CO2 Emissions from Energy in 2020 Lowest in 40 Years
As of the time of this writing, the world has become increasingly well-versed in certain terms and phrases rarely used before 2020 – i.e., self-quarantining, social distancing, contact tracing, and of course, masking-up. There’s little doubt, the last 1.5 years have certainly been less than enjoyable.
On the other hand, the coronavirus pandemic at least brought about one silver lining – according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), CO2 emissions in the U.S. from energy consumption in 2020 was the lowest it’s been in nearly 4 decades. That’s right, 1983 was the last year carbon dioxide emissions were this low. Overall, CO2 emissions declined 11% from 2019 to 2020, the largest year-over-year decrease ever recorded.
Details Behind the Decline in CO2 Emissions
According to the EIA brief, the three main sources of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions – petroleum (45% of the overall total), natural gas (36% of the total) and coal (19% of the total) – all declined commensurately year-over-year.
In 2020, 38% of natural gas CO2 emissions occurred in the electric power sector, and 90% of coal emissions were attributed to electric power (petroleum mainly impacts the transportation sector). Although coal represents a large portion of the total, the proportion of emissions from electricity-producing coal operations has been declining for the last decade, as it’s been displaced by natural gas and renewable energy sources.
The million-dollar question is, will the decline continue in the short term? Well, unfortunately, the answer is a resounding ‘no’ (at least according to the conservative EIA forecasts). The EIA expects CO2 emissions to increase by 7% in 2021 compared to 2020 as the country emerges from pandemic-related shutdowns and slowdowns and starts getting back to some semblance of normal.
Overall, I’m happy that CO2 emissions declined substantially at least for one year. It’s certainly better than nothing, as every little bit helps when it comes to holding off the relentless onslaught of climate change.
