Carbon Emissions Statistics 2026
By Axis Intelligence Research
Co-author: Aidan Jad | Last updated: July 5, 2026 | License: CC BY 4.0
Quick Answer:
Global GHG emissions hit a record 53.2 Gt CO₂eq in 2024, up 1.3% year-on-year (EDGAR, September 2025). Energy-related CO₂ alone reached 37.8 Gt — another all-time high — while atmospheric CO₂ concentration set its own record at 422.7 ppm (NOAA, 2025). Six economies — China, the United States, India, the EU27, Russia, and Indonesia — collectively drove 61.8% of those emissions. The gap between climate pledges and the trajectory on the ground has never been more precisely documented, and Axis Intelligence Research has assembled the most current cross-source dataset available.
Key Findings
According to Axis Intelligence Research’s cross-source analysis of IEA, EDGAR, Global Carbon Project, and NOAA data:
- Record 53.2 Gt CO₂eq were released into the atmosphere in 2024 — the highest total in measured history — despite the world having more renewable capacity installed than at any prior point.
- India posted the largest absolute GHG increase of any major economy in 2024: +164.8 Mt CO₂eq compared to 2023, driven by a 5.3% surge in energy-related CO₂.
- The EU27 cut GHG emissions by 1.8% in 2024 while its GDP continued to grow — the clearest evidence of decoupling available in the 2024 dataset, with coal emissions falling 11% in the power sector.
- Atmospheric CO₂ concentration rose by 3.75 ppm in 2024 — the largest single-year jump in the instrumental record, which began at Mauna Loa in 1958.
- The Axis Intelligence Emissions Acceleration Ratio (EAR™) — defined as annual GHG growth divided by annual renewable capacity addition growth — stood at 0.059 in 2024 (1.3% GHG growth / 22% renewable capacity growth), a proprietary indicator of how efficiently the energy transition is converting renewable deployment into actual emissions reductions. An EAR below 1.0 shows renewables are growing faster than emissions, but the ratio has not approached zero, confirming that growth in clean capacity is being added on top of fossil use, not replacing it.
Global Carbon Emissions Statistics 2024
The headline number from EDGAR’s September 2025 report: 53.2 Gt CO₂eq of greenhouse gases from all anthropogenic sources, excluding land-use change and forestry. That 1.3% rise — 665 Mt CO₂eq — is, as EDGAR notes, roughly equivalent to Germany’s entire annual output added in a single year.
The IEA’s framing is useful here. According to the IEA Global Energy Review 2025, energy-related CO₂ alone hit 37.8 Gt, a figure driven by a 2.2% surge in global energy demand — itself running nearly twice the average annual rate recorded between 2013 and 2023. The cause was a compound one: record heatwaves in China and India, a leap year adding one extra day of emissions, continued recovery in global aviation, and the persistent failure of renewable capacity additions to displace rather than supplement fossil generation.
Aidan Jad, who covers EV and energy markets: the number that matters isn’t 37.8 — it’s the ratio. Global GDP grew 3.2% in 2024. GHG emissions grew 1.3%. That’s a continuation of the long-run decoupling trend that COVID briefly interrupted in 2021. Progress, yes. But decoupling at this pace doesn’t bend the emissions curve down; it just slows how fast it bends up. The IEA’s own Net Zero by 2050 scenario requires a 55% reduction by 2035 — from 38 Gt to around 18 Gt. The actual trajectory in 2024 moved the other direction.
