Greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the <a href="/facts/Greenhouse_effect/LGdNYYj3">greenhouse effect</a>. This contributes to <a href="/facts/Climate_change/rEN4BDE7">climate change</a>. <a href="/facts/Carbon_dioxide/xGzpppEp">Carbon dioxide</a> (CO2), from burning <a href="/facts/Fossil_fuel/BPgxAqB7">fossil fuels</a> such as <a href="/facts/Coal/83kV3qxg">coal</a>, <a href="/facts/Petroleum/IQV0bHVd">oil</a>, and <a href="/facts/Natural_gas/9MYQ7NAP">natural gas</a>, is the main cause of climate change. The <a href="/facts/Top_contributors_to_greenhouse_gas_emissions/C3QDomlz">largest annual emissions</a> are from China followed by the United States. The United States has <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_greenhouse_gas_emissions_per_capita/EkU1rFtY">higher emissions per capita</a>. The main producers fueling the emissions globally are <a href="/facts/Big_Oil/7tfvbHtV">large oil and gas companies</a>. Emissions from human activities have increased <a href="/facts/Carbon_dioxide_in_Earth%27s_atmosphere/h6A4HSzy">atmospheric carbon dioxide</a> by about 50% over pre-industrial levels. The growing levels of emissions have varied, but have been consistent among all <a href="/facts/Greenhouse_gas/HXaHqrT8">greenhouse gases</a>. Emissions in the 2010s averaged 56 billion tons a year, higher than any decade before. Total cumulative emissions from 1870 to 2022 were 703 GtC (2575 GtCO2), of which 484±20 GtC (1773±73 GtCO2) from <a href="/facts/Fossil_fuel/BPgxAqB7">fossil fuels</a> and industry, and 219±60 GtC (802±220 GtCO2) from <a href="/facts/Land_use,_land-use_change,_and_forestry/wuBPRKmE">land use change</a>. <a href="/facts/Land-use_change/W6dVvXjT">Land-use change</a>, <a href="/facts/Deforestation_and_climate_change/IBYJuPPk">such as deforestation</a>, caused about 31% of cumulative emissions over 1870–2022, <a href="/facts/Coal/83kV3qxg">coal</a> 32%, oil 24%, and gas 10%.
Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas resulting from human activities. It accounts for more than half of warming. <a href="/facts/Methane/kBHneYnh">Methane</a> (CH4) emissions have almost the same short-term impact. <a href="/facts/Nitrous_oxide/Jvys91lI">Nitrous oxide</a> (N2O) and <a href="/facts/Fluorinated_gases/hXs7VmyX">fluorinated gases</a> (F-gases) play a lesser role in comparison. Emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in 2023 were all higher than ever before.
<a href="/facts/Electricity_generation/Uo6mQQ1T">Electricity generation</a>, heat and <a href="/facts/Transport/npstdhvc">transport</a> are major emitters; overall energy is responsible for around 73% of emissions. <a href="/facts/Deforestation/L1TNhN9p">Deforestation</a> and other changes in land use also emit carbon dioxide and <a href="/facts/Methane/kBHneYnh">methane</a>. The largest source of anthropogenic <a href="/facts/Methane_emissions/IrclnYfB">methane emissions</a> is <a href="/facts/Greenhouse_gas_emissions_from_agriculture/ru4tQClx">agriculture</a>, closely followed by <a href="/facts/Gas_venting/DrLmfQJl">gas venting</a> and <a href="/facts/Fugitive_emissions/IlBkcDSY">fugitive emissions</a> from the <a href="/facts/Fossil_fuel_industry/BPgxAqB7">fossil-fuel industry</a>. The largest agricultural methane source is <a href="/facts/Livestock/Quhv6GvP">livestock</a>. <a href="/facts/Agricultural_soil_science/vX8d0GDK">Agricultural soils</a> emit <a href="/facts/Nitrous_oxide/Jvys91lI">nitrous oxide</a> partly due to <a href="/facts/Fertilizer/ysh3r6NJ">fertilizers</a>. Similarly, <a href="/facts/Fluorinated_gases/hXs7VmyX">fluorinated gases</a> from <a href="/facts/Refrigerant/rI60t5zU">refrigerants</a> play an outsized role in total human emissions.
The current CO2-equivalent emission rates averaging 6.6 tonnes per person per year, are well over twice the estimated rate 2.3 tons required to stay within the 2030 Paris Agreement increase of 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) over pre-industrial levels. Annual per capita emissions in the industrialized countries are typically as much as ten times the average in developing countries.

The <a href="/facts/Carbon_footprint/gRb1RaQl">carbon footprint</a> (or greenhouse gas footprint) serves as an indicator to compare the amount of greenhouse gases emitted over the entire <a href="/facts/Life-cycle_assessment/vGKCvfYf">life cycle</a> from the production of a good or service along the <a href="/facts/Supply_chain/cApUyx1h">supply chain</a> to its final consumption. <a href="/facts/Carbon_accounting/3NCyGeSc">Carbon accounting</a> (or greenhouse gas accounting) is a framework of methods to measure and track how much <a href="/facts/Greenhouse_gas/HXaHqrT8">greenhouse gas</a> an organization emits.

Greenhouse gas emissions open-in-new

Greenhouse gas emissions