Consumption-Based CO2 Emissions on Sustainable Development Goals of SAARC Region

Mohammad Mazibar Rahman,Rafiuddin Ahmed,Mohammad Zoynul Abedin,Abu Hashan Md Mashud,Asif Iqbal Malik,Sujan Miah

doi:10.3390/su14031467

Abstract

Consumption-based CO2 emission (CBE) accounting shows the possibility of global carbon leakage. Very little attention has been paid to the amount of emissions related to the consumption of products and services and their impact on sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially in the SAARC region. This study used a CBE accounting method to measure the CO2 emissions of five major SAARC member countries. Additionally, a Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and a causality model were used to investigate the long-term effects of the CBE and SDG variables between 1972 and 2015. The results showed that household consumption contributed more than 62.39% of CO2 emissions overall in the SAARC region. India had the highest household emissions, up to 37.27%, and Nepal contributed the lowest, up to 0.61%. The total imported emissions were the greatest in India (16.88 Gt CO2) and Bangladesh (15.90 Gt CO2). At the same time, the results for the long-term relationships between the CBEs and SDGs of the SAARC region showed that only the combustible renewables and waste (CRW) variable is significant for most of these countries. The sharing of the responsibility for emissions between suppliers and customers could encourage governments and policymakers to make global climate policy and sustainable development decisions, which are currently stalled by questions over geographical and past emission inequities.

Highlights

Climate change is happening more quickly than expected because carbon dioxide levels are rising globally
India contributes the highest amount of household CO2 emission, approximately 37.27 Gt
We find that the impact of the Women Economic Rights (WER) on CBE is heterogeneous in India and Nepal

Summary

Introduction

Climate change is happening more quickly than expected because carbon dioxide levels are rising globally. It is the most pressing challenge of the 21st century and the most severe threat to sustainable development. The compounding effects of climate change are hastening its progress, allowing limited time to intervene to avoid catastrophic climate change [1]. Atmospheric conditions are unstable, ocean levels are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common. Many developing nations have started establishing and implementing national adaptation plans (NAPs) to minimize climate change vulnerability and incorporate climate change adaptation into their national planning. The ability of countries to finance and develop sustainability, primarily among the least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states, must be ramped up at a much quicker

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