Carbon Emissions by Fuel
It is not a secret that the fuel industry has an extremely harmful impact on the environment. The greatest damage to the environment is done by carbon emission. This is also known as the greenhouse effect.
Excessive emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) arises from various fuel types like coal, oil, gas, and gas flaring. As energy systems have evolved throughout history, the contribution of different fuel types to CO2 emission has also transitioned geographically and temporally.
Here are the largest carbon emitters in the fuel industry:
Emission of Carbon by the Fuel Type
According to the data published by the Global Carbon Project, in 2020, the coal industry is identified as the largest carbon emitter in the world at 13.98 billion tons. The next largest is the oil industry at 11.07 billion tons and the gas industry comes after that with emissions of 7.5 billion tons. The cement industry also has an impact of 1.63 billion tons. Flaring contributes to the list with emissions of 435.03 million tons while the rest of the industries collectively emit 297.75 million tons.
The total emission of the last couple of decades is much higher than it has been in the previous decades. The hike has emerged with the rise of fuel consumption by the increasing population and advancing technology.
Emissions from Coal
The combustion of coal at the industrial level emerged in the 1790s in Europe and spread all over the world after 1950. Currently, the highest CO2 emission from coal is reported from China at 7.2 billion tons, while the second highest is reported in India with emission of 1.59 billion tons. Even though Europe pioneered the coal industry, its current emission is even less than that of the United States. When comparing the total emissions, Australia is reported as the largest carbon emitter in the world, however, its coal combustion is the least among China, India, the United States, Europe, and South Africa, at 159.82 million tons.
A significantly rapid rise in carbon emission in recent decades is reported in industrializing countries like China, India, and South Africa.
Emissions from Oil
The emissions from the oil industry also emerged in Europe in the early 1800s. However, the United States of America has popped to the top after the 1860s with the development of technology. Currently, the highest emission comes from the US followed by China, Eu-27, India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom respectively. The emission of CO2 in 2020 by the oil industry in the US is reported as 2.02 billion tons. Its per capita CO2 emission from oil is 6.53 tons.
Emissions from Gas
The gas industry emerged in the United States in the late 1800s and still, the US remains the largest CO2 emitter from gas with emissions of 1.65 billion tons. Russia ranks as the second-largest emitter with emissions of 747.59 million tons and is followed by Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and South Africa respectively.
The gas industry has started spreading all over the world post-1960 and the CO2 emission related to it has also rapidly hiked. Currently, Oman shows the highest per capita emission of gas at 10.41 tons.
Emissions from Gas Flaring
Gas flaring is another major factor behind the immense release of carbon into the environment. In the data published by the Global Carbon Project, the emission of CO2 from gas flaring in 1950 is reported as 73.62 million tons. It reached 402.11 million tons in 1973, 395.36 million tons in 1976, and 390.12 million tons in 1978. After going through many fluctuations during the following years, the emission of CO2 from gas flaring in the world has reached its peak in 2020 at 435.03 million tons.
About Winson Oil Trading Pte Ltd
Winson Oil Trading Pte. Ltd. Is an energy trading company based in Singapore, that operates oil trading, bunkering services, and supply chain services such as onshore oil tanks, vessels, shipping service distribution, and logistics planning. Winson Oil Trading provides services to customers all over Asia.
