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Abstract

The relationship between ICT infrastructure and environmental quality remains a critical issue for developing regions such as the ECOWAS member states. While some scholars argue that ICT infrastructure exacerbates environmental degradation, others contend that it can enhance environmental performance. This study focuses on examining the effect of a composite ICT infrastructure index on CO2 emissions over the period 2005-2022. The effects of disaggregated components are also assessed, namely: internet penetration, mobile subscriptions, and fixed-line subscriptions. We employ the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator to capture both short-and long run dynamics. Our findings indicate that aggregate ICT induces a positive and statistically significant influence on CO2 emissions. Components of the ICT index also show a positive impact, demonstrating a significant long-term effect. Robustness checks using Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) and Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) confirm the stability of these results, and sensitivity analyzes further bolster their reliability. Based on the findings, we propose targeted policy measures to guide ICT and environmental strategies in the ECOWAS region.