Carbon dioxide is the most produced greenhouse gas from human activities

Nitrous oxide is the third most significant greenhouse gas made by human activities

Emissions of this molecule increased 40% from 1980 to 2020, with atmospheric concentrations reaching levels higher than at any other time in the last 800,000 years, based on ice core records. Its warming potential is 273 times that of carbon dioxide over 100 years and remains in the atmosphere for more than a century, on average.

Yearly greenhouse gas emissions have been steadily increasing since 1850

Although greenhouse gases include methane, nitrous oxide, and most fluorinated compounds, their warming potential is often measured relative to carbon dioxide. In these units, greenhouse gas emissions have gone from 4.29 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 1850 to 54.43 billion metric tons in 2024.

Greenhouse gas emissions from human activity accelerate recent global warming

These gases exacerbate the greenhouse effect—warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space. The most abundant atmospheric greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which is released from the burning of fossil fuels.

Excluding water vapor, greenhouse gases make up less than 1% of Earth's atmosphere

Although carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and most fluorinated gases account for only a minority of the planet's greenhouse effect due to their lower concentrations, they are more effective at trapping thermal radiation. While water vapor condenses within two weeks, other greenhouse gases linger in the atmosphere for years on average.

Explore which sectors produce the most greenhouse gas emissions by country

As of 2023, the energy sector, including electricity and heating, accounts for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. The 10 largest greenhouse gas-emitting nations account for two-thirds of global emissions, with the world's top three—China, the US, and India—contributing 15 times more than the bottom 100.

Methane: the other greenhouse gas

While most of the focus with respect to greenhouse gases lands on carbon dioxide, methane is the second most potent contributor. The gas, a carbon atom with four hydrogen atoms, is 25 times more potent than CO2 in terms of trapping heat over a 100...

Greenhouse gases from farming are driven by meat

The food we eat contributes to one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities, according to two studies published in 2021. These emissions come from various sources along the food production chain, including transportation,...

The world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for 48% of greenhouse gas emissions

An analysis by the International Energy Agency found that in 2021, the top 1% of emitters each produced over 50 metric tons of carbon dioxide, over 1,000 times the amount produced by those in the bottom 1%. The average energy-related carbon footprint, including household heating and electricity use, was about 4.7 metric tons per person.

Across a 20-year period, methane has more than 80 times the warming potential of CO₂

However, this greenhouse gas lasts only about 12 years in the atmosphere, much less than the centuries or more that carbon dioxide can persist. Methane is produced primarily during the production, storage, and transmission of coal, natural gas, and oil, as well as from the digestive processes of domestic livestock.

Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities have contributed to global warming

A 2021 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that such emissions were responsible for approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius (2.0 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since 1850-1900. Without rapid, large-scale reductions in emissions, temperatures are expected to continue to rise, leading to more extreme weather events.

As of 2024, China is the largest overall contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions

Due to its large population, the nation's per capita emissions continue to lag behind those of the US, Canada, Russia, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. The Arab country has experienced the most significant increase in per capita greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, now leading the world at 22.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita.

Carbon sinks absorb more greenhouse gases than they produce

The largest on Earth are oceans, which capture 25% of all carbon emissions and 90% of excess atmospheric thermal radiation while generating half of the world's oxygen. Wildfires and deforestation have reduced forests' net sink capacity, though fungi are believed to capture and store over a third of global carbon emissions.

Fluorinated molecules are the most impactful, longest-lasting greenhouse gases

Developed as replacements for ozone-depleting substances in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, these compounds are released through leaks in and ongoing use of these appliances, as well as from various industrial processes. They can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years and have warming potentials that are a thousand to tens of thousands of times greater than those of carbon dioxide.

Human activities release 100 times the carbon dioxide of all volcanic eruptions

While gases released by volcanoes contribute to climate change, humans produce the carbon dioxide equivalent of a Mount St. Helens-sized eruption every 2.5 hours, or more than one Yellowstone eruption yearly, even though such supervolcanoes only erupt about every 100,000 to 200,000 years or more.

About 99% of Earth's atmosphere is made of nitrogen and oxygen

At 78% and 21% respectively, the two elements are followed by argon with almost 1%. Trace amounts of other molecules, including greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, and particulate matter such as dust and pollen, make up the remainder of the atmosphere's contents.

