Carbon dioxide emissions in the United States 1975-2023

Energy consumption in the United States produced 4.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO₂) in 2023 - a decrease of 2.7 percent from the previous year. U.S. CO₂ emissions from energy consumption have fallen by approximately 20 percent since 2005.

Sources of emissions in the U.S.

The main source of CO₂ emissions in the U.S. is the transportation sector. For many years, the power sector was the country’s biggest contributor to CO₂ emissions, but the transition towards cleaner energy sources and a shift away from coal-fired power generation – the most carbon intensive fossil fuel – have slashed emissions from this sector. Meanwhile, transportation emissions have continued to rise, except for an unprecedented drop in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19. 

U.S. transportation emissions

The U.S. is the biggest contributor to global transportation emissions by far. The states with the largest transportation-related emissions in the U.S. are Texas and California, which combined account for almost one quarter of total U.S. transportation emissions.