In its latest environmental scorecard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released it's annual report detailing the uptick in America's greenhouse gas emissions for the past year. The data, encapsulating the nation's emissions from 1990 through 2022, shows a 1.3% increase from 2021, with totals hitting 5,489 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent last year. Joseph Goffman, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, attributed this rise to an upsurge in energy consumption corresponding with economic recovery post-pandemic. However, despite the year-over-year bump, there's been a marked 17% decline since 2005, evidencing changes in technology and energy preferences among other factors.
These insights come courtesy of the EPA's meticulous inventory process, which involves contributions from a multitude of experts spanning government bodies, academia, industry, and consulting. "Through a rigorous development and review process, EPA annually refines and strengthens our greenhouse gas inventory, producing a comprehensive tally of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks," Goffman said in a statement. This year, notable enhancements to the inventory include revised calculations for emissions from oil and gas sectors and updated methodologies for assessing forestation effects on the climate.
The report isn't just a tally of carbon emissions; it also measures the absorption of CO2 by forests and other vegetation, painting a full picture of America's contribution to global greenhouse gas levels. It scrutinizes seven major pollutants, including notorious culprits like carbon dioxide and methane, among others. The inventory also stands as a testament to the country's ongoing commitments under international climate accords, with its findings submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and adherence to the Paris Agreement directives.
A public review period, which ran from February 15 to March 15, invited comments and discussion on the EPA's findings. The agency, which broadcasted the report's availability via Federal Register Notice, ensures that feedback received after the comment window is incorporated into the subsequent year's assessment. All public submissions are available to the curious and concerned on the docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0004, and the EPA pledges to address these responses within 2-4 weeks of their report's publication on their website.
