Does meat consumption exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions? Evidence from US data

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Agricultural Economics
• Climate Change Studies

Background:

• Greenhouse gas emissions are a major contributor to climate change.
• The livestock sector is a significant source of these emissions.
• Understanding the specific impact of meat consumption is crucial for mitigation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically investigate the effect of meat consumption on greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) in the USA.
• To analyze the long-run cointegration of meat consumption, economic growth, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.
• To determine the causal relationship between meat consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Main Methods:

• Econometric analysis of time-series data for the USA.
• Cointegration tests to assess long-run relationships.
• Granger causality tests to determine the direction of influence.

Main Results:

• Meat consumption, economic growth, and energy consumption are cointegrated with greenhouse gas emissions in the long run.
• Meat consumption exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions.
• A U-shaped relationship exists between meat consumption (excluding beef) and carbon emissions.
• An inverted U-shaped relationship is observed between meat consumption and methane and nitrous oxide emissions.
• A unidirectional causality runs from meat consumption to greenhouse gas emissions.

Conclusions:

• Meat consumption is a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions in the USA.
• Policy interventions targeting the livestock sector can promote environmental sustainability.
• Reducing meat consumption can contribute to mitigating climate change.