The Factors Affecting CO2 Emission in the European Union Countries: A Statistical Approach to Sustainability across the Food Industry

Abstract

The research investigates four prime factors influencing CO2 emission levels associated with the food production industry in the European Union (EU) member states. The prime factors, namely population size, percentage of urbanization, percentage of agricultural land, and average years of schooling, were used in the analysis. The research further examines the existing policies that regulate carbon emission in EU states. The analysis covers 25 EU member countries for the years from 2000 till 2019. The relationship between the prime factors and CO2 emissions were identified using a simple linear regression model, confirming the significance of this relation. The strength of these relations was numerically measured using a clustered analysis. The results indicate that a negative impact on CO2 emission was found in relation to the increase in population and urbanization based on the survival requirements and sustainability in social and urban settings. The effect of the factor “average years of schooling” on CO2 emission is relatively negligible when compared to the other chosen factors. The findings provide sufficient information to develop and support suggestions for enhancing the available policies in EU member states.