Record drop in U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions in 2009
In 2009,energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States saw
their largest absolute and percentage decline (405 million metric
tons or 7.0 percent) since the start of EIA’s comprehensive record
of annual energy data that begins in 1949, more than 60 years
ago.
While emissions have declined in three out of the last four
years, 2009 was exceptional. As discussed below, emissions
developments in 2009 reflect a combination of factors, including
some particular to the economic downturn, other special
circumstances during the year, and other factors that may reflect
persistent trends in our economy and our energy use.
In contrast to the 0.9 percent average annual emissions decline
from 2000 to 2009, the prior 1990-to-1999 time period saw U.S.
energy-related carbon dioxide emissions grow on average by 1.4
percent per year. Robust GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth
(3.3 percent annually) from 1990 to 1999 on average dropped by half
(to 1.6 percent) from 2000 to 2009, particularly due to the recent
economic downturn.
However, even with the reduction in economic growth since 2000,
emissions would nonetheless have grown by 0.6 to 0.7 percent
annually had the proportional relationship between economic and
emissions growth remained the same as during the 1990s
Changes in carbon dioxide emissions can be decomposed into
changes in four major contributing factors: population, per capita
GDP, energy intensity of the economy, and carbon intensity of the
energy supply*. All of these fell in 2009 except for
population. Population grew 0.9 percent.** The downturn of
the economy caused per capita GDP to fall (3.3 percent) resulting
in a total GDP decline of 2.4 percent.
Energy intensity and the carbon intensity of the energy supply
also both fell more than 2 percent. These three factors (GDP,
energy intensity, and carbon intensity) combined in roughly equal
proportions to cause emissions to fall by 7.0 percent.
Total energy consumption fell across all end-use* sectors by 4.8
percent, attributable to a decline in energy intensity of around
2.4 percent, plus a decline in GDP of 2.4 percent. While this
drop in energy intensity was large, it is not unprecedented.
The average decline in energy intensity from 2000 to 2008 was 2.0
percent. The economic decline did not affect the other sectors as
much as the industrial sector, which saw the greatest drop in
energy consumption - 9.9 percent.
About 95 percent of the energy consumed in the transportation
sector is petroleum - motor gasoline alone accounts for about 60
percent of total transportation energy use. Total consumption
of petroleum-based fuels in 2007 averaged 14,287 thousand barrels
per day. By 2008 that had fallen to 13,712 thousand barrels
per day and by 2009 to 13,277 barrels per day - 7.1 percent lower
than 2007 and 3.2 percent lower than 2008. In 2008 the drop in
demand was caused primarily by a spike in fuel prices during the
first half of the year followed by an accelerating economic
slide.
In 2009 the continuing economic downturn further lowered demand
despite average fuel prices that remained well below their 2008
level. According to preliminary Department of Transportation data
the fuel economy of the total U.S. fleet improved from 27 miles per
gallon in 2008 to 28.5 miles per gallon in 2009.*
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Source: www.eia.doe.gov
