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Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions » Historical Global Estimates

Production of CO2 from Fossil Fuel Burning by Fuel Type, 1860-1982 (NDP-006)

DOI: 10.3334/CDIAC/ffe.ndp006

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Contributors

R. M. Rotty and G. Marland

Global carbon dioxide emissions for 1950 through 1982 were estimated by Marland and Rotty (1984) from fuel production data from the U.N. Energy Statistics Yearbook (1983, 1984). Data before 1950 came from Keeling (1973). Fuel-production data were used in these calculations because they appeared to be more reliable on a global basis than fuel-consumption data.

The data given are the year and annual global CO2 emissions (annual global total; cumulative global total since 1860; and annual global emissions from solid fuels, liquid fuels, natural gas, gas flaring, and cement manufacturing). These data provide the only pre-1950 estimates of the amount of carbon emitted to the atmosphere from fossil-fuel burning. The CO2 emission record since 1950 has been updated and revised several times with the most recent estimates being published by Marland et al. (1989).

Please note: Revised global historic fossil-fuel CO2 emissions estimates are now available through CDIAC's Trends Online. The revised pre-1950 estimates are based on energy production and trade (imports and exports) data rather than production data only, and extend back to 1751. The emissions estimates from Marland et al. and NDP006 agree well over comparable time periods but users are encouraged to access the data through Trends Online. There are no plans to ever produce any updates to NDP006.