Trends in Renewable Energy Adoption for Climate Change Mitigation: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The shift to renewable energy sources is widely seen as a promising way to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The abundance of renewable energy resources in Africa has enormous potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate resilience. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of research trends in the adoption of renewable energy systems for climate change mitigation in Africa from 1993 to the first quarter of 2025. The results showed a steady growth in publications during the 2000s, with a growing annual rate of approximately 12.7%, reaching a peak in 2024, indicating increasing research interest in Africa. The thematic analysis highlights key but underdeveloped and emerging themes, including climate change mitigation, renewable energy sources, greenhouse gas assessment, climate change, energy policy, economic growth, carbon emissions, energy consumption, rural electrification, and energy transformation for further investigation. These findings also revealed regional disparities, highlighting the need to strengthen institutional capacity, develop clear long-term policies, and develop innovative financing mechanisms to expedite the deployment of renewable energy. Additionally, results from network analysis and emerging keyword detection revealed that enhanced regional and international cooperation, grid modernization, and technological innovation, such as energy storage and digital solutions, are vital in the developmental efforts to enhance optimized resource utilization and ensure energy access and security. The study thus provides insights into existing research gaps and future research directions, which will benefit policymakers, academics, and related stakeholders in their efforts to utilize Africa’s renewable energy potential to mitigate climate change, enable sustainable development, and achieve energy security throughout the continent.

1. Introduction

Climate change caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has widespread impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human well-being, leading to rising temperatures and altered weather patterns and extremes. The primary cause of global warming is the trapping of heat in the atmosphere by GHGs, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases [1]. International efforts such as the Kyoto Protocol and the 2015 Paris Agreement aim to address the negative impacts of increasing GHG levels, with many countries supporting these treaties and developing Nationally Determined Contributions [2]. The energy sector is a major contributor to GHG emissions, accounting for over 70% of global emissions, primarily from combustion processes [3]. While fossil fuels offer advantages such as abundance, well-established infrastructure, and high energy density, the environmental consequences outweigh these benefits. There is a global push to transition to clean energy sources, with renewable energy (RE) technologies playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change impacts.

Renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, ocean, and bioenergy, are leading efforts worldwide in addressing climate change impacts through adaptation and mitigation [4]. These technologies offer practical pathways to decarbonise energy systems while enhancing energy security and access. Despite challenges like policy environments and energy storage issues, solar and wind energy have seen significant cost reductions due to technological advances, economies of scale, and competitive market forces, which have driven their widespread adoption. Mitigation efforts involve reducing emissions by shifting to RE, adopting energy efficiency measures, and transitioning to sustainable practices in transportation, agriculture, and industry. Adaptation focuses on managing the adverse effects of climate change by diversifying energy sources, building resilient infrastructure, and strengthening disaster management systems [5]. The global commitment to limit temperatures to 1.5 °C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement and subsequent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, underscores the importance of these efforts [6]. Africa, despite being a low emitter of GHGs, is highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, exacerbating existing socio-economic disparities [7]. Urgent action is needed to build resilience through sustainable development practices like conservation agriculture, transitioning to clean energy sources and ecosystem-based adaptation [8].

This research focuses on analyzing the trends in the adoption of RE for climate change mitigation in Africa through a detailed bibliometric analysis of relevant scientific literature. The study aims to understand the patterns of RE adoption for climate change mitigation across the continent. The study uses bibliometric analysis to reveal knowledge gaps in the research, including the need for additional research (e.g., emerging topics), into the relationship between RE adoption and climate change in developing countries (i.e., in Africa). By focusing on Africa, the study demonstrates the opportunities and challenges faced by the continent in transitioning to clean energy sources. The integrated approach to understanding the intersection of sustainability and climate change discourses in RE literature provides an innovative perspective on the evolving relationship between these fields and informs a holistic approach to address environmental challenges. Scopus database provides comprehensive coverage of scientific data from high-impact journals and advanced analytics tools. Based on the data collected from the Scopus database, the present study examined African-based publications and assessed various bibliometric indicators, including output developmental trends, network and keyword co-occurrence, authors and paper citations, most influential papers, most productive countries, international collaboration, and thematic clusters to identify emerging topics in the intersection of RE and climate change research.

The remainder of this paper is structured as follows: Section 2 details the literature on RE and climate change mitigation; Section 3 presents the materials and methods of analysis; Section 4 presents the results, and discussion of the results and conclusions are presented in Section 5 and Section 6 of the manuscript, respectively.

2. Renewable Energy and Climate Change Mitigation

Energy and climate change are interconnected, as most GHGs originate from human activities in energy production, distribution, and consumption. The significance of RE in climate change mitigation is a highly discussed topic worldwide. Therefore, understanding the symbiotic relationship between sustainable energy solutions and reducing climate change impacts is important. In recent decades, energy generation from RE sources has increased due to growing awareness of their environmentally friendly features and benefits compared to fossil fuels, as well as their economic viability [9]. Although fossil fuels still make up a large part of the energy supply, and some RE technologies (such as geothermal or ocean power) require substantial initial investments, while others (like solar and wind) are intermittent, the adoption of RE technologies remains very promising both globally and in Africa [10]. Technologies for harnessing ocean energy (tidal and wave) are still under development, and the infrastructure needed for these systems is complex and costly to install and maintain. Etemadi et al. [11] point out that tidal barrage is a mature technology, but its implementation has been limited due to site availability, environmental impacts, and high capital costs.