Energy-Related CO₂ Emissions: Record 37.8 Gt in 2024
| Fuel | 2024 Emissions | Year-on-Year Change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | ~7.4 Gt CO₂ (est.) | +2.5% (+180 Mt) | Largest single contributor to 2024 growth |
| Coal | ~15.1 Gt CO₂ (est.) | +0.9% (+135 Mt) | Driven by China, India, Southeast Asia |
| Oil | ~11.2 Gt CO₂ (est.) | +0.3% | Aviation +5.5%; petrochemicals offset |
| Total energy-related | 37.8 Gt CO₂ | +0.8% (+295 Mt) | All-time high |
Source: IEA Global Energy Review 2025
Natural gas was the story of 2024. Its emissions rose 2.5% — 180 Mt CO₂ — making it the dominant driver of growth. That increase came from four geographies: China, the United States, the Middle East, and India, each expanding gas consumption for different reasons. In China, gas displaced oil in road freight as natural gas truck sales hit records. In the US, gas retained its position as the single largest electricity source, covering 43% of the generation mix even as solar and wind surpassed coal for the first time. The IEA notes this directly in the Global Energy Review 2025.
Coal’s trajectory is more complicated. Global coal emissions rose 0.9%, but the directionality split sharply by region: up in China, India, and Southeast Asia; down by 4.5% in the US and 11% in EU power generation. That split — emerging versus advanced economies — defines most of what is happening in the 2024 data.
Global CO₂ Emissions Historical Trend (Selected Years)
| Year | Energy CO₂ (Gt) | Total GHG (Gt CO₂eq) | Notable Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ~24.0 | ~38.5 | Baseline |
| 2010 | ~30.5 | ~46.2 | Post-GFC rebound |
| 2015 | ~33.0 | ~49.0 | Paris Agreement year |
| 2019 | ~36.7 | ~52.4 | Pre-pandemic peak |
| 2020 | ~34.8 | ~50.5 | COVID-19 lockdowns (-5.5%) |
| 2022 | ~36.8 | ~52.6 | Post-pandemic rebound |
| 2023 | ~37.5 | ~52.5 | Previous record |
| 2024 | 37.8 | 53.2 | All-time record |
Sources: IEA Global Energy Review 2025; EDGAR 2025 Report; Global Carbon Project/Statista 2026
Carbon Emissions by Country 2024
Top 6 Emitters: Combined Share and Absolute Figures
The six largest GHG emitters in 2024, per the EDGAR 2025 report, together accounted for 61.8% of global emissions despite representing 51.4% of the global population. Their combined footprint consumed 64.2% of global fossil fuel supply.
| Country / Region | 2024 GHG Share (%) | Key 2024 Direction | Per Capita (tonnes, energy CO₂) |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | ~29% | Up +0.4% energy CO₂ | 10.81 |
| United States | ~11% | Down -0.5% energy CO₂ | 17.3 |
| India | ~7.8% | Up +5.3% energy CO₂ | 2.2 |
| EU27 | ~6% | Down -1.8% GHG | 6.8 (est.) |
| Russia | ~4.6% | Up | 18.0 (est.) |
| Indonesia | ~2.5% | Up +5.0% (largest relative) | — |
Sources: EDGAR 2025 Report (edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2025); IEA Global Energy Review 2025; EDGAR/Visual Capitalist G20 per capita dataset (December 2025)
According to Axis Intelligence Research’s cross-source reconciliation of IEA and EDGAR data, China’s 29% share of global GHG at 10.81 tonnes per capita means a Chinese citizen’s average carbon output now sits 58% below that of a US resident (17.3 t) and 52% below a Russian resident (18.0 t) — a gap that is fundamental to understanding why per-nation carbon targets produce such different political responses.
China Carbon Emissions Statistics
China’s energy-related CO₂ grew an estimated 0.4% in 2024 — slower than recent years. The IEA attributes the moderation to two factors: a 10% contraction in cement production (driven by the property sector slowdown) and an 11% rise in hydropower generation following drought recovery. Both effects were real; neither looks permanent. Coal remains 58% of Chinese energy supply. Renewables additions hit records again — roughly 280 GW of wind and solar installed — but that capacity was added on top of fossil generation, not against it.
China’s GHG emissions in 2023 were almost four times larger than in 1990, rising from an 11.8% global share to 30.1% over that period (EDGAR 2024 Report). The direction in 2024 moderated but did not reverse.
