US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fell in 2023 After Rising for Two Years
The drop marks the first time since 2019 that emissions went down as the economy grew.
Traffic at the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesUS greenhouse gas emissions declined 1.9% last year compared to the year before — the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic that emissions went down while the nation’s economy grew, according to a new analysis by the Rhodium Group, a research firm.
Driving the downward trend were reductions in the power sector (8%) and buildings sector (4%), due in part to the continuing decline of coal as a fuel. Coal generated 17% of US power in 2023, a record low, the report says, with nuclear power surpassing it for only the second time in US history. A mild winter also eased fuel demand and led to lower emissions from buildings.