Carbon Budget
Media Summary Highlights (compact)
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| The annual growth rate of atmospheric CO2 was 2.36±0.09 ppm in 2010 (ppm = parts per million), one of the largest growth rates in the past decade. The average for the decade 2000-2009 was 1.9±0.1 ppm per year, 1.5±0.1 ppm for the decade 1990-1999, and 1.6±0.1 for the decade 1980-1989. The 2010 increase brought the atmospheric CO2 concentration to 389.6 ppm, 39% above the concentration at the start of the Industrial Revolution (about 278 ppm in 1750). The present concentration is the highest during at least the last 800,000 years. Read more ... |
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| CO2 emissions from deforestation and other land use change were 0.9±0.7 PgC in 2010, leading to total emissions (including fossil fuel and land use change) of 10.0±0.9 PgC. Land use change was responsible for estimated net emissions of 1.1±0.7 PgC per year for the decade of 2000s; this is about a 25% decline from the emissions of 1.5 PgC during the 1990s, though the uncertainty is large..The implementation of new land policies, higher law enforcement to stop illegal deforestation, and new afforestation and regrowth of previously deforested areas could all have contributed to this decline. Read more ... |
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| Fossil fuel CO2 emissions increased by 5.9% in 2010, with a total of 9.1±0.5 PgC emitted to the atmosphere (33.4 Pg of CO2; 1 Pg = 1 billion tons or 1000 x million tons). These emissions were the highest in human history and 49% higher than in 1990 (the Kyoto reference year). Coal burning was responsible for 52% of the fossil fuel emissions growth in 2010 (gas 23% and liquid 18%). Read more ... |
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| Contributions to global emissions growth in 2010 were largest from China (0.21 Pg above 2009 levels,10.%), USA (0.06 PgC, 4.1%), India (0.05 PgC, 9.4%), Russian Federation (0.025 PgC, 5.8%), and European Union (0.022 PgC, 2.2%), with a continuously growing global share from emerging economies. Per capita emissions of developed countries remain several times larger than those of developing countries. Read more ... |
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| The abrupt decline in fossil fuel emissions by 1.3% in 2009 was indisputably the result of the global financial crisis (GFC). However, the effect was short lived as the growth rate climbed to 5.9% in 2010, the highest annual growth rate since 2003. The long-term improvement of the carbon intensity of the economy (amount of carbon emissions to produce one dollar of wealth) was -1.4% y-1 during the period 1980-2000; carbon intensity only declined by -0.9% y-1 since 2000, and increased (deterioration of carbon intensity of the economy) by +0.9% y-1 in 2010. Read more ... |
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| Emissions associated with the consumption of goods and service (production plus imports minus exports) take into account the growing issue of countries consuming goods which are manufactured outside of the country. Developed countries had a large drop in consumption-based emissions of 7.9% in 2009, and increased of 4.9% in 2010. In developing countries the reversed occurred. 2009 marked the first time that developing countries had higher consumption-based emissions than developed countries. Read more ... |
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| Natural land and ocean CO2 sinks removed 56% of all CO2 emitted from human activities during the 1958-2010, each sink in roughly equal proportion. During this period, the size of the natural sinks has grown almost at the same pace as the growth in emissions, although year-to-year variability is large. There is the possibility, however, that the fraction of all emissions remaining in the atmosphere has a positive trend due to changes in emissions growth rate and decline in the efficiency of natural sinks. Read more ... |
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