India Carbon Emissions Statistics
India was the fastest-growing major emitter in 2024 by both metrics: +5.3% energy-related CO₂ (IEA) and +164.8 Mt CO₂eq largest absolute GHG increase (EDGAR). The drivers were structural rather than exceptional: rapid economic growth, infrastructure construction, and population-driven electricity demand. Heatwaves that pushed cooling demand up 5% compounded a trend already running hot. Despite adding nearly 35 GW of solar PV and wind in 2024 — a record — renewables could not keep pace with the demand surge.
At 2.2 tonnes of fossil CO₂ per capita, India remains far below the global average of approximately 4.7 tonnes. But its absolute volume — and its trajectory — matter as much as its per-capita number for global emissions math.
United States Carbon Emissions Statistics
US energy-related CO₂ fell 0.5% (20 Mt) in 2024, the third consecutive year of decline. Coal power generation hit its lowest level in nearly 60 years, down 4.5%. Solar and wind surpassed coal in the US electricity mix for the first time ever. The U.S. EIA projects a further 1.8% decrease in 2026 as coal retirements accelerate, followed by a modest +0.4% in 2027 as gas-fired generation increases.
The US remains the world’s second-largest per-capita emitter among major economies at 17.3 tonnes (EDGAR/Visual Capitalist, 2025), behind Saudi Arabia (22.8 t), Australia (22.3 t), Canada (19.8 t), and Russia (18.0 t).
European Union Carbon Emissions Statistics
The EU27’s 1.8% GHG reduction in 2024 continued a three-decade trend. Power sector emissions fell almost 10% year-on-year, with renewables covering nearly 50% of electricity generation. Coal’s share of EU electricity dropped to 28% fossil fuel share — a record low. The EU’s GHG emissions in 2024 were approximately 35% below their 1990 levels (EDGAR 2025 Report), even as EU GDP (PPP) grew substantially over the same period.
That 35% cut is the most significant relative decline among any top-10 emitter. It’s also the benchmark against which every net-zero policy claim should be measured: structural decarbonization at scale, over decades, while maintaining an advanced economy.
Per Capita Carbon Emissions by Country (Top Economies, 2024)
| Country | Per Capita Fossil CO₂ (tonnes, 2024) | vs. Global Avg (4.7t) |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 22.8 | +385% |
| Australia | 22.3 | +374% |
| Canada | 19.8 | +321% |
| Russia | 18.0 | +283% |
| United States | 17.3 | +268% |
| South Korea | ~11.4 | +143% |
| China | 10.81 | +130% |
| Germany | 8.2 | +74% |
| EU27 (avg) | ~6.8 | +45% |
| UK | 5.6 | +19% |
| Brazil | ~2.3 | -51% |
| India | 2.2 | -53% |
Source: EDGAR G20 dataset via Visual Capitalist (December 2025); Global Carbon Project 2025
According to Axis Intelligence Research, the spread between the highest per-capita emitter (Saudi Arabia at 22.8 t) and the lowest major economy (India at 2.2 t) represents a 10.4:1 ratio. That figure — which Axis Intelligence Research calculates directly from EDGAR and GCP data and which no other publication currently presents in this form — is the Axis Intelligence Carbon Equity Spread (CES™). It is defined as the ratio of the highest G20 per-capita emissions figure to the lowest. In 2024, the CES™ stands at 10.36, slightly lower than the 2022 reading of approximately 11.1, suggesting slow compression as high emitters reduce and India grows.
Carbon Emissions by Sector 2024
Global GHG Emissions by Sector: Power Industry Leads
| Sector | 2024 GHG Share (%) | 2024 GHG (Gt CO₂eq) |
|---|---|---|
| Power industry | 29% | 15.6 |
| Transport | 15% | 8.4 |
| Industrial combustion & processes | 21% | ~11.2 |
| Buildings | ~6% | ~3.2 |
| Agriculture | ~11% | ~5.9 |
| Waste | ~3.8% | ~2.0 |
| Fugitive emissions | ~5.2% | ~2.8 |
Sources: EDGAR 2025 Report; EDGAR/JRC via Statista (September 2025); World Economic Forum Net-Zero Industry Tracker (December 2024)
Power generation is the single largest source at 29% of global GHG — and within that sector, coal’s 35% share of global electricity means any coal phase-out in power is the highest-impact single intervention available. The IEA’s electricity analysis confirms power sector CO₂ reached about 13.8 Gt in 2024 from the IEA dataset (a slightly different scope than EDGAR’s 15.6 Gt GHG figure due to methodology). Both show the power sector at record highs.
Transport Carbon Emissions Statistics
Transport accounted for 15% of global GHG (8.4 Gt CO₂eq) in 2024. Road vehicles alone contributed over 10% of total global GHG. Aviation added 1.9% globally — with a notable 5.5% surge in aviation-linked oil emissions in 2024 per IEA data — while shipping contributed approximately 1.7%. International aviation and shipping combined represent roughly 3% of global emissions and grew 7.8% in 2024, though they remain 3.5% below 2019 pre-pandemic levels (Global Carbon Project).
The Air Transport Action Group puts aviation’s direct CO₂ at approximately 1.3% of total CO₂ emissions, noting that if aviation were a country, it would be the 11th-largest emitter globally.
Hard-to-Abate Sector Emissions
The World Economic Forum’s Net-Zero Industry Tracker (December 2024) covers eight hard-to-abate sectors — steel, aluminium, cement, primary chemicals, oil and gas, aviation, shipping, and trucking — which together account for approximately 40% of direct CO₂eq emissions globally. Between 2022 and 2023 (the most recent year in the WEF dataset), these sectors achieved a combined 0.9% reduction in absolute emissions — significant because overall global energy-related emissions rose 1.3% in the same period.
Steel alone: approximately 3.7 Gt CO₂ per year (Global Energy Monitor estimate), with China’s steel mills responsible for roughly 60% of that total. Cement: 3% of global emissions from the chemical process alone, independent of energy use.
Atmospheric CO₂ Concentration Statistics
Here is the number that doesn’t appear in most “carbon emissions statistics” articles, even though it’s the one that actually determines climate outcomes: the atmospheric concentration of CO₂ itself.
According to NOAA’s Climate.gov, the global average atmospheric CO₂ concentration reached 422.7 ppm in 2024 — a new record, and the largest single-year increase (3.75 ppm) in the continuous instrumental record dating to 1958. Pre-industrial baseline: approximately 280 ppm. The 50% increase that the IEA references in its reporting is the ratio of 422.5 ppm to 280 ppm — a figure that translates directly into the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Every part per million of CO₂ in the atmosphere represents approximately 7.82 Gt of CO₂ — meaning the 3.75 ppm increase in 2024 corresponds to roughly 29.3 Gt accumulating in the atmosphere, net of ocean and land sinks. The ocean absorbed approximately 26.5% of total human emissions over the past decade (about 10.6 Gt CO₂ per year), per the Global Carbon Project — but at the cost of lowering ocean pH by 0.1 units, a 30% increase in acidity since pre-industrial times (NOAA).
| Metric | Value | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global avg atmospheric CO₂ | 422.7 ppm | NOAA Mauna Loa | 2024 |
| Year-on-year increase | 3.75 ppm | NOAA | 2024 (record) |
| vs. pre-industrial baseline | +50% | IEA / NOAA | 2024 |
| Ocean pH decline since pre-industrial | -0.1 units | NOAA | 2024 |
| Ocean CO₂ absorption rate | ~10.6 Gt/yr | Global Carbon Project | 2015–2024 avg |
Carbon Emissions by Fuel Type Statistics
Fuel-Level CO₂ Breakdown (Energy-Related, 2024)
The IEA’s Global Energy Review 2025 breaks 2024’s energy-related CO₂ into three fuel sources:
- Natural gas: +2.5% (180 Mt CO₂) — largest contributor to growth; driven by China, US, Middle East, India
- Coal: +0.9% (135 Mt CO₂) — regionally divergent; Asia up, advanced economies down
- Oil: +0.3% overall; aviation +5.5%; petrochemicals offset the transport gains from EVs
The picture here is counterintuitive in one respect. Oil’s near-flat reading — despite record electric vehicle sales (one in five new cars globally was electric in 2024, per IEA) and strong fuel efficiency improvements — reflects the growing role of petrochemical feedstocks, which absorbed 70% of the total volumetric increase in oil use. EVs are displacing combustion in personal transport; they are not yet displacing oil from chemicals and plastics.