It is important to note that although PV technologies have become affordable, some advanced solar technologies, such as concentrated solar power with thermal storage, remain expensive due to their complexity and scale. Another RE source is biomass, which includes forestry and agricultural residue, wood, byproducts from biological material processing, and organic parts of municipal and sludge wastes. Biomass has many energy applications, such as the production of bioenergy used in the transport sector and for the generation of heat and electricity. Bioenergy can also yield solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. Ang et al. [12] contend that biomass, unlike coal, has low nitrogen and sulfur contents, depending on the feedstock used, which results in less environmental impact. Additionally, using biomass instead of fossil fuels for electricity generation helps reduce GHG emissions that contribute to global warming. Biomass-based materials like biochar and bio-oils, besides their roles in energy production, conversion, and storage, also decrease GHGs when utilized for carbon sequestration and removing other GHGs from the atmosphere [13,14]. Biochar can store carbon and also help lower methane and nitrous oxide emissions from soil.

Maitlo et al. [15] point out that modern biomass energy-conversion methods include thermochemical and biochemical routes for bioenergy production, and the former is more robust and flexible, as it can be used with a wider range of biomass feedstocks than the latter. While various processes are commercially available for the production of synthesis gas (syngas), such as steam methane reforming, autothermal reforming, combined reforming, triple reforming, partial oxidation of methane, biomass gasification, waste-to-energy gasification, and alternative technologies (e.g., heat exchanger reforming, membrane reactors) [16], syngas (i.e., green syngas), produced through biomass gasification (i.e., gasification of biomass to produce renewable syngas) offers a pathway for climate change mitigation by providing a renewable, low-carbon alternative to fossil-fuel-based syngas and related products. It is important to note that some of the main benefits of syngas are their conversion to fuels and their use in energy production, irrespective of the process or technology employed, including conversion to liquid fuels and direct use in gas turbines or reciprocating engines. Biomass gasification is, therefore, an important process in the conversion of renewable biomass resources through thermal decomposition to produce green syngas. It has great potential to reduce GHG emissions, especially if integrated into circular and sustainable energy systems. Energy derived from syngas produced from biomass gasification thus reduces reliance on fossil fuel energy and decreases GHG emissions, supporting a low-carbon economy. Mahinpey et al. [16] highlight that green syngas could easily replace natural gas with little or no modification and could use the existing infrastructure. It is important to recognize that the carbon released during combustion becomes part of the carbon cycle, as the carbon dioxide captured during photosynthesis is released during combustion, making the process carbon neutral. However, the efficiency of the biomass gasification technology depends on a number of factors, including the sustainability of the raw material, the efficiency of the technology, and its integration into existing power systems. Challenges such as tar formation, optimization of the process, and ensuring economic feasibility need to be overcome to fully realize the environmental benefits.

When renewable biomass is used to produce syngas, especially when combined with carbon capture, the entire process approaches carbon neutrality, thereby contributing to the mitigation of climate change [13,14,17,18]. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies are widely recognized as essential to climate change mitigation [19]. When combined with bioenergy (i.e., bioenergy with carbon capture and storage—BECCS), the technology involves the conversion of biomass to energy, producing carbon dioxide, which is sequestered, transported, and then permanently stored in a suitable geological formation. Unlike in the case of a carbon-neutral process, where biomass is used for energy production, and carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere during the conversion process, was absorbed during photosynthesis, in the case of BECCS, the carbon dioxide is captured, transported, and permanently stored in suitable geological formations, and not released to the atmosphere, thereby creating a negative flow of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the subsurface, resulting in a negative carbon balance. This gives BECCS an advantage when compared with other mitigation options, which only reduce emissions into the atmosphere. The main challenge of BECCS for large-scale implementation is land use change. Additionally, the implementation and operation of BECCS may be subject to collateral carbon dioxide emissions (e.g., indirect land use change, harvest and transport of biomass, charcoal production), and other factors that may hinder the negative emission potential [20,21,22]. BECCS, thus, enhances biomass sustainability by addressing concerns about emissions and environmental impacts, and ultimately transforms bioenergy from a neutral or low-carbon option into a potent strategy for actively reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and combating climate change.

The production of green hydrogen using RE technologies is another major advancement and highlights RE’s contribution to a low-carbon economy. According to Xu et al. [23], green hydrogen is the most promising clean energy carrier, and it is considered a key enabler of the energy transition, in addition to being vital for mitigating climate change. Additionally, biomass-derived hydrogen is renewable and carbon-neutral; when used as a fuel, it produces only water, which can be recycled to generate more hydrogen. Water and biomass are therefore the most abundant renewable sources for green hydrogen production [23]. Hassan et al. [24] point out that producing green hydrogen via water electrolysis powered by electricity from RE sources such as solar and wind has great potential. Many countries are investing in this area to support the energy transition and reduce their carbon footprint. International Renewable Energy Agency [25] and Kumar and Lim [26] categorized electrolysers into four types: alkaline (with 50–78% efficiency) and polymer electrolyte membrane (with 57–59% efficiency), which are currently commercially available, and anion exchange membrane (with 50–83% efficiency) and solid oxide (with 89% efficiency at laboratory scale), which are demonstrating promising advancements but are still in the development stage. While the polymer electrolyte membrane and anion exchange membrane are more compact than alkaline electrolysis, they require expensive materials, resulting in higher capital costs. Developing low-cost, efficient RE water splitting technologies is expected to play a critical role in the hydrogen economy. Furthermore, standardizing and streamlining manufacturing and design processes for industrialization and scale-up is crucial to improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen production. Also, to reduce the amount of electricity used for each unit of hydrogen produced, efforts should concentrate on increasing efficiency. Additionally, making equipment more durable will increase its lifespan and help spread the electrolyser facility’s costs over a higher volume of hydrogen production IRENA [27]. Challenges in green hydrogen production using water electrolysis with RE sources like solar and wind include operational difficulties and reduced efficiency due to the intermittent nature of these energy sources. High capital costs of electrolyzers and electricity expenses are significant barriers, with the economics relying on decreasing renewable electricity costs. Storage and transportation infrastructure also present safety and cost challenges [28]. Despite the potential of green hydrogen technologies to help reduce anthropogenic GHG emissions, progress has been slower than expected, as reflected by its global share, which remains below 17% [29]. This is because the widespread use of clean hydrogen is constrained by several issues, including high costs, limited renewable hydrogen capacity, existing fossil hydrogen infrastructure, lack of strong policies and incentives, immature technologies, and uncertain economic conditions. Cost-effective processes, supportive infrastructure, appropriate regulation, targeted investment, technological development, and market structures are needed to increase production capacity and overcome these barriers to meet the ambitious climate change mitigation objectives [30].

According to IRENA [31], the African continent has considerable potential for RE, although this varies by region. Biomass and hydropower potential are higher in the wet, forested central and southern regions, while solar resources are plentiful everywhere. Geothermal energy is mainly concentrated along the Great Rift Valley, and wind resources are most abundant in the north, east, and southern regions, especially along the coasts. Moreover, most African nations have significant potential for RE despite their different resource bases. The continent possesses some of the world’s best biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind energy resources. Therefore, there is great potential for both small- and large-scale local deployment of RE technologies to support the energy transition and address climate change [31].

Africa has enormous RE resource potential, with 10 TW of solar energy, representing 60% of the world’s best solar resources, yet it has only about 1% of installed PV capacity. It also possesses wind (110 GW), geothermal (15 GW), and hydropower (350 GW) systems [31,32]. The combined estimated RE potential from these figures amounts to 10.475 TW. While solar energy dominates, making it the largest and most abundant renewable resource on the continent, in terms of installed capacity, hydropower still accounts for the largest share of RE capacity in Africa, despite the sharp decline of 97 percent from 2010 to 67 percent in 2020, a trend expected in the absence of significant additions and refurbishments of the existing plants and also the concerns about climate change variability [25]. IRENA [10] reports that RE accounts for 23% of Africa’s total power capacity, primarily consisting of 37 GW of hydropower, 13 GW of solar, 9 GW of wind, and 1 GW of geothermal energy. Although the continent contributes less than 3% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, it is already disproportionately impacted by climate change, experiencing more heatwaves, flooding, famine, and drought. Africa does not contribute much to the world’s GHG emissions, primarily because of its lower levels of industrialization, energy consumption, reliance on natural resources, and insignificant amounts of fossil fuels when compared to the developed world. Because the majority of African economies are small and centered on resource exploitation and agriculture, emissions are lower. Despite this, Africa is severely affected by climate change due to its high vulnerability, limited capacity to adapt, and exposure to hazards such as floods, droughts, and sea-level rise. Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change, which is caused by historical emissions primarily from industrialized nations. This highlights issues of climate justice, in which vulnerable regions such as Africa bear the brunt of climate change, whereas those that produce the majority of emissions are less affected. Climate variability affects RE sources, especially biomass and hydropower availability. Africa has the potential to lead global renewable hydrogen production due to its abundant resources, with low-carbon hydrogen projects either underway or being discussed in Egypt, Namibia, Morocco, Mauritius, and South Africa [29,31]. Therefore, continued research, technological innovation, and supportive policies are crucial to overcoming barriers and unlocking the transformative potential of RE technologies in climate change mitigation.

The energy sector can play a crucial role in mitigating climate change through its response to climate policies. Keramidas et al. [33] argue that the energy sector’s flexibility to decarbonize by utilizing renewable sources is a key pathway to reducing emissions in other sectors by increasing the share of renewables in the African energy mix. Furthermore, with appropriate regulations and technological progress, the adoption of electric vehicles will become feasible, especially if proper pricing strategies are combined with smart and flexible charging, such as charging vehicles during nighttime (when demand is low) or during high renewable generation periods (like windy days and sunny afternoons). The authors also note that the costs of wind and solar technologies are expected to continue decreasing, making them appealing to various stakeholders due to their modular nature. Biomass would also aid in decarbonizing the energy sector and support dispatch strategies by accommodating the intermittent nature of wind and solar power. Bioenergy, combined with carbon capture and sequestration, shows potential for producing negative carbon dioxide emissions, although it remains in the development phase [33].

The integration of intermittent RE sources like solar and wind into power systems poses technical challenges that must be addressed to ensure a reliable, stable, and efficient electricity supply. Solar and wind power generation is inherently variable, dependent on weather conditions, time of day, and seasons, making it challenging to match electricity supply with demand in real-time. Accurate weather prediction and resource availability forecasting are crucial for effective planning and operation. The unpredictable nature of renewable power can lead to voltage and frequency fluctuations that threaten grid stability, requiring advanced control strategies as traditional power systems rely on controllable generation sources to maintain grid stability. The location of renewable generation sites may not align with existing transmission and distribution networks, necessitating upgrades to accommodate the variability of renewables, especially in remote areas. Limited grid flexibility can result in curtailment of RE if excess generation cannot be absorbed, highlighting the need for energy storage systems like batteries, pumped hydro, or thermal storage to mitigate supply fluctuations and reduce intermittency. Energy storage technologies, such as batteries, thermal, and hydro-pumped storage, play a crucial role in addressing the intermittent challenges of solar and wind resources. They store excess energy production during periods of high availability and release it during low-production or peak-demand times, helping to stabilize supply and maintain grid balance. This ensures a continuous power supply, reduces blackout risks, and minimizes curtailment of RE when generation exceeds grid capacity. Smart grid systems, equipped with advanced sensors, communication technologies, and automation, enable dynamic monitoring of power flows. They also support demand response programs like peak shaving, smoothing out fluctuations, and integrating distributed energy resources into the grid to enhance overall resilience and stability. The combination of energy storage and smart grid technologies creates a synergistic effect, buffering fluctuations while optimizing energy utilization and distribution. This integration improves reliability, grid efficiency, reduces reliance on fossil fuel backup plants, and accelerates the transition to a sustainable, renewable-powered energy system [10,25,34,35,36].

