US CO2 emissions fall

As noted in a recent article on energy use, both oil and natural gas consumption were higher in 2016 than in 2015, while coal consumption was significantly lower. Consistent with changes in fuel consumption, energy-related CO₂ emissions in 2016 from petroleum and natural gas increased 1.1% and 0.9%, respectively, while coal-related emissions decreased 8.6%.

There are several ways to assess CO₂ emissions trends within the context of measures of economic activity. Carbon intensity is a measure that relates CO₂ emissions to economic output. Early estimates indicate that gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a rate of 1.6% in 2016, down from 2.6% in 2015. Taken together with a 1.7% decline in energy-related CO₂, the 1.6% estimate of economic growth implies a 3.3% decline in the carbon intensity of the US economy. In 2015, carbon intensity of the economy had decreased by 5.3%.

The US transportation sector was the only consumption sector where CO₂ emissions increased in 2016. CO₂ emissions from the transportation sector increased by 1.9%, largely reflecting emissions from motor gasoline, which increased 1.8% in 2016. Emissions from the transportation sector surpassed those from the power sector during 2016 — a trend that persists through at least 2040 in the reference case projections in EIA’s 2017 Annual Energy Outlook.

CO₂ emissions from the electric power sector fell by 4.9% in 2016. A significant reduction in coal use for electricity generation was offset by increased generation from natural gas and renewable sources. Renewables do not emit CO₂₂

Weather also affected the level of energy use and CO₂

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/the-environment/11042017/us-co2-emissions-fall/