Implications of biogas adoption on Africa's SDGs: A systematic review

Abstract

Biogas supports sustainable energy transitions in rural Africa while advancing climate action, gender equality, and ecosystem conservation. However, evidence of its multidimensional impacts remains fragmented. This systematic review synthesizes 73 studies published between 2015 and 2025 to examine how biogas adoption contributes to SDG 7 (clean energy), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 15 (ecosystem protection), while highlighting adoption drivers, regional variations, and research gaps. Relevant literature was identified through Boolean searches in Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and institutional sources, and screened following a PRISMA-guided approach. Data were thematically analyzed, coding outcomes by SDGs, adoption determinants, and regional contexts. Findings show that biogas improves household energy access, reduces women's labor and health burdens, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigates deforestation while supporting biodiversity. Strong synergies across SDGs indicate that biogas functions as an integrated development solution rather than a single-sector technology. Yet adoption remains uneven due to high upfront costs, limited finance, weak institutional support, and socio-cultural barriers. This review provides combined evidence of biogas's systemic role in advancing multiple SDGs in Africa and underscores the need for context-specific policies, inclusive financing, and longitudinal, multidimensional research to enable sustainable scale-up.