Teesside University2025-09-022025-09-02https://dspace.academy.edu.ly/handle/123456789/1738The research adopts a quantitative methodological approach, utilizing panel data techniques to investigate the carbon curse hypothesis in the SSA context. The analysis incorporates both parametric and semi-parametric models, focusing on the relationship between natural resources and both renewable and non-renewable energy consumption. The study also assesses how financial development can potentially mediate the impact of natural resources on energy choices in the SSA region. Data from international databases such as the World Bank, International Energy Agency, and Global Carbon Atlas were used to construct the models. The study period spans from 1990 to 2020, offering a comprehensive analysis of energy trends and environmental impacts over three decades.This dissertation investigates the complex relationship between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), focusing on how natural resources impact economic growth, environmental sustainability, and development in the region. SSA's economic development has been characterized by the extraction of abundant natural resources, especially fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. While these resources have historically contributed to the economic advancement of the region, they also pose significant environmental challenges, particularly in the form of pollution and the exacerbation of climate change. Given that many SSA countries heavily rely on non-renewable energy, the dissertation seeks to explore both the negative and positive consequences of this dependency and to propose pathways for a sustainable transition to renewable energy sources.Natural Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa