Carbon Emissions Drop in 2020 Due to COVID-19 Restrictions

CO2 from the energy sector was 11% lower than the previous year

Source: U.S. Energy Administration, Monthly Review and Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) Note: 2020 values are based on data through August and STEO forecast for September through December

Last year, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the U.S. energy sector were an estimated 11 percent lower than in 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), compared with a 3-percent drop in emissions the year before.

Much of the recent shift in energy-related CO2 emissions was due to economic and behavioral effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on energy consumption.

“[In 2020], U.S. energy consumption was heavily affected by responses to COVID-19, including working from home and other stay-at-home measures, closed or limited operating hours for several types of businesses, and travel restrictions,” EIA said. “In April, when many parts of the country instituted measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, monthly U.S. energy consumption fell to a 30-year low, and emissions fell to a record low.”