Carbon dioxide emissions per person in the U.S. 2021-2050

Carbon dioxide emissions per capita in the United States were 14.5 metric tons in 2021. This was an increase from 2020, when per capita emissions in the U.S. plummeted as a result of COVID-19-related lockdowns. Although per capita emissions are expected to rise to some 14.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022, projections show that by 2050 they will have fallen to 12.6 metric tons.

COVID-19 impacts on emissions

U.S. CO2 emissions plummeted 11 percent in 2020 to 4.6 billion metric tons (GtCO2). This was the lowest annual release of CO2 recorded since 1983. The reduction in 2020 was caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns implemented across the country. These restrictions saw emissions from polluting sectors, specifically transportation, to fall considerably. Although emissions rebounded in 2021, they were still the second lowest annual emissions for more than three decades.

Why have U.S. emissions fallen?

While COVID-19 had a significant affect on emissions, annual releases of CO2 in the U.S. have been in decline over the past two decades. U.S. CO2 emissions had been rising fast in the years prior to 2005, and in 2007 reached a peak of 6.01 GtCO2. Since then, emissions have mostly been in decline, and by 2019 had dropped to 5.14 GtCO2. While there is no single cause for these reductions, the shift away from coal-power and the transition towards natural gas and renewable energy sources has certainly played a key role in reducing U.S. emissions.