Watch a visualization of New York City's greenhouse gas emissions

About 1.72 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent gases are released into the atmosphere every second in the Big Apple, enough to fill a balloon 33 feet across at standard pressure and 59 degrees Fahrenheit. After a day, the spheres would pile up into a pyramid whose base spans from the bottom of Manhattan to the south of Central Park.

The food industry's hard-to-solve pollution

One-quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions result from food and agriculture. That whopping number includes production and post-farm processes like distribution. See a visualization of the data along with a breakdown explaining how each process contributes to emissions, and why it’s so difficult to improve the agriculture industry.

Greenhouse gas removal consists of a series of techniques to capture and store GHGs

These include turning biomass into charcoal for storage in soil before it decays and releases carbon dioxide, crushing CO₂-absorbing rocks—increasing exposed surface area—and spreading them across land to accelerate GHG uptake, and restoring degraded peatlands, which can store twice the amount of carbon as the average forest.

The impact of greenhouse gases is assessed as a measure of Global Warming Potential

Since 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has used GWP to measure how much energy 1 metric ton of a gas emits over a given period—usually 100 years—relative to 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide. By definition, carbon dioxide has a GWP of 1.

Global CO2 levels as measured at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory, managed by the US government’s NOAA.

The Global Monitoring Laboratory conducts research on greenhouse gas and carbon cycle feedbacks, changes in clouds, aerosols, and surface radiation, and recovery of stratospheric ozone.

Methane leaks during natural gas processing reduce the gas's overall cleanliness

Natural gas is advertised as a cleaner fossil fuel because it emits 50% less carbon dioxide than oil and coal when burned. Supporting analysis only considers end-use combustion and excludes total emissions generated by extraction, shipping, and processing.

The US produces far more waste and recycles far less of it than other developed countries

The US represents just 4% of the world’s population, but it produces 12% of global municipal solid waste. In comparison, China and India make up more than 36% of the world’s population and generate 27% of that waste.

Learn how helium is used in the US, the world's largest producer of the noble gas

About 44% of the global supply comes from the US, as much as the next two biggest producers—Qatar and Russia—combined. According to the US Geological Survey, more than half of this helium is used in scientific and engineering equipment (22%), non-welding-related manufacturing and fabrication (17%), and as a lifting agent (17%).

The Montreal Protocol helped prevent significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions

By phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals between 1990 and 2010, the Montreal Protocol prevented emissions equal to 135 gigatons of CO₂—avoiding an estimated 0.5 to 1 degrees Celsius of additional global warming by 2100.

Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon sink on the planet, storing almost twice as much carbon as the atmosphere and all living plants and animals combined.

Coca-Cola made up roughly 19.2% of US carbonated soft drink market share as of 2023

Separately, Diet Coke made up about 7.8% of US market share that year. Pepsi was responsible for 8.3% of market share, as was Dr. Pepper.

What’s the best way to reduce climate impact of food?

Food is a big part of everyone’s carbon footprint, and it’s important to understand the impact of our personal food consumption. Individual food choices can emit as many greenhouse gases as personal electricity use. Plant-based diets generally...

Feeding grazing cattle seaweed cut their methane emissions by almost 40%

The largest share of the 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions from livestock comes from methane released when cows burp. A study found that introducing a seaweed supplement in pellet form significantly reduced these emissions without affecting cattle's health or weight.

Watch a demonstration of the greenhouse effect with carbon dioxide, where thermal energy is trapped by the gas within a container, causing the temperature to increase.

Data from 2020 suggests that fossil fuels are the most dangerous and least clean energy sources, causing the most deaths and emitting the most greenhouse gases per unit of energy generated.

Greenhouse gas concentrations can be measured using spectroscopy

Each type of greenhouse gas absorbs a distinct set of wavelengths of light, which serve as a unique spectral signature. By shining light through an atmospheric sample and measuring the light on the other side, the amount of each gas can be calculated from the amount of missing light.

What should you eat to help the climate?

Climate change is impacted by what we eat and what we don't eat. Did you know, for instance, that livestock accounts for 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases each year? Eating less meat and dairy and more protein-rich plants like beans,...

