Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose by over 60 million tons in 2018, a 3% increase over the previous year. Emissions had declined from 2002 to 2017; last year’s uptick was due in part to a booming economy.
Transportation is one of the primary contributors to CO2 emissions. In a robust economy, higher volumes of cars and trucks emit more CO2 into the air.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicated that transportation is responsible for more than 42% of total emissions. The trucking industry in the U.S. is at nearly 100% capacity and traffic congestion continues to increase in major metropolitan areas. Transportation is likely to remain a primary contributor to CO2 emissions, especially in today’s robust economy.
Why Does an Increase in CO2 Emissions Matter?
The reported emissions increase is cause for concern. Electric energy production is a major factor in CO2 emissions, despite fossil fuel emissions having fallen significantly in the previous three years. Industries have been working diligently to reduce their amount of CO2 emissions, but the increase shows that there is still much room for improvement.
A record number of coal-fired electric plants have been shut down in recent years, replaced by natural gas and renewable energy sources. While new technologies for wind- and solar-powered electrical plants are growing due to federal innovation grants, these technologies do not appear to be replacing traditional, dirtier fossil fuel energy production at a sufficiently rapid rate.
Nuclear energy is also a source of low-carbon electricity generation. Despite political and consumer concerns, nuclear plants generate more than 800 billion kW-hrs — double the amount of all renewable energies combined. Nuclear energy also allowed the U.S. to avoid 547 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in 2017 alone.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that $8 trillion is necessary to increase nuclear energy production to 2,000 GW by 2050, which would produce about 9 trillion kW per year. The industry would also have to prevent the premature shutdown of any existing nuclear plants to remain on track with these goals.
U.S. Still Leads in Carbon Dioxide Reduction Efforts
Despite the recent increase in CO2 emissions, the United States is still a leader in carbon dioxide reduction efforts. From 2005 to 2017, the country experienced a 14% decrease in energy-related emissions. On a global level, energy-related CO2 emissions increased by more than 20% during the same period.
In 2017, power plant emissions had decreased by 4.5%, compared with a 19.7% decline from 2011 to 2016. This is due in part to the elimination of 14.3 GW of coal-fired electricity in 2017. Major energy producers in the Midwest, including NIPSCO and Xcel Energy, have aggressive commitments to eliminate coal-fired plants in their energy production facilities.
Heavy industry, however, has remained out of the CO2 emission spotlight. Steel, cement, chemicals, and refineries increased in emissions by 5.7% but have yet to be the target of emissions-reductions regulations. These industries contribute approximately one-sixth of total CO2 emissions, but regulators have focused their attention on the energy production and transportation sectors.
Looking Ahead
It is apparent that investment in new technologies and greater global efforts are necessary to reduce CO2 emissions in the long term. Energy production and transportation alternatives must be addressed, as these are the two primary contributors to growing CO2 emissions, but heavy industry is also having a growing influence.