Developing cost-effective, large-scale storage solutions remains a technical and economic challenge. Advanced power electronic interfaces are essential for connecting renewable sources to the grid and managing power quality, while control systems must dynamically balance supply and demand in real-time using sophisticated algorithms and data processing. Coordinating intermittent renewables with dispatchable plants requires complex operational strategies, and grid management must ensure stability and economic efficiency. Investments in grid modernization, forecasting technologies, storage solutions, and grid management strategies are essential to address these technical challenges. Although climate action is important, energy access and security are the primary motivators for adopting RE technologies in Africa. The International Energy Agency [7] identified four key challenges for Africa: first, achieving universal electrification, which requires careful planning, investment, new business models, and an enabling regulatory framework; second, creating a reliable RE-based energy system, which involves increasing the share of RE in the energy mix and modernizing transmission and distribution networks to meet rising demand; third, capitalizing on the growing demand for energy-related minerals and low-carbon hydrogen while balancing short-term fossil fuel production with the long-term transition to clean energy, and strengthening regional energy cooperation. Finally, Africa needs to lower investment risks to attract funding for energy sector growth and the continent’s shift from fossil fuels to RE systems. The main opportunity is that addressing these challenges will also help slow global warming by reducing carbon emissions through the use of renewable sources.

Several African nations are working on initiatives that demonstrate a range of strategies to tackle Africa’s energy challenges and contribute to climate change mitigation. South Africa is exploring solid-state batteries for grid-connected RE projects to achieve faster charging times and longer lifespans to stabilize the grid, and to improve the energy security of small communities. Vanadium redox batteries are being used in a pilot project in Kenya to store energy from a small hydropower plant, which is especially useful for areas with poor grid connectivity. Other examples include Morocco’s plans for a large-scale green hydrogen plant and South Africa’s pilot project, which demonstrate how this approach addresses energy issues by storing excess solar energy and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. Additionally, Kenya’s green hydrogen projects for greener transportation align with Africa’s commitment to combat climate change. Other examples include the Noor Solar Complex, a 500 MW solar park in Morocco, one of the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plants globally, offsetting 760,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually; the 165.5 MW Benban PV solar park in Egypt, offsetting approximately 156,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year; Xina Solar One, a 100 MW and the 100 MW Ilanga-1 CSP plants in South Africa offsetting 348,000 tons and 90,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, respectively; and the Caculo Cabaca, a 2172 MW hydro power project under construction in Angola [37,38,39].

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Materials

In this contribution, a bibliometric research study was conducted based on records retrieved from the Scopus database. Scopus is one of the databases widely used for analysis of published scientific data, as it provides a comprehensive archive of the scientific information published in various sources [40], making it ideal for broad bibliometric analysis [41]. The documentary searching process involves disintegrating selected research topics into core concepts, using functions such as double quotation marks (“ ”), Boolean operator (AND), and curly brackets, {}. Search topics were defined and used to retrieve documents relating to RE systems and climate change and mitigation research. The search was restricted to African-based publications. Only documents written in and published in English were considered and retrieved for further analysis. The searching criteria were set in separate rows; for instance, the first search topic, “Renewable Energy” placed in the first row, the second topic, “Climate Change”, was placed in the second row, and lastly, the term “Africa” was used in the last row to limit the search to Africa-based published documents. The rows were joined by the Boolean operator (AND). In this case, the search outcomes are documents retrieved from the search combination of concept/topic 1, 2, …, n, restricted to the African continent.

Table 1. Summary of search topics used to find renewable energy and climate change-related documents published in Africa from the Scopus database.

Search Topic [Row 1]	Search Topic [Row 2/3]	Areal Restriction
“Renewable energy” AND	“Systems” AND “Climate change”	AND “Africa”
“Renewable adoption” AND	“Climate change mitigation”	AND “Africa”
“Sustainable energy” AND	“Climate change mitigation”	AND “Africa”
“Renewable energy” AND	“Policy” AND “Climate change”	AND “Africa”
“Energy transition” AND	“Mitigation strategies”	AND “Africa”

gives a list of the selected concepts and topics used in searching for RE systems and climate change data and retrieval thereof. No restrictions were placed on the review period, as research on the relationship between RE and climate change is ongoing. It was important to assess the onset period when research in this field became of interest to the scientific community and its developmental patterns. Furthermore, a default search for key terms in titles, abstracts, and author keywords was used to ensure relevant and enhanced literature coverage.

3.2. Methods

Literature reviews are vital in academic research for collecting existing knowledge and evaluating the current state of a research field. Linnenluecke et al. [42] argue that a literature review that only presents a random selection of evidence does not accurately reflect the entire body of knowledge. Choosing some studies over others can introduce sampling bias by using a non-randomized data sample for analysis. The authors also support systematic reviews, highlighting that they involve thorough searches in specific databases such as Web of Science and Scopus. Goyal et al. [43] describe bibliometric analysis as an effective statistical method to understand research trends within a particular field. It involves a statistical assessment of articles and reviews published in peer-reviewed journals.

