FAOSTAT data provides greenhouse gas emissions estimates for agriculture and forest land, focusing on methane (CH4) expressed in CO2 equivalents. Estimates cover 1961 to 2019 with projections for 2030 and 2050, computed using IPCC AR5 guidelines. The database is maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organization and updated annually.
Use Cases
- Analyze trends in CH4 emissions from livestock activities by country and year.
- Compare projected 2030 and 2050 emissions against historical data from 1961-2019 for specific categories.
- Calculate aggregate CO2eq totals from CH4 using IPCC AR5 global warming potentials.
- Assess emissions contributions from land use and land use change processes at the national level.
Strengths
- Global country coverage for over 58 years (1961–2019).
- Includes future projections for 2030 and 2050 for some emission categories.
- Annual updates ensure ongoing data maintenance.
Limitations
- Specific row and column counts are not provided, limiting assessment of granularity.
- Data for some categories only covers 1990–2019, creating inconsistent time series.
- Methodology is Tier 1 IPCC, which is less detailed than higher tiers.
Provenance
- Source
- FAOSTAT (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
- Collection Method
- Computed at Tier 1 following IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.
- Time Range
- 1961–2019 with projections for 2030 and 2050; 1990–2019 for some categories.
- Freshness
- Updated annually.
- Geography
- Global coverage by country.