Explore an interactive visualization of greenhouse gas emissions from 745 million sources worldwide.

Arctic permafrost may store twice as much carbon as the entire atmosphere

Rising greenhouse gas concentrations are expected to continue to increase average global temperatures and threaten to thaw ground that has been frozen for thousands of years. The release of greenhouse gases from remnant organic matter would exacerbate the greenhouse effect, creating a positive feedback loop.

How Earth's 'greenhouse effect' works

The so-called "greenhouse effect," where various gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat from the sun, is a crucial factor in our planet's ability to sustain life. It's also pivotal in discussions over humanity's impact on changes in the Earth's...

The Amazon rainforest is considered the 'lungs of the Earth,' but it contributes less than a quarter of the oxygen of phytoplankton—microscopic plants, algae, and bacteria capable of photosynthesis.

Space tourism rockets emit up to 100 times more CO₂ per passenger than airplanes

Rocket launches release significant amounts of water vapor, nitrous oxide, and rocket propellants, which generate greenhouse gases and air pollutants. High-altitude emissions can persist for years, affecting the ozone layer.

Nuclear power supplies almost half of US carbon-free energy

As of 2023, nearly 20% of US electricity comes from nuclear power, but most reactors were built from 1971 to 1990. Expansion slowed due to safety concerns, high costs, and competition from natural gas.

As of 2025, the US and Qatar dominate global helium production

The US's 42.6% share includes helium imported from Canada and refined within the states. Geopolitical conflicts can cause supply disruptions that impact several advanced technologies, including semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace systems, and medical imaging.

View a ranking of the countries with the largest helium reserves, led by the US

Estimated at 20.6 billion cubic meters (727.5 billion cubic feet) as of 2022, US helium reserves are more than double those of Qatar, the second nation on the list. Leading the world in natural gas production, from which helium is recovered, the US also leads global helium production, which helps mitigate shortages resulting from overseas geopolitical tensions.

The world derives more of its energy from oil than from any other resource

Coal and gas are second and third, respectively, in terms of where the bulk of the world’s energy consumption stems from. These interactive charts can help you visualize where the world sources the most of its energy.

Research shows Venus would be hotter if some of its CO₂ were swapped out

The planet's atmosphere—whose density is 92 times that of Earth's—is 96.5% carbon dioxide. Since these molecules all capture the same subset of infrared radiation emitted from Venus's surface, radiation outside this range escapes, demonstrating the increased impact that diverse greenhouse gas composition has on planetary warming.

Atmospheric greenhouse gases trap thermal energy and make Earth habitable

The moon and Earth are at the same distance from the sun, but the moon experiences large fluctuations in surface temperature because it lacks an atmosphere to insulate it. Gases such as water vapor, ozone, carbon dioxide, and methane can intercept about 90% of the infrared radiation emitted by Earth's surface.

Landfills capture methane gas and convert it into usable energy

As organic waste breaks down underground, it produces landfill gas that is roughly 50% methane. That gas can be captured and used to generate electricity or provide heat for nearby homes and businesses.

By absorbing 90% of the thermal energy trapped by greenhouse gases, oceans are providing increasingly more energy to power the rapid strengthening of hurricanes.

Carbon dioxide acts as a 'control knob' for Earth's climate

Although Earth's ice ages were primarily triggered by slow changes in the planet's orbit—known as Milankovitch cycles—these changes do not explain the extreme temperature swings during glacial periods. Carbon dioxide acts as a feedback mechanism, intensifying both cooling during ice ages and warming during their ends by reinforcing the initial changes sparked by orbital shifts.

America generates more trash per person than any other country on Earth

The US produces roughly 292 million tons of municipal solid waste per year, about 4.9 pounds per person per day. Municipal solid waste includes food scraps, packaging, electronics, yard trimmings, and more. About 50% of the waste ends up in a landfill.

See the world's largest fashion companies, from Nike to H&M, ranked by their CO2 emissions.

Since the Industrial Revolution, surface ocean waters have become 30% more acidic due to the absorption of carbon dioxide.

Determine your carbon footprint using the Environmental Protection Agency's Carbon Footprint Calculator, which incorporates various emission factors involving home energy, transportation, and water production.