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World GHG emissions - by source


The chart below shows an estimate of the carbon emissions from the burning of various fossil fuels and from cement production from 1751 to 2007. (1)

There are a few things worth noting about the data:

  • The 2007 global fossil-fuel carbon emission estimate is an all-time high
  • The carbon emission rate in 2007 is twice the 1970 rate
  • In 2006 the amount emitted from coal burning (solid fuel) surpassed the rate for gasoline (liquid fuel)
  • The 2007 rate is 26% higher than 10 years before (1997)
  • Cement production has been a growing contributor to global carbon emissions


These data include emissions from cement production. On average, the production of 1 tonne of cement generates 0.81 tonnes of CO2 or 0.22 tonnes of carbon. (2) This is due to the chemical process itself and the heat required for the chemical reaction and drying.

Cement makes up about 15% of concrete.


Click chart to enlarge

Boden, T.A., G. Marland, and R.J. Andres. 2010. Global, Regional, and National Fossil-Fuel CO2 Emissions. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A. doi 10.3334/CDIAC/00001_V2010


NOTE: This chart shows carbon emissions, not CO2. The atomic weight of carbon is 12 and oxygen is 16. Therefore, the atomic weight of carbon dioxide is 44. Based on that ratio, and assuming complete combustion, 1 kilo of carbon combines with 2.667 kilos of oxygen to produce 3.667 kilos of carbon dioxide. (3)