Funding the green transition: Governance quality, public debt, and renewable energy consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa

Prompted by the renewable energy funding challenge in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) amid surging public debt in the region, this study investigates the moderating role of governance quality in the relationship between public debt and REC in the region using the Feasible Generalized Least Squares. The study established that public debt positively impacts REC, but the interactive effect of governance quality and public debt impedes REC. Policy prescriptions are put forward to address the funding challenges of transitioning to a green energy future in SSA by highlighting the critical role of governance. •Investigates the influence of public debt on renewable energy consumption in SSA and sub-regions.•Applied the FGLS and AMG for the full and sub-regional samples respectively.•Public debt promotes renewable energy consumption in SSA.•Mixed outcomes were obtained and discussed for the four regional blocs of SSA.