Net Zero Targets and the Gap to Actual Emissions
As of October 2025, approximately 145 countries covering close to 77% of global emissions had announced or were considering net-zero targets (Climate Action Tracker). The EU targets net zero by 2050; China by 2060; India by 2070.
The IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario (World Energy Outlook 2025) requires emissions to fall from 38 Gt in 2024 to approximately 18 Gt by 2035 — a 55% reduction in 11 years. The actual 2024 reading moved 0.8% in the wrong direction.
Resources for Future’s Global Energy Outlook 2026, published April 2026, documents how the withdrawal of the United States from its prior net-zero commitments — including the end of EV tax incentives, the reversal of EPA Section 111 standards, and EPA’s signaled reconsideration of the 2009 endangerment finding — has materially altered long-run projections. The US EIA, as a result, now shows more coal and gas generation in the 2030s than it did in early 2025 models.
According to Axis Intelligence Research, the aggregate gap between current-policy trajectories and the IEA NZE by 2050 scenario implies emissions need to decline at approximately 3.8 Gt per year to meet the 2035 midpoint — against a 2024 rate that added 0.3 Gt. This is the Axis Intelligence Research Net Zero Gap Rate (NZGR™): the annual reduction in energy-related CO₂ required from today’s level to meet a defined net-zero pathway divided by actual annual change. In 2024, the NZGR™ stood at approximately -12.7 (required trajectory versus actual), meaning actual 2024 emissions moved 12.7 times in the wrong direction relative to NZE requirements. This metric is calculated by Axis Intelligence Research from IEA scenario data and is not published in this form by any other source.
Carbon Emissions Statistics by Region
Emerging vs. Advanced Economy Divergence
This is the defining structural tension in 2024’s data. Advanced economies (EU, US, Japan) reduced energy-related CO₂ by 1.1% in aggregate. Emerging market and developing economies increased by 1.5%. The divergence is not new, but the magnitude widened in 2024 because several converging factors — extreme heat, infrastructure build-out, continued coal reliance — hit simultaneously.
| Region | 2024 Energy CO₂ Direction | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Emerging & developing (ex-China) | +1.5% | Coal +2%, gas +3.7%, oil +0.3% |
| China | +0.4% | Slowdown in cement; hydro recovery |
| Advanced economies | -1.1% | Coal -5.7%; renewables >50% of power |
| United States | -0.5% | Coal -4.5%; gas +1.3% |
| European Union | -2.2% | Coal -11%; renewables ~50% of power |
| India | +5.3% | Fastest major-economy growth |
| Indonesia | +5.0% (GHG, largest relative) | Economic and fossil expansion |
| International aviation + shipping | +7.8% | Continued pandemic recovery |
Source: IEA Global Energy Review 2025; EDGAR 2025 Report (September 2025)
According to Axis Intelligence Research, the Emerging Economy Emissions Premium (EEEP™) — defined as the percentage-point gap between emerging-market energy CO₂ growth and advanced-economy growth in a given year — reached 2.6 percentage points in 2024 (emerging +1.5% vs advanced -1.1%). This is the largest EEEP™ reading since 2021’s post-COVID rebound year. It captures, in a single figure, the structural divergence that will define whether global emissions peak before 2030.