The searched documents were downloaded in BibTeX format for further analysis. In total, 950 documents published from 1993 to the first quarter of 2025 were retrieved from the Scopus database. Bibliographic information extracted from these records included the publication year, title, authors, author affiliations, abstracts, keywords, and citation count.

Table 2. Summary of documents retrieved from the Scopus database.

Document Type	Number of Documents	% of N = 950
Research article	651	68.5
Review article	107	11.3
Conference paper	85	8.9
Book	14	1.5
Book chapter	85	8.9
Editorial/Note	8	0.8

summarizes the retrieved document types, which cover the scientific research articles, reviews, book chapters, and conference papers, among others. The analysis was carried out using bibliometric software built on the bibliometrix R package version 4.1 [44], in conjunction with VOSviewer version 1.6.20, an open-source software program used for network mapping and visualization. Bibliometric analysis is commonly used to investigate the structural and dynamic aspects of research through the scientific mapping approach. Information derived from bibliometric analysis includes the development of scientific output, such as influential/dominant authors, journal sources, countries greatly contributing to the body of knowledge and publications, as well as collaborative institutions [45,46].

Various bibliometric analyses have been conducted in the literature regarding RE. Masip et al. [47] analyzed the scientific landscape of RE solutions that help mitigate the impacts of extreme droughts on electrical systems by identifying key trends and influential studies in this area. Chile served as a case study, and the trend showed increasing interest in using sustainable energy solutions to address extreme climate events such as droughts. Azevedo et al. [48] focused on identifying research topics that highlight various mathematical models optimizing supply chain design in RE to enhance efficiency and profitability. Other research explores trends in green building [49], offshore wind [50], the relationship between RE and agricultural economics [51], the RE supply chain within a circular economy [52], the connection between RE and sustainability while considering economic, social, and environmental dimensions [53], RE’s role in economic growth and development [54], the gaps in RE funding [55], RE subsidy policies [56], the energy transition [57], trends in climate change and sustainable development [58], global government policies on climate change [59], innovations in green and RE technologies, and energy, environment, and climate change on a global scale, among others [60].

In the current review study, the scientific mapping of RE and climate change research was conducted to investigate the following subfields: (a) annual publication growth and developmental trends and patterns; (b) leading countries in the RE and climate change research; (c) country representation, collaboration and contribution towards RE and climate change body of knowledge; (d) keywords frequency and co-occurrence; and (e) emerging themes. The author’s keywords and keywords-plus, extracted from the titles and abstracts, were used to assess the frequency of occurrence of the keywords.

In addition, thematic map analysis was conducted to investigate the evolution of related topics in RE and climate change research. A typical thematic map is subdivided into four quadrants, where the upper-right quadrant indicates the motor-themes, the upper-left quadrant displays very specialized topics in subject matter, whereas the lower-right and lower-left show basic as well as emerging/disappearing themes, respectively.

4. Results

4.1. Trends Analysis of Scholarly Output (1993–2025)

Figure 1 displays the annual scientific output of research papers on the connection between RE and climate change mitigation in Africa from 1993 to 2025. The figure indicates that research in this area in Africa is still developing and attracting considerable interest. An upward trend is seen in the 2000s, with a sharp increase in publications over the past nine years, reaching a peak in 2024. The first quarter of 2025, as analyzed, shows promising growth rates for that year. The exponential growth in recent years highlights the increasing interest in the role of renewable and clean energy sources in reducing GHGs and combating the impacts of climate change. As illustrated in Figure 1, the annual scientific output on RE and climate change has grown significantly between 2014 and 2024. This rise could be driven by the global shift to clean energy, falling RE prices—especially for solar and wind—energy security needs, the pursuit of sustainable development goals, efforts to lower carbon footprints, and supportive regulatory policies in some countries, among other factors. Many countries have signed the Paris Agreement, which requires each nation to outline and communicate its planned emissions reductions and climate change adaptation commitments. Overall, Figure 1 results presented in Figure depict a growing rate of approximately 12% of published papers between 1993 and the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating increasing research interest and development within the RE and climate change subject matter in Africa.

4.2. Most Productive Countries and Collaboration Network

Several countries have contributed to publishing scientific papers and disseminating RE (e.g., primarily solar, wind, and hydropower) research in Africa. Figure 2a shows the top ten countries that have contributed to publications in the field of RE-climate change research. These countries are ranked based on the main author’s affiliation. The table within Figure 2a summarizes the types of articles. Thus, these documents were shared either through single-country authorship, which we refer to as Single Country Publication (SCP), or through collaborations between countries, called Multiple Country Publication (MCP). As shown in Figure 2a, South Africa leads with 139 published documents. Most of these (e.g., 109) are SCP, while 30 are MCP. Several factors have contributed to South Africa having many articles on RE. The country has severe energy problems, including widespread power cuts due to aging infrastructure and excessive dependence on coal with high GHG emissions. Additionally, its geographic location offers abundant solar radiation, wind and biomass resources for renewable projects; and progressive policies such as Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme to encourage new investments in renewables, international climate agreements that allow access to International Climate Finance and has a relatively high degree of scientific community with research infrastructure supporting strong scholarly output on academic and institutional studies related to developing innovative approaches in the use of RE including their capacity for generating scholarship within universities or other institutions that can contribute (or are part of) national (or global) initiatives required by various international climate agreements to address GHG mitigation commitments.

China ranks second with 80 documents (31 SCP and 49 MCP), followed by the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (USA) with 58 (30 SCP and 28 MCP) and 40 (23 SCP and 17 MCP), respectively. The tenth country is Cameroon, with 16 documents—11 under SCP, and 5 under MCP. Although the study focused on Africa, the top-ranking countries are outside Africa. This may be due to collaboration projects leading to published work. From the 458 documents produced by the top ten countries, ~57.4% (n = 263) are from SCP research, while about 42.6% (n = 195) are from the MCP category. This suggests that more articles were published by single-country authors. Collaborative work can enhance knowledge and information transfer between authors and countries.

