U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Dip Slightly

Compiled ByJill Jusko U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions declined by 1.1% in 2001, dropping from 1,558 million metric tons of carbon equivalent in 2000 to 1,540 in 2001, according to preliminary estimates by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy. This decline marks the first since 1991, when emissions decreased by 1.2%. Since 1990, U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have averaged 1.2% annual growth. According to the EIA, industrial-sector carbon dioxide emissions fell by 9.1% between 2000 and 2001, largely as a result of reduced industrial production. Other contributing factors include warmer winter weather that decreased demand for heating fuels and a drop in electricity demand and coal-fired power generation. Energy-related carbon dioxide emission account for 81% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.