclical trend in the ECCAS. Therefore, strengthening governance programs and improving the quality of institutions will contribute overall to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in ECCAS countries.