Tuesday 21 April 2015
Carbon emissions rise in the US
Energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have increased for the second year in a row in the US.
The growth rate however was much smaller (0.7%) in 2015 than 2014 (2.4%), according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
An estimated 5,404 million metric tons of CO2 were emitted from energy-related sources last year and are projected to increase "slightly" in both 2015 and 2016.
Energy-related CO2 emissions are the largest component of overall US greenhouse gas emissions.
Last month the US said it would reduce emissions by 26%-28% from 2005 levels by 2025.
In the last two years the population has increased (0.7%), which could reflect the increase in emissions however less energy has been used per person (fall of 1.2%), the EIA added.
