Motivated by the gained momentum of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) under the umbrella of the United Nations organization, in the light of the SDG‐7, which stipulates the access to affordable, sustainable, and modern energy, this paper explores the dynamic relationship between renewable energy and the pillars of sustainable development. Its insights are driven using a simultaneous equation model based on a panel of 25 African economies covering the period 1990–2014. The results show that renewable energy is important for sustainable development and that higher levels of renewable energy can increase sustainability. The findings also confirm the positive influence of renewable energy on the economic, environmental, social, and institutional dimensions. These positive effects stem from investment in clean energy in the whole of Africa, combined with structural changes promoting the use of clean energy and the achievement of the millennium development goals. The findings should be useful for policymakers in Africa. Aggressive renewable energy policies will be crucial for achieving energy‐policy goals and the “multiple benefits” of renewable energy, such as reducing climate change and air pollution, improving energy security, and increasing access to energy.

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可持续发展与可再生能源之间的关系建模：非洲的观点

鉴于联合国组织在可持续发展目标（SDGs）推动下取得的势头，根据SDG-7规定了获取可负担，可持续和现代能源的途径，本文探讨了动态关系在可再生能源和可持续发展的支柱之间。它的洞察力是使用联立方程模型驱动的，该模型基于1990-2014年期间25个非洲经济体的面板。结果表明，可再生能源对可持续发展至关重要，而更高水平的可再生能源可以提高可持续性。研究结果还证实了可再生能源对经济，环境，社会和体制方面的积极影响。这些积极影响源于整个非洲对清洁能源的投资，结合促进清洁能源使用和实现千年发展目标的结构变化。这些发现对非洲的决策者应该是有用的。积极的可再生能源政策对于实现能源政策目标和可再生能源的“多重收益”至关重要，例如减少气候变化和空气污染，改善能源安全以及增加能源获取。