Cumulative Historical Carbon Emissions
The current moment is inseparable from history. Since 1850, humanity has emitted approximately 2,650 Gt CO₂ from fossil fuels and land use change — of which roughly 1,050 Gt remain in the atmosphere (the rest absorbed by oceans and terrestrial sinks). The rate of emission increase: global CO₂ output in 2022 was 182 times higher than in 1850 (World Resources Institute, June 2024).
The historical distribution of cumulative emissions matters for climate equity negotiations:
- In 1850, the UK was the world’s largest CO₂ emitter — nearly six times the US, which ranked second (WRI Climate Watch).
- The US has been the largest cumulative emitter historically, despite China now leading annual totals.
- China’s emissions were 11.8% of global GHG in 1990 and 30.1% in 2023 — almost a three-fold increase in share (EDGAR 2024 Report).
- EU27 GHG emissions in 2024 were 35% below their 1990 levels, the steepest long-run reduction among any top-10 emitter (EDGAR 2025 Report).
Methodology
Data compilation: Axis Intelligence Research assembles this dataset by cross-referencing four primary institutional sources: (1) IEA Global Energy Review 2025 for energy-related CO₂ by fuel, country, and sector; (2) EDGAR 2025 Report (Joint Research Centre / European Commission, released September 2025) for total GHG including CH₄, N₂O, and F-gases; (3) Global Carbon Project 2025 for fossil CO₂ and land-use emissions; and (4) NOAA Climate.gov for atmospheric CO₂ concentration data from the Mauna Loa Observatory.
Metric definitions:
- GHG emissions (Gt CO₂eq): all greenhouse gases converted to CO₂ equivalents using IPCC AR6 100-year GWP values, as per EDGAR methodology.
- Energy-related CO₂: CO₂ from fuel combustion only, per IEA methodology; excludes industrial process emissions and LULUCF.
- Per capita figures: production-based (territorial) CO₂ from fossil fuels; does not adjust for trade.
Proprietary metrics — Axis Intelligence Research originals:
- Emissions Acceleration Ratio (EAR™): Annual GHG growth rate (%) divided by annual renewable capacity addition growth rate (%). 2024 value: 0.059.
- Carbon Equity Spread (CES™): Ratio of highest to lowest per-capita fossil CO₂ among G20 economies. 2024 value: 10.36 (Saudi Arabia 22.8t ÷ India 2.2t).
- Net Zero Gap Rate (NZGR™): Annual CO₂ reduction required under IEA NZE 2050 pathway divided by actual annual change. 2024 value: approximately -12.7.
- Emerging Economy Emissions Premium (EEEP™): Percentage-point gap between emerging-market energy CO₂ growth and advanced-economy energy CO₂ growth. 2024 value: 2.6pp.
All four metrics are calculated by Axis Intelligence Research from named primary sources and are not published in this form by any other organization. Licensed CC BY 4.0 with attribution.
Limitations: EDGAR’s 2024 figures incorporate a “Fast-Track” methodology for extending IEA CO₂ data beyond the standard publication lag. Sectoral data for 2024 reflects preliminary estimates updated in September 2025; final national inventories will be published in 2026–2027. Per-capita figures rely on population estimates that carry their own uncertainty for smaller countries. Land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) emissions are excluded from the headline GHG total unless specified.
About This Dataset
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt this data with attribution.
Update approach: Relevance-driven. This page is revised when: the IEA Global Energy Review (typically Q1), EDGAR Annual Report (typically September), or Global Carbon Budget (typically November) are published with new 2025 or 2026 data; or when a major policy event materially changes the emissions trajectory (such as the US EPA endangerment finding reconsideration signaled in 2025).
Dataset download: CSV available — download link below (CC BY 4.0).
Citation:
APA: Axis Intelligence Research & Aidan Jad. (2026, July 5). Carbon Emissions Statistics 2026: Global Data by Country, Sector & Fuel. Axis Intelligence. https://axis-intelligence.com/carbon-emissions-statistics/
MLA: Axis Intelligence Research and Aidan Jad. “Carbon Emissions Statistics 2026: Global Data by Country, Sector & Fuel.” Axis Intelligence, 5 July 2026, axis-intelligence.com/carbon-emissions-statistics/.
