CO2 Emissions among Industrialized Countries amidst Climate Change: South Africa versus Other Selected BRICS Countries and the USA

Despite countries having signed agreements and developed policy to reduce CO2 emissions, there is disproportionate compliance with the agreements, with developed countries continuing to be the largest emitters. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of South Africa’s population growth, economic growth, and fertilizer consumption on CO2 emissions, with those of the US, China, and other BRICS countries. The study used panel data sourced from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators ranging from 1960 to 2023. Results of the fixed effects panel regression show that the coefficient of change for China’s population size (β = 9.156, p < 0.01) is the highest among the six countries. It is followed by the USA (β = 9.156, p < 0.05) and South Africa (β = 1.474, p < 0.01). The effects of GDP for China (β = 1.128, p < 0.01) on CO2 emissions are the largest, followed by South Africa (β = 1.098, p < 0.01) and the USA in third place (β = 0.614, p < 0.05). These results show that South Africa is highly reliant on coal-based energy resources. As a policy recommendation, South Africa needs to diversify its energy mix and invest more in renewable energy resources.