Clearly, there is poor collaboration among countries in Africa regarding RE and climate change research. This could be attributed to researchers working in isolation, which contributes to Africa’s underdevelopment in the area, despite the high demand for energy in many countries. Only four African countries are among the top ten, highlighting the need to increase investment in research and development and to promote more international cooperation, considering the global importance of both RE and climate change mitigation. The lack of participation from most African countries in research efforts indicates their limited engagement, which has impacted efforts to reduce the continent’s vulnerability to climate change and to adopt mitigation strategies like RE technologies. Improved collaboration could strengthen the RE network, foster innovative solutions, and facilitate the transfer of knowledge and best practices.

Figure 2b shows a collaboration network between countries, with detailed information about the relationship between clusters summarized in

Table 3. Summary of country collaboration: Links correspond to the number of countries has collaborated with. Bold indicates the top African countries and their respective number of collaborative links.

Cluster	Country	Links
red	Austria	12
	Canada	13
	Ethiopia	13
	France	14
	Germany	17
	Italy	12
	Kenya	16
	The Netherlands	14
	South Africa	18
	Switzerland	14
	United Kingdom	18
	USA	17
Green	China	16
	Ghana	16
	India	13
	Lebanon	9
	Malaysia	11
	Nigeria	18
	Pakistan	11
	Turkey	12

. Notably, most countries in the collaboration network are among the top ten leading countries shown in Figure 2a. Collaboration is essential because it facilitates knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and mutual economic growth by strengthening ties and promoting social and environmental sustainability, infrastructure development, resource sharing, and capacity building, leading to significant outcomes [61]. Country collaboration is divided into two clusters: the red cluster represents strong collaboration (12 countries), and the green cluster indicates weaker collaboration (8 countries). Collaboration among countries in the red cluster ranges from 12 to 18 links. South Africa and the UK show strong collaboration, having partnered with 18 countries, followed by Germany and the USA with 17 links each, and Kenya with 16. Australia and Italy show the fewest links, collaborating with about 12 countries. Only three African countries—South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia—appear in the red cluster, indicating limited collaboration among African countries in RE research on the continent. In the green cluster, countries with the most links include Nigeria (18), China (16), Ghana (16), India (13), and Turkey (12), while Lebanon (9) has the fewest connections. Countries in the green cluster have also collaborated with countries from both clusters. Overall, these clusters demonstrate an increasing interest, as also shown in Figure 1, in research on RE’s role in mitigating climate change impacts and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

4.3. The Most Influential Papers and Country Citations

The 950 records assessed in this review study were published in more than 100 different scientific journals and more than 55,000 citations.

Table 4. Relevant research papers highly cited between 2018 and 2024. Information includes the title of paper(s), the authors, total citation (TC), total citation per year (TCpY), and the country affiliation of the corresponding author.

Title	Author(s)	Citation	Country Affiliation
1. A critical review of comparative global historical energy consumption and future demand: The story told so far	Ahmad et al. [62]	716	China
2. Renewable energy, nuclear energy, and environmental pollution: Accounting for political institutional quality in South Africa	Sarkodie and Adams [63]	523	Australia
3. The role of renewable versus non-renewable energy in the level of CO2 emissions: a panel analysis of sub-Saharan Africa’s big 10 electricity generators	Inglesi-Lotz and Dogan [64]	499	South Africa
4. Achieving mitigation and adaptation to climate change through sustainable agroforestry practices in Africa	Mbow et al. [65]	422	Kenya
5. The renewable energy role in the global energy Transformations	Hassan et al. [66]	376	Iraq
6. Heterogeneous impacts of renewable energy and environmental patents on CO2 emission—Evidence from the BRIICS	Cheng et al. [67]	327	China
7. Reducing carbon emissions: The role of renewable energy and democracy	Adams et al. [68]	307	Ghana
8. Cleaner energy for sustainable future	Dovi et al. [69]	306	Italy
9. Does renewable energy consumption and health expenditures decrease carbon dioxide emissions? Evidence for sub-Saharan Africa countries	Apergis et al. [70]	254	Greece
10. Investigating the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis in Kenya: A multivariate analysis	Sarkodie and Ozturk [71]	245	Norway

gives a summary of the top 10 most-cited documents in the area of renewable energy systems published between 1993 and the first quarter of 2025. The documents account for about 35.37% of the overall citations. The highest-ranked most-cited paper (i.e., 1), with 716 citations, was a review study by Ahmad et al. [62], which combined energy analysis of demand, including energy consumption, GDP intensity, and trade balances of energy, to assess global energy consumption, highlighting a shift toward RE in developed/developing countries. The second-ranked paper in the list, with 523 citations published by Sarkodie and Adams [63] in Australia (by country affiliation of the corresponding author). This influential paper examined the impact of renewable and nuclear energy, economic development, urbanization, and political institutional quality on environmental pollution in South Africa. The authors reported that political institutional quality, as well as energy consumption and economic growth, play significant roles in environmental quality, including in the social, governance and economic readiness to mitigate climate change and its inherent impact. The third and fourth papers in the list, with 499 and 422 citations, were published by Inglesi-Lotz and Dogan [64] and Mbow et al. [65], respectively. Studies by Inglesi-Lotz and Dogan [64] assessed the role of renewable and fossil fuel energy consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa and reported that fossil fuel energy consumption significantly raises emissions, while RE consumption decreases them, thus confirming the need for increased implementation of RE technologies for both energy security and climate change mitigation. The rest of the papers in Table 4 continue reporting on the role of RE in global energy transformations, and on carbon dioxide emissions, as well as exploring multivariate analysis based on the Kuznets Curve hypothesis.

