Transportation sector CO2 emissions in the U.S. 1975-2022

U.S. transportation sector emissions from energy consumption were 1.84 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO2) in 2022. The U.S. is the largest contributor to global transportation emissions, accounting for almost a quarter of the global total.

Impacts of COVID-19 on transportation emissions

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused U.S. transportation CO2 emissions to plummet more than 15 percent in 2020, relative to 2019. This dramatic decrease was due to the strict lockdowns and travel bans imposed across the country. Although emissions have rebounded since 2020 they remained below pre-pandemic levels.

Transportation is the main source of U.S. emissions

The transportation sector is the largest contributor to U.S CO2 emissions, having surpassed electric power sector emissions in 2016. Transportation now accounts for more than 30 percent of total U.S. CO2 emissions from energy consumption each year.