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Emissions data and trends
International data on fossil fuel use and related emissions
Last updated 27 June 2005
Originally answered 18 June 2004
Full Question
How does energy use in the U.S. compare to that of other countries? How does the U.S. compare to other countries in terms of greenhouse gas emissions?
Answer
There are several key sources of information that permit international comparisons of energy use and emissions. Among these are:
- International Energy Agency
- Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC)
The sources, discussed below, vary according to the levels of detail, time periods covered, methodologies, etc. Using these and other sources, there are many ways to compare the U.S. to other countries. You can compare total energy use or emissions, compare use of individual fuels, emissions from specific sectors (transportation for example), per capita energy use and emissions, etc. Using data from the International Energy Agency, we provide in the table below a sampling of comparisons between the U.S., the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (the OECD, which includes most developed countries -- including the U.S.) and the world.
International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency collects statistics on energy use from most countries and periodically issues reports that present and analyze the data. A lot of the information is available online. For a quick overview, see Key World Energy Statistics -- 2004 Edition (2004) [PDF]. Below are some of the data from that report for the US, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the world.
Population (million) | 287.46 |
1,145.06 |
6,195.66 |
Gross Domestic Product or GDP (billion 95 US$) | 9,196.40 |
28,435.02 |
35,317.65 |
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity or PPP) (billion 95 US$) | 9,196.40 |
25,374.85 |
43,413.48 |
Total Primary Energy Supply or TPES (Mtoe) | 2,290.41 |
5,345.72 |
10,230.67 |
TPES / Population (toe / capita) | 7.97 |
4.67 |
1.65 |
TPES / GDP (toe / 000 95 US$) | 0.25 |
0.19 |
0.29 |
TPES / GDP (PPP) (toe / 000 95 US$ PPP) | 0.25 |
0.21 |
0.24 |
CO2 Emissions from fuel combustion (Mt of CO2) | 5,652.30 |
12,554.03 |
24,101.83 |
CO2 Emissions / TPES (t CO2 / toe) | 2.47 |
2.35 |
2.32 |
CO2 Emissions / Population (t CO2 / capita) | 19.66 |
10.96 |
3.89 |
CO2 Emissions / GDP (kg CO2 95 US$) | 0.61 |
0.44 |
0.68 |
CO2 Emissions / GDP (PPP) (kg CO2 / 95 US$ PPP) | 0.61 |
0.49 |
0.56 |
Definitions:
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The IEA provides additional online access to Energy Statistics, Energy Balances and Graphs . For other items, see IEA Publications, CD Roms and Papers.
Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) maintains Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data, currently extending from 1990 through 2002. The information is available as both PDF and Microsoft Excel files. Unlike the IEA data, it includes not only CO2 emissions but also:
- CH4 - Methane
- N2O - Nitrous oxide
- PFCs - Perfluorocarbons
- HFCs - Hydrofluorocarbons
- SF6 - Sulphur hexafluoride
- CO - Carbon monoxide
- NOX - Nitrogen oxides
- NMVOCs - Non-methane volatile organic compounds
- SOX - Sulphur oxides
The UNFCCC site also provides informative graphics such as:
- Total Aggregate Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Individual Annex I Parties, 1990-2002 (44 kB).
- Trends in aggregate greenhouse gas emissions, 1990-2002 (44 kB)
U.S. Energy Information Administration
While the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) focuses primarily on the U.S., it also produces reports that facilitate comparisons between the U.S. and other countries. The International Energy Annual includes a set of Microsoft Excel files that provide country-by-country data on CO2 emissions associated with fossil fuel use. The EIA's International Energy Outlook also is useful in assessing long-term prospects for energy use and related carbon emissions.
Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC)
The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) provides Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fossil-Fuel Consumption for major countries and regions, and for the world. Unlike either the IEA or UNFCCC, the CDIAC data extends back for many years -- to the 18th century for some data sets.
The above entry is posted under the following topic(s): Emissions data and trends • To link uniquely to the question and answer displayed above, please refer to this page where they are permanently posted. |
Where is information on U.S. energy demand and related greenhouse gas emissions?
Last updated 16 June 2005
Originally answered 18 June 2004
Full Question
Where can I find information on U.S. energy demand and related greenhouse gas emissions?
Answer
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Annual Energy Review 2003 (2004) is a good basic source of information on U.S. energy demand. See especially the chapters on Energy Consumption by Sector and Environmental Indicators. For more detailed data on energy-related emissions, see the EIA's Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States, 2003 [PDF] (published in 2004); or the Environmental Protection Agency's Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 – 2003 (April 2005).
The above entry is posted under the following topic(s): Mitigation of Climate Change • Energy End-Use and Infrastructure • Emissions data and trends • To link uniquely to the question and answer displayed above, please refer to this page where they are permanently posted. |
Excluding fossil fuel combustion, how else do humans affect the carbon cycle?
Last updated 15 November 2001
Originally answered 15 November 2001
Full Question
Excluding fossil fuel combustion, how else do humans affect the carbon cycle?
Answer
Data on CO2 emissions from all sources, including cement manufacture, can be found in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report “EPA Inventory (2002) of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Sinks: 1990-2000” http://www.epa.gov/oppeoee1/globalwarming/publications/emissions/us2002/index.html, especially Chapter 3. Industrial Processes
http://www.epa.gov/oppeoee1/globalwarming/publications/emissions/us2002/industrial_processes.pdf
These other sources also have CO2 emissions data and information:
Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.
http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/by_new/bysubjec.html#carbon
International Energy Agency, Greenhouse Gas Research & Development Programme.
A conference report- Emission Reduction of Greenhouse Gases from the Cement Industry
http://www.ieagreen.org.uk/prghgt42.htm
News report on an article in Science, Oct. 2000. “Humans Altered Global Carbon Cycle In Last 200 Years”
http://www.climateark.org/articles/2000/4th/hualglcc.htm
The above entry is posted under the following topic(s): Emissions data and trends • Global Carbon Cycle • Human Contributions and Responses • To link uniquely to the question and answer displayed above, please refer to this page where they are permanently posted. |