GHGRP Emissions Trends
Figure 1: Trends in Direct GHG Emissions (2011-2023) 1,2,3
View this information in FLIGHT.
1 GHG data for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems source category is not directly comparable between 2011-2015 and 2016 onward. Facilities in the Onshore Petroleum and Natural Gas Gathering & Boosting and the Onshore Gas Transmission Pipelines industry segments began reporting in 2016.
2 Non-fluorinated Chemicals and Fluorinated Chemicals are components of “Chemicals” in FLIGHT.
3 Other Combustion, Underground Coal Mines, Electronics Manufacturing and Electrical Equipment Production & Use comprise “Other” in FLIGHT.
How did COVID influence the trend in emissions from 2019 to 2020?
National level trends in greenhouse gas emissions are available through the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022 (April 2024). The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is different from the U.S. GHG Inventory in that it collects information from the largest stationary sources in the U.S. and provides nearly complete emissions coverage for many of the largest emitting industries. Trends in emissions reported for individual industries are discussed in the industry-specific reports.
Total U.S. emissions increased by 0.1% from 2021 to 2022, based on the U.S. GHG Inventory. For sources reporting to the GHGRP, emissions decreased by 0.8% from 2021 to 2022.
The U.S. GHG Inventory is not yet available for 2023. For sources reporting to the GHGRP, emissions decreased by 4.4% from 2022 to 2023. Over the past thirteen reporting years (2011-2023), GHGRP reported direct emissions from sectors other than oil and gas (also excluding suppliers) declined by 27.1%. This decline is primarily caused by a 33.8% decline in reported power plant emissions since 2011.
| Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. GHG Inventory | |||||||||||||
| Total emissions (million metric tons CO2e) | 6,971.9 | 6,723.0 | 6,908.2 | 6,962.6 | 6,812.2 | 6,637.0 | 6,616.9 | 6,815.5 | 6,648.2 | 6,070.2 | 6,401.7 | 6,410.8 | Not available |
| Percent change in emissions from previous year | — | -3.6% | 2.8% | 0.8% | -2.2% | -2.6% | -0.3% | 3.0% | -2.5% | -8.7% | 5.5% | 0.1% | Not available |
| GHGRP | |||||||||||||
| Number of direct-emitting facilities | 7,645 | 7,896 | 7,985 | 8,209 | 8,052 | 7,677 | 7,598 | 7,717 | 7,727 | 7,692 | 7,670 | 7,616 | 7,544 |
| Direct emissions (million metric tons CO2e) | 3,318.4 | 3,169.3 | 3,189.6 | 3,204.0 | 3,058.1 | 2,987.71 | 2,926.01 | 2,989.61 | 2,861.51 | 2,605.21 | 2,719.51 | 2,696.91 | 2,578.61 |
| Percent change in emissions from previous year | — | -4.5% | 0.6% | 0.5% | -4.6% | -2.3% | -2.1% | 2.2% | -4.3% | -9.0% | 4.4% | -0.8% | -4.4% |
1 GHG data for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems source category is not directly comparable between 2011-2015 and 2016 onward. Facilities in the Onshore Oil & Gas, Gathering & Boosting, and Onshore Gas Transmission Pipelines industry segments began reporting in 2016.
| Sector | 2011 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2012 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2013 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2014 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2015 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2016 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2017 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2018 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2019 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2020 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2021 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2022 Emissions (MMT CO2e) | 2023 Emissions (MMT CO2e) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Plants | 2,221.7 | 2,089.5 | 2,105.7 | 2,101.7 | 1,972.3 | 1,875.1 | 1,799.4 | 1,814.8 | 1,668.7 | 1,495.1 | 1,597.3 | 1,585.6 | 1,471.5 |
| Oil & Gas | 222.3 | 225.7 | 228.0 | 235.7 | 236.4 | 277.01 | 288.31 | 318.21 | 350.11 | 318.11 | 315.41 | 317.91 | 322.51 |
| Chemicals | 180.4 | 173.0 | 174.6 | 177.1 | 177.1 | 177.1 | 185.0 | 192.3 | 187.2 | 185.3 | 187.3 | 186.2 | 184.8 |
| Fluorinated Chemicals | 17.3 | 14.4 | 13.4 | 11.7 | 10.3 | 7.6 | 9.9 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Non-fluorinated Chemicals | 163.1 | 158.6 | 161.2 | 165.4 | 166.8 | 169.6 | 174.0 | 184.1 | 177.9 | 178.7 | 180.7 | 179.8 | 181.2 |
| Refineries | 178.2 | 172.6 | 174.3 | 175.3 | 176.9 | 180.9 | 178.7 | 181.7 | 177.5 | 160.6 | 164.5 | 163.6 | 162.0 |
| Waste | 114.9 | 115.0 | 111.3 | 111.9 | 110.0 | 106.4 | 104.5 | 106.7 | 108.2 | 103.8 | 101.7 | 99.7 | 99.8 |
| Metals | 112.0 | 106.8 | 106.9 | 104.5 | 91.4 | 88.3 | 88.9 | 92.2 | 89.9 | 78.0 | 82.4 | 76.7 | 78.8 |
| Minerals | 114.9 | 107.8 | 111.5 | 117.0 | 115.0 | 111.0 | 114.4 | 116.1 | 114.8 | 109.3 | 114.2 | 114.7 | 109.4 |
| Pulp & Paper | 44.2 | 42.8 | 39.4 | 39.3 | 38.4 | 37.5 | 35.4 | 35.7 | 35.3 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 33.4 | 31.7 |
| Other | 141.6 | 136.0 | 137.8 | 141.6 | 140.5 | 134.3 | 131.5 | 131.9 | 129.7 | 120.1 | 121.7 | 119.0 | 118.1 |
| Underground Coal Mines | 40.9 | 38.8 | 41.0 | 41.2 | 43.9 | 39.2 | 38.2 | 36.0 | 35.0 | 30.9 | 29.5 | 26.5 | 29.1 |
| Electrical Equipment Production & Use | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Electronics Manufacturing | 7.0 | 6.4 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 5.5 |
| Miscellaneous Combustion | 89.5 | 87.4 | 88.2 | 90.7 | 87.6 | 85.9 | 84.6 | 87.1 | 85.7 | 80.7 | 83.5 | 84.3 | 81.5 |
1 GHG data for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems source category is not directly comparable between 2011-2015 and 2016 onward. Facilities in the Onshore Oil & Gas, Gathering & Boosting, and Onshore Gas Transmission Pipelines industry segments began reporting in 2016.