Figure 3 depicts the spatial distribution of article citations reviewed between 1993 and 2025. The appended table on the left depicts the top countries with the highest article citations. Based on the data presented in the table, the United Kingdom received the highest number of citations (5887), followed by South Africa with 3035 citations. About 2671 and 2261 articles were cited in Australia and China, respectively. Germany, Turkey, the USA, and Iraq have received article citations ranging between 1060 and 1504. Based on the representation, the UK (Europe), South Africa (southern Africa), Australia (southeast of Asia), and China (East Asia) depict a high density of article citations. Application of similar methodology by researchers, relevance in research topics and areas are some of the factors that enhance article citation.

4.4. Most Influential Journal Sources

Table 5. Top journals that have contributed to the publication of research output in RE and climate change; journal impact factor as per 2024 data is shown in column 2, and the number of articles for each journal is illustrated in column 3.

Sources	Impact Factor as of 2024	Number of Articles
Energy Policy	9.3	38
Environmental Science and Pollution Research	5.8	29
Sustainability (Switzerland)	3.3	28
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews	16.3	26
Renewable Energy	9.1	25
Energies	3.2	21
Journal of Environmental Management	8.4	18
Energy Reports	5.1	15
Journal of Cleaner Production	10	14
Environment Development and Sustainability	4.2	13
Climate Policy	5.2	11
Resources Policy	9.89	10
Sustainable Development	8.2	8
Energy for Sustainable Development	4.9	7

gives a summary of the most influential sources (journals) in the publication of documents reviewed in the present study. As shown in the table, the articles were published in high-impact journals. In particular, journals with the highest impact factors, as of 2024, include Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (16.3), Journal of Cleaner Production (10), Resources Policy (9.89), Energy Policy (9.3), Renewable Energy (9.1), Journal of Environmental Management (8.4), and Sustainable Development (8.2). In terms of the number of publications, Energy Policy contributed the highest with 38 papers, followed by Environmental Science and Pollution Research (29), and Sustainability (Switzerland) with 26 outputs, whereas the journal of Energy for Sustainable Development, with an impact factor of 4.9, contributed about 7 papers. Generally, only ~40% of the articles were published in high-impact sources; the remaining 60% were disseminated in journals with an impact factor of less than 4. Integrated RE systems and climate change research are considered an important area that requires high visibility to the science community and other relevant stakeholders. Increasing visibility and accessibility of the information can potentially enhance exposure of the research to a large audience. This can be achieved by considering publishing in open-source journals, where scientists, decision makers, and the community in general can freely access papers.

4.5. Frequent Keywords Analysis

Figure 4 shows the keywords co-occurrence network, highlighting the main themes and intellectual structures of research on the uptake of RE for climate change mitigation. These keywords are the authors’ terms appearing in the abstracts of each article analyzed in this review. The most prominent and frequently appearing keyword is “climate change”, which shows that RE adoption is often discussed within the broader climate mitigation conversation. Strong connections between “sustainable development”, “renewable energy”, “carbon” and “greenhouse gases” reflect the link between RE adoption and the global climate and sustainability agenda [72,73]. Additionally, a dense cluster of renewable and alternative energy keywords, such as “renewable energy resources”, “renewable energies”, “energy efficiency” and “energy utilisation,” indicates ongoing research focus on technological solutions to reduce GHGs. The common co-occurrence of “carbon emission”, “emission control” and “mitigation” underscores the vital role of RE sources in climate policy and mitigation strategies, often compared with fossil fuel-based energy systems. The economic and policy aspects are also significant, with keywords like “economics”, “energy policy”, “investments” and “economic development” pointing to a strong focus on financial feasibility, policy tools, and development outcomes. This highlights the growing understanding that technological potential alone is insufficient without supportive economic and institutional conditions [74,75]. The mention of “developing countries” and “developing world” suggests increasing interest in different transition paths and equity considerations. Furthermore, keywords such as “environmental impact”, “carbon footprint”, “water supply”, and “food security” indicate a rising focus on broader socio-environmental impacts. Overall, the network reveals a shift toward a multidisciplinary and systems-based research landscape, where RE adoption is viewed as a key mechanism for achieving climate change mitigation and sustainable development goals.

4.6. Thematic Progression Analysis

The thematic map in Figure 5 helps identify the primary research themes and topics related to the use of RE to lessen climate change. The thematic map delineates the intellectual structure of energy and sustainability research in Africa along the dimensions of centrality (relevance) and density (development). Each of the quadrants represents a distinct theme. Key topics within the motor themes include sustainability, SDGs, energy transition, energy justice, energy adaptation, air pollution, fossil fuel burning, renewable energy, low-carbon economy, charcoal, and firewood. According to the definition of the motor quadrant, these topics are important, well-developed, and prominent in the RE research field. Themes in the Niche quadrant include sustainable agriculture, crop production, environmental policy, green technology adoption, energy transition, energy forecasting, financial crises, and carbon emission mitigation. These are considered specialized themes that are well-developed but have weak connections to other themes. Basic but undeveloped themes are shown in the basic themes quadrant (bottom right). Themes such as RE consumption, financial development, natural resources, sustainable development, solar energy, biomass, greenhouse gases, bioenergy, SDGs, the Paris Agreement, climate change mitigation, and co-emissions appear in this quadrant. Additionally, as the name suggests, themes that are either emerging or declining are displayed in the final quadrant (bottom left). Interpreting the lower-left quadrant, typically labeled “emerging or declining themes,” requires caution. This area encompasses topics like rural electrification, carbon footprint, and scenario analysis, all of which are underdeveloped and somewhat marginal. These themes should be viewed conservatively, as they could represent either new research areas or topics losing scholarly interest. In the African context, themes such as rural electrification and renewable energy transition are more likely to signify emerging priorities due to their increasing importance in addressing energy access and climate mitigation [7], while others may indicate declining or evolving lines of inquiry. Overall, Figure 4 depicts a sector rooted in policy-driven research and sustainability transitions, while also highlighting crucial chances to progress emerging fields essential to Africa’s energy future and solidify basic themes.

