Key issues and challenges in accounting for greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector

Publication date: 17-09-2026
Extent: 26 pages

Contributions by: Donald J. Wuebbles and Atul K. Jain, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Chapter synopsis:

Current and future changes in the Earth’s climate are driven by changes to atmospheric concentrations of radiatively important greenhouse gases (GHGs) and particles. Improving the characterization and accuracy of emissions inventories in general and especially for activity-specific contributions to anthropogenic GHG emissions could improve climate predictions, inform decision-making at all levels, and enable a more focused and rigorous response to climate change. This chapter examinies the key issues and challenges in accounting for GHG emissions that have led to a new framework for analyzing and characterizing those emissions, and then to examine how understanding of agriculture emissions fits within that framework. Agriculture throughout the world is both contributing to climate change and is being affected by climate change. The chapter discusses the challenges and path forward in fitting the agriculture sector into the emissions framework, and how this could enhance decision-making and have resulting effects on agriculture and farming practices.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2025.0169.03