Greta Jimenez
The United States is one of the world's largest polluters, with the country's emissions to date dwarfing its remaining national carbon budget. The US has historically emitted more carbon dioxide than it would be allowed based on its population. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US is the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. Transportation is the largest source of emissions in the country, with aviation-related emissions being especially unequal. The US has reduced its emissions by 3% due to declining coal use, but it still remains twice that of Europe and China on a per capita basis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total US Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2022 | 6,343.2 Million Metric Tons of CO₂ equivalent |
| US Electricity Use Towards Pumping and Treating Water and Wastewater | 2% of total US electricity use |
| US Rail Transportation Emissions in 2022 | 35.6 Mt CO2e |
| Commercial Aircraft GHG Emissions in 2022 | 130.8 Mt CO2e |
| Average CO2 Emission by a Passenger Car in 2024 | 0.67 lbs of CO2 per mile |
| US Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the mid-20th century | 5 gigatons per year |
| US Carbon Dioxide Emissions at the end of the 20th century | 35 billion tons per year |
| US Goods Imported from China in 2020 | $450.4 billion |
| US Emissions Ranking | 1st among China and India |
| US Per Capita Emissions Ranking | 2nd after Australia |
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What You'll Learn
Greenhouse gas emissions from industry
The United States is one of the world's largest polluters, with the country's emissions contributing significantly to global warming. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes approximately 7 million deaths annually, and it is predicted that 7 in 10 people will live in urban areas by the middle of the century. Therefore, cities are becoming a crucial battleground in the global effort to improve air quality.
The US military is the world's largest institutional greenhouse gas emitter, accounting for at least 1% of the country's total emissions annually. From 1979 to 2023, the Pentagon produced almost 4,000 MtCO2e, comparable to India's total emissions in 2023, a country with 1.4 billion people. The US military industry, which manufactures weapons, planes, and other war equipment, generates more than twice the greenhouse gases emitted by the Pentagon each year.
The US has also been criticized for its lack of commitment to reducing emissions. During the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the US successfully lobbied for an exemption for emissions generated by military fuel use. More recently, the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has targeted climate rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions, including the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, which required large polluters to disclose their emissions.
However, there have been some positive developments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industry in the US. The Greenhouse Gas Reporting program, implemented by the Obama administration in 2009, led to a 20% reduction in emissions from large carbon polluters such as refineries, power plants, and landfills. Additionally, the shift from coal to cheaper and less polluting natural gas has also contributed to declining emissions.
To further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industry, various strategies can be implemented:
- Implementing and enforcing regulations: The US government can introduce and enforce regulations aimed at reducing emissions from industrial sources, such as power plants and refineries.
- Encouraging renewable energy: Incentives and subsidies can be provided to promote the adoption of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, in place of fossil fuels.
- Improving energy efficiency: Industries can be encouraged to invest in energy-efficient technologies and practices to reduce their energy consumption and associated emissions. Energy efficiency improvements can be made in transportation, buildings, and electronic devices.
- Carbon capture and storage: Technologies for carbon capture and storage can be developed and deployed to capture greenhouse gases emitted by industrial processes before they are released into the atmosphere.
- International cooperation: The US can collaborate with other countries to share best practices and technologies for reducing industrial emissions and to work towards global emissions reduction targets.
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Carbon dioxide emissions from transport
Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation account for about 28% of total US greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor to US GHG emissions. In 2016, global CO2 emissions (including land use) were 36.7 billion tonnes, of which emissions from transport were 7.9 billion tonnes.
Transportation emissions come from burning fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other derivatives of oil. These fuels are used to power cars, trucks, planes, and trains. In 2018, road travel accounted for three-quarters of transport emissions, with 45.1% coming from passenger vehicles and 29.4% from freight trucks.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have implemented regulations to reduce GHG emissions from transportation. These include setting emissions and fuel economy standards for cars, light trucks, and heavy-duty trucks. The EPA has also issued GHG emission standards for certain new commercial airplanes.
The use of electric vehicles is expected to contribute to emissions reductions in the coming decades. As the power sector becomes less carbon-intensive, electric vehicles will produce fewer emissions. Additionally, technological innovations, such as lower-carbon electricity sources, can help offset the rising demand for transport.
It is important to note that the United States has already "overspent" its carbon budget, according to some analyses. This means that the country has emitted more carbon dioxide than it would be allowed based on its population.
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Most polluted US cities
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is responsible for 7 million deaths annually, and could cost the global economy between $18–25 trillion by 2060 in annual welfare costs, or roughly 4–6% of world GDP.