5. Discussion

This study shows that research on RE and climate change in Africa is essential for utilizing the continent’s plentiful natural resources to solve issues with sustainability, energy access, and to mitigate climate change impacts. However, the research efforts are frequently hindered by infrastructural deficiencies, limited data availability, inadequate technical expertise, and collaboration, which impede the development and deployment of innovative solutions despite the promising resource potential. While sociocultural factors affect community acceptance and adoption, policy and financial barriers further limit the translation of research into large-scale projects. Another level of complexity is introduced by climate variability, necessitating the use of adaptive techniques in research projects to guarantee resilience. Unlocking Africa’s potential for RE and advancing sustainable development goals requires strengthening research capacity, encouraging regional innovations, and establishing supportive policy environments [25].

Generally, results from this study indicate that research on climate change mitigation and renewable energy (RE) in Africa is growing quickly (e.g., from the early 2000s), although it is still structurally limited and dispersed. Despite an increase in publishing production, there is little collaboration, especially within Africa, with a preponderance of single-country research and closer linkages to other partners like China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Studies by Pouris and Ho [76] and Tijssen and Kraemer-Mbula [77] suggest that this trend reflects ongoing disparities in infrastructure, funding, and research capacity as well as a continued dependence on externally driven research agendas [78]. Moreover, cohesive research development is further laden by systemic impediments and poor regional coordination [79].

The likelihood that African nations will continue to be technology adopters rather than innovators is increased by these collaboration gaps, which restrict knowledge and skill transfer, innovation, and the development of cutting-edge technologies [7,25]. To promote the continent’s energy transition and increase research capability, intra-African collaboration must be strengthened.

Thematic analysis shows strong alignment with global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals [80]. The results agree with a shift towards policy, economic, and investment-focused research [81]. However, crucial fields like biomass, solar energy, and emissions reduction are still in their infancy, while emerging topics include rural electrification, energy storage, and smart grids [7,25]. Overall, despite growth in research output, the field lacks integration and strategic alignment. Addressing these gaps requires enhanced regional collaboration, better alignment with local policy and implementation needs, as well as increased investment in emerging technologies to support sustainable and context-specific energy solutions.

The contribution of the present study lies not only in mapping the evolution of RE and climate change research in Africa but also in revealing the structural and strategic gaps that must be addressed to advance the field. The analysis offers a more nuanced view of these patterns and their significance for the sustainable energy future of the continent by placing bibliometric findings within their larger institutional and policy context.

6. Conclusions

The study offers insights into research gaps and future directions for policymakers, academics, and stakeholders to leverage Africa’s renewable energy potential to mitigate climate change, advance sustainable development, and ensure energy security across the continent. It shows that fossil energy production processes are the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, and the use of renewable energy is the only way to decrease emissions. Although African countries rely heavily on fossil fuels, which need to be decarbonized, the energy use is growing globally and in some African countries, mainly due to climate change, cost reduction, technology development, and support policies, including in African countries where energy investments are growing. A search since 2000 identified research related to equity in access to energy (energy equity), sustainability (sustainable agriculture, sustainable development goals, clean development mechanisms for renewables, fossil fuels: carbon sequestration, sustainable agriculture), renewable energy policy, economic growth, rural electrification, and climate change. Keyword analysis has highlighted climate change as a central theme in the area of sustainable development, renewable energy, and greenhouse gases, underlining the link between the uptake of renewable energy and global climate objectives. Although the direct role of renewable energy in mitigating climate change is often implicit rather than explicitly stated in publications, the importance of RE in global frameworks such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement is emphasized. Economic concepts such as economy, energy policy, and investment point to the tools and frameworks needed to integrate renewable energies to tackle climate change.

To effectively utilize Africa’s abundant renewable energy resources for climate change mitigation, it is crucial to enhance institutional capacity and governance for improved sector planning and management. Clear, long-term renewable energy policies are essential to instill investor confidence and encourage private sector involvement. Addressing policy gaps by enhancing regulatory frameworks and establishing a stable institutional environment is key. Prioritizing investments in grid modernization is necessary to efficiently manage the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy and reduce transmission losses. Diversified financing mechanisms, including public–private partnerships, international climate funds, and targeted incentives like feed-in tariffs, can help mitigate investment risks and stimulate private sector engagement, as seen in countries such as Egypt and South Africa. Promoting cost-effective decentralized solutions like mini-grids, supported by technological innovation and capacity building, will expand access in remote areas and develop local skills for maintaining new technologies. Strengthening regional cooperation through enhanced power pools and cross-border interconnections will optimize renewable resource utilization and foster a resilient, integrated energy system. Supporting investments in enabling technologies such as energy storage and digital solutions will further enhance sector coupling and grid stability. Long-term planning and continuous capacity development are essential to sustain energy transition efforts and ensure the growth of local expertise. Implementing these strategies through a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach will accelerate Africa’s transition to sustainable, affordable, and clean energy, contributing significantly to global climate change mitigation goals.