US Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector

To find strategies and solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the US economy, we first need to identify the sources and quantities of those emissions.

* Land use and forestry remove carbon from the atmosphere (serve as a carbon sink)

11%

Percentage of all US emissions that come directly from agriculture

29%

Percentage of all US emissions that come directly from the transportation sector

30%

Percentage of all US emissions that come directly from the industrial sector

30%

Percentage of all US emissions that come directly from commercial and residential buildings

29%

Percentage of all US emissions directly produced by the power sector *

* Percentage includes the carbon emissions from electricity used by agriculture, transportation, industry, and buildings, which are also included in the figures above; thus, these numbers sum to more than 100%

Icon illustrations by James Round

A version of this article appeared in print in the Summer 2021 issue of Resources magazine.