Impact of agricultural emissions on goal 13 of the sustainable development agenda: in East African strategy for climate action

Abstract

One of the causes of greenhouse gas emissions in the world is agriculture. One of the main threats to global growth today is climate change. This study summarizes the relationship between agricultural emissions and climate action, as well as the climate action outlined in Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Agenda. Using a sample of panel data from 9 African countries between 2014 and 2023, we used fixed effect, random effect, and pooled regression. This study assesses the emissions of methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) from agriculture in East African countries between 2014 and 2023. Average agricultural CO₂ emissions are 940.57 kilotons, average N₂O emissions are 900.23 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent, and average methane emissions are 1713.6 thousand equivalent tones of CO₂, according to descriptive statistics. The analysis shows a positive relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and agricultural activities, including the use of fertilizers and cereal production. Furthermore, statistical models suggest that higher levels of fertilizer use and cereal production are linked to higher levels of CH₄ and N₂O emissions. Interestingly, the findings suggest that while increased methane emissions may be caused by larger areas planted for cereal production, increased greenhouse gas emissions are caused by intensified livestock production. According to the findings of the Hausman test, the fixed-effects model is the recommended specification for this investigation.