U.S. CO2 Emissions Hit 2nd Highest Spike in 21st Century

Over the past year, the Rhodium group estimates that carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. have spiked by 3.4 percent, a near-record high for the 21st century. The uptick in emissions comes after three years of negative growth in carbon dioxide emissions. The U.S. saw an increase in CO2 emissions for a combination of weather and man-made reasons. The emissions uptick was fueled in part by a colder than usual winter season in certain regions of the country and an increase in economic activity.

The latter reason aligns with the jump last seen in 2010 when the U.S. was pulling itself out of a major recession where emissions grew by over 3.5 percent in a year. During the height of the recession in 2009, emissions shrunk by over 7 percent, a testament to how connected economic activity and emissions are to one another in the carbon-based economy.