The American Lung Association's 2024 State of the Air Report lists the following cities as the most polluted in the US:
- Bakersfield, California
- Visalia, California
- Fresno, California
- Los Angeles, California
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
These cities were ranked based on their weighted average number of unhealthy air days, with the city with the largest number being #1. Bakersfield, Visalia, and Fresno are located in the Central Valley, a 450-mile flat valley that runs parallel to the Pacific coast. The valley tends to trap pollution from the big population centers on the coast, and the southern end of the valley, where these cities are located, is drier and hotter, which is worse for air quality. The top three local sources of PM2.5 emissions in 2023 were farms (20%), forest management/agricultural waste burning (20%), and road dust (14%).
Other cities that are still suffering from poor air quality due to constant coal use in power stations include Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. The large fleet of delivery trucks in Los Angeles has been a major source of pollution. The demand for electricity has not changed much due to COVID, and air pollution negatively impacts the US economy by around 5% of the total GDP.
Air pollution is a complex mixture of gases, particles, and liquid droplets and can have a variety of sources, including wildfires and cookstoves in rural areas, and road dust and diesel exhaust in cities. Some kinds of air pollution that are especially harmful to human health include ozone and carbon monoxide. Ozone pollution is caused by the various oxides of nitrogen and other gases or chemicals released from cars and other similar sources when exposed to sunlight. Ground-level ozone can have very negative health effects and is counted among the several pollutants that go into calculating the AQI (Air Quality Index).
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US emissions compared to other countries
The United States is one of the world's largest polluters, with its emissions historically being a by-product of improvements in human living conditions. The US was the world's largest emitter until 1950, when it was overtaken by the UK, which was the first country to industrialize. Over the past 50 years, industrialization in the US has rapidly increased its contribution to global emissions.
In 2021, the US's per-person emission rate was nearly twice as large as China's and nearly eight times that of India's. However, China has since overtaken the US as the largest annual emitter. The US imported $450.4 billion worth of goods from China in 2020, with many of the resulting products purchased by American consumers. This means that US emissions are not wholly independent of other countries' emissions.
In 2023, the US, China, India, the EU27, Russia, and Brazil were the world's largest GHG emitters. However, some argue that for a fair comparison, emissions should be analyzed per capita. In 2023, China's per capita emissions were almost two-thirds those of the US, and less than a sixth of those of Palau, the country with the highest emissions per capita.
The US has overspent its carbon budget, according to a Scientific American analysis. This analysis tallied historical emissions by country, divided each nation's carbon budget by world population to arrive at a per-person carbon budget, and then multiplied the per-person budget by the national population.
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Reducing US emissions
The United States is one of the world's top polluters, with the country's emissions dwarfing its remaining national carbon budget. The US has already overspent its carbon budget, according to a Scientific American analysis. The US's emissions are twice those of Europe and China and eight times those of India, on a per capita basis.
Transportation is the largest source of emissions in the United States, with road transport making up a particularly high share of the top decile's carbon footprint. The average passenger car emitted 0.67 lbs of CO2 per mile driven in 2024. To reduce emissions, individuals can opt for walking, biking, carpooling, using transit, or driving a best-in-class vehicle. Electric vehicles are starting to slow oil use in the US, but the country is still far from net zero.
Another significant source of emissions is the commercial and residential sector, which includes fossil fuels burned for heat, gases for refrigeration and cooling in buildings, and waste handling. Buildings use 75% of the electricity generated in the US, and electricity use has increased by 52% since 1996. To reduce emissions, individuals can improve energy efficiency in their homes, unplug devices when not in use, and switch to energy-efficient lighting.
Industrial emissions are the third-largest source of direct emissions. If indirect emissions from electricity use are included, industrial activities account for a much larger share of US emissions. These emissions come from burning fossil fuels for energy and certain chemical reactions necessary to produce goods from raw materials.
Agriculture is another source of emissions, with greenhouse gases coming from livestock such as cows, agricultural soils, and rice production.
To reduce US emissions, individuals can make behavioural changes such as regulating temperatures, replacing short-haul flights with high-speed rail, reducing long-haul flights, phasing out internal combustion engines, and driving in a fuel-efficient way. Additionally, individuals can reduce their meat consumption, waste less food, and improve water and energy use efficiency.
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Frequently asked questions
The US emitted 6,343.2 million metric tons of CO2 in 2022.
The US has the highest per capita emissions in the world, with the top 10% of emitters producing over 1000 times more CO2 than the bottom 10%. The US's per capita emissions are twice those of Europe and China, and eight times those of India.
The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US is burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. Transportation is the largest source of emissions in the US, and wildfires have also been a significant contributor in recent years.
