Assessing effects of agriculture and industry on CO2 emissions in Bangladesh

Climate change is a critical global issue, driven primarily by the continuous rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Addressing this challenge requires innovative solutions and proactive measures to mitigate its impact. This study investigates the impact of Bangladesh’s industrialization, agriculture, and imports on CO2 emissions, exploring both linear and asymmetric relationships to inform sustainable development strategies. Advanced modeling techniques, namely autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) models are used to evaluate the impact of Bangladesh’s agricultural and industrial sectors on CO2 emissions. Time-series data ranging from 1990 to 2022 are analyzed to ensure data stationarity, employing the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test. Subsequently, the existence of non-linear associations is validated using the Brock-Dechert-Scheinkman (BDS) test, with further confirmation through bounds testing to establish both symmetric and asymmetric long-run cointegrating relationships. Long and short-run coefficients are assessed using linear and asymmetry ARDL models, revealing that industrialization contributes to increased carbon emissions in Bangladesh. While the ARDL model reports that the effect of agriculturalization on CO2 emissions is insignificant in the long-run, the asymmetry ARDL model suggests a rapid reduction in carbon emissions due to agriculturalization, observed both in the long and short-run. Additionally, imports have considerable impact on carbon emissions. Diagnostic tests have confirmed the adequacy of the model, while stability tests have validated the estimated parameters’ stability. Finally, the direction of association between variables is determined by applying linear and nonlinear Granger causality tests. This study underscores the importance of promoting sustainable industrial practices, enhancing agricultural efficiency, and regulating imports as pivotal strategies for mitigating CO2 emissions and achieving enduring environmental sustainability in Bangladesh.