The empirical paper evaluates the feasibility of achieving sustainable industrial development in Africa and accounts for the role institutional quality and renewable energy can play in achieving this feat. The aim is to provide actionable strategies that African governments and policymakers can leverage to improve institutional quality, enhance renewable energy consumption, and foster sustainability in the continent. Analyzing relevant data from 46 African countries spanning 2000–2021, the paper shows that (i) Africa is yet to achieve sustainable industrial development; (ii) weak institutional quality impedes the attainment of sustainable industrial development in Africa, although the effects depend on the measure of institutional quality; and (iii) renewable energy considerably improves the prospects of achieving sustainable industrial development in Africa.
Overall, the paper shows the importance of improving institutional quality and renewable energy consumption. It recommends that implementing a holistic and integrated approach that combines efforts to reduce industrial environmental impact, promote renewable energy, and enhance institutional quality can yield synergistic effects and contribute to more sustainable industrial development in Africa.