CO2 Emissions

Fossil CO2 Emissions (2022)
38,521,997,860tons
Change
+1.15%
Per capita
4.80 tons
See data table

What is a greenhouse gas?

A greenhouse gas (GHG) is any gaseous compound that is capable of absorbing and emitting infrared radiation, thereby allowing less heat to escape back to space, and 'trapping' it in the lower atmosphere.

The major greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ozone (O3).

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions by Country

See full table


CO2 Emissions by Sector


CO2 emissions from burning fossel fuel for the following uses:

  • Power Industry - Electricity production comes mostly from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas. Greenhouse gas emissions from industry primarily come from burning fossil fuels for energy.
  • Industrial Combustion - from manufacturing.
  • Waste - solid waste disposed on land, solid waste composted and hazardous solid waste processing/storage, waste water handling, waste incineration.
  • Fuel Exploitation - fuel extraction, transformation and refineries activities, including venting and flaring.
  • Industrial Processes non-metallic minerals, non-ferrous metals, solvents and other product use, chemicals, etc
  • Transportation - from burning fossil fuel for cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes.
  • Agriculture - agriculture livestock (enteric fermentation, manure management), agriculture soils (fertilisers, lime application, rice cultivation, direct soil emissions, indirect N2O emissions from agriculture), field burning of agricultural residues.
  • Buildings - Commercial and residential. Greenhouse gas emissions from businesses and homes arise primarily from fossil fuels burned for heat, the use of certain products that contain greenhouse gases, and the handling of waste.

    Excluded are: short-cycle biomass burning (such as agricultural waste burning), large-scale biomass burning (such as forest fires) and carbon emissions/removals of land-use, land-use change and forestry.

C02 Emission Trends

  • Global Fossil CO2 emissions were 38,521,997,860 tons in 2022.
  • CO2 emissions increased by 1.15% over the previous year, representing an increase by 439,834,090 tons over 2021, when CO2 emissions were 38,082,163,770 tons.
  • CO2 emissions per capita worldwide are equivalent to 4.80 tons per person (based on a world population of 8,021,407,192 in 2022), an increase by 0.01 over the figure of 4.79 CO2 tons per person registered in 2021; this represents a change of 0.3% in CO2 emissions per capita.

Global Fossil CO2 emissions by Year

Year Fossil CO2 Emissions
(tons)
CO2 emisions
change
CO2 emissions
per capita
Population Pop.
change
2022 38,521,997,860 1.15% 4.80 8,021,407,192 0.84 %
2021 38,082,163,770 5.95% 4.79 7,954,448,391 0.86 %
2020 35,944,470,190 -4.97% 4.56 7,887,001,292 0.97 %
2019 37,824,905,990 -0.02% 4.84 7,811,293,698 1.05 %
2018 37,831,867,370 2.55% 4.89 7,729,902,781 1.10 %
2017 36,890,294,700 1.75% 4.83 7,645,617,954 1.15 %
2016 36,256,039,370 0.27% 4.80 7,558,554,526 1.18 %
2015 36,158,843,940 -0.36% 4.84 7,470,491,872 1.20 %
2014 36,290,301,590 0.62% 4.92 7,381,616,244 1.23 %
2013 36,066,749,090 1.94% 4.95 7,291,793,585 1.26 %
2012 35,379,993,670 1.34% 4.91 7,201,202,485 1.27 %
2011 34,911,300,320 3.14% 4.91 7,110,923,765 1.27 %
2010 33,848,387,620 6.12% 4.82 7,021,732,148 1.28 %
2009 31,897,660,490 -1.27% 4.60 6,932,766,416 1.29 %
2008 32,307,290,310 0.61% 4.72 6,844,457,662 1.29 %
2007 32,112,582,940 3.78% 4.75 6,757,308,781 1.29 %
2006 30,943,452,550 3.40% 4.64 6,671,452,015 1.28 %
2005 29,924,588,820 3.74% 4.54 6,586,970,132 1.29 %
2004 28,846,453,240 4.66% 4.44 6,503,377,772 1.29 %
2003 27,562,243,480 4.62% 4.29 6,420,361,634 1.30 %
2002 26,344,002,090 1.56% 4.16 6,337,730,342 1.32 %
2001 25,938,836,700 1.24% 4.15 6,254,936,459 1.35 %
2000 25,620,997,640 3.22% 4.15 6,171,702,993 1.36 %
1999 24,821,873,390 0.73% 4.08 6,089,006,339 1.36 %
1998 24,642,487,230 0.65% 4.10 6,007,066,690 1.39 %
1997 24,484,291,960 1.95% 4.13 5,924,787,816 1.42 %
1996 24,014,901,730 1.94% 4.11 5,842,055,734 1.44 %
1995 23,558,143,540 2.91% 4.09 5,758,878,982 1.47 %
1994 22,891,582,830 0.97% 4.03 5,675,551,255 1.50 %
1993 22,672,034,380 0.48% 4.05 5,591,544,797 1.55 %
1992 22,564,252,780 -0.40% 4.10 5,505,989,816 1.61 %
1991 22,654,806,350 0.61% 4.18 5,418,735,891 1.71 %
1990 22,516,769,410 0.82% 4.23 5,327,803,110 1.78 %
1989 22,333,211,520 1.76% 4.27 5,234,431,732 1.80 %
1988 21,946,990,560 3.57% 4.27 5,141,992,542 1.83 %
1987 21,190,595,500 3.16% 4.20 5,049,746,397 1.85 %
1986 20,541,707,830 1.76% 4.14 4,958,072,838 1.83 %
1985 20,185,802,360 1.30% 4.15 4,868,943,465 1.81 %
1984 19,926,536,400 3.21% 4.17 4,782,175,519 1.81 %
1983 19,307,236,260 0.72% 4.11 4,697,327,573 1.84 %
1982 19,169,203,050 -1.31% 4.16 4,612,673,421 1.85 %
1981 19,422,670,490 -1.85% 4.29 4,528,777,306 1.83 %
1980 19,788,043,060 -1.30% 4.45 4,447,606,236 1.81 %
1979 20,047,744,460 2.76% 4.59 4,368,539,528 1.78 %
1978 19,508,784,910 2.63% 4.55 4,292,097,502 1.76 %
1977 19,008,069,630 3.04% 4.51 4,217,863,796 1.78 %

Sources