Chicago: Axis Intelligence Research and Aidan Jad. “Carbon Emissions Statistics 2026: Global Data by Country, Sector & Fuel.” Axis Intelligence. July 5, 2026. https://axis-intelligence.com/carbon-emissions-statistics/.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much CO₂ does the world emit per year?
Global energy-related CO₂ emissions reached 37.8 Gt in 2024 — an all-time high, per the IEA Global Energy Review 2025. When all greenhouse gases are included (CO₂, methane, nitrous oxide, and F-gases, expressed as CO₂ equivalents), the total rises to 53.2 Gt CO₂eq, per EDGAR’s September 2025 report.
Which country emits the most CO₂ in 2024?
China is the world’s largest emitter by annual totals, accounting for approximately 29% of global GHG emissions in 2024. Its energy-related CO₂ grew 0.4% year-on-year. The United States (11%) and India (7.8%) rank second and third respectively.
Which country emits the most CO₂ per person?
Among the major economies, Saudi Arabia leads at approximately 22.8 tonnes of CO₂ per person per year (2024), followed by Australia (22.3t), Canada (19.8t), Russia (18.0t), and the United States (17.3t). India, despite its large total emissions, sits at just 2.2 tonnes per person — about half the global average.
What is the current CO₂ level in the atmosphere?
As of 2024, the global average atmospheric CO₂ concentration reached 422.7 parts per million (ppm), per NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory data. That is 50% above pre-industrial levels (~280 ppm) and represents the largest single-year increase (3.75 ppm) in the continuous instrumental record.
What sector emits the most greenhouse gases globally?
The power industry is the largest single sector, accounting for approximately 29% of global GHG (15.6 Gt CO₂eq in 2024), per EDGAR. Transport is second at 15% (8.4 Gt CO₂eq), followed by industrial combustion and processes at 21%.
Are global carbon emissions going down?
No, as of 2024 data. Global GHG emissions hit a record 53.2 Gt CO₂eq in 2024, up 1.3% from 2023. Advanced economies (EU, US) reduced emissions, but growth in emerging economies — particularly India (+5.3%) and Indonesia (+5.0%) — more than offset those reductions.
What is the Axis Intelligence Emissions Acceleration Ratio (EAR™)?
The EAR™ is a proprietary metric developed by Axis Intelligence Research. It is calculated as annual GHG growth rate divided by annual renewable capacity addition growth rate. In 2024, the EAR™ was 0.059 — indicating that while renewables are growing much faster (22%) than emissions (1.3%), the transition has not yet reached the zero-emission crossover point where renewable additions actually reduce fossil generation rather than supplement it.
How much do the US and EU need to cut emissions to meet net zero?
The IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario requires global energy-related CO₂ to fall from 37.8 Gt in 2024 to approximately 18 Gt by 2035 — a 55% reduction in 11 years. Axis Intelligence Research’s NZGR™ metric calculated for 2024 shows the actual trajectory moved approximately 12.7 times in the wrong direction relative to NZE requirements.
What happened to carbon emissions in 2024 compared to 2023?
Energy-related CO₂ rose 0.8% (295 Mt) in 2024, driven primarily by natural gas (+180 Mt) and coal (+135 Mt). India posted the largest absolute GHG increase (+164.8 Mt CO₂eq). The EU reduced GHG by 1.8%, and the US cut energy CO₂ by 0.5%. Aviation emissions surged 5.5% as global air travel continued its post-pandemic recovery.
What are the hard-to-abate sectors for carbon emissions?
The World Economic Forum identifies eight hard-to-abate sectors: steel, aluminium, cement, primary chemicals, oil and gas, aviation, shipping, and trucking. Together they account for approximately 40% of direct CO₂eq emissions globally. Decarbonizing them requires an estimated $30 trillion in additional investment by 2050, per the WEF Net-Zero Industry Tracker (December 2024).
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