Global Carbon Budget 2018

A newer version of this dataset is available. The latest version available on Openclimatedata is 2025.

Published: December 5, 2018

Citation: Le Quéré et al., Global Carbon Budget 2018. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-2141-2018

Data: Global Carbon Project. (2018). Supplemental data of Global Carbon Budget 2018 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. Global Carbon Project. https://doi.org/10.18160/gcp-2018

Changelog:
  • 2017 growth in fossil CO₂ emissions was about 1.6%, an increase to 9.9 ± 0.5 GtC/year
  • 2017 global atmospheric CO₂ concentration: 405.0 ± 0.1 ppm

Historical CO₂ budget

All values in billion tonnes of carbon per year (GtC/yr), for the globe. For values in billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, multiply the numbers below by 3.664.
1 billion tonnes C = 1 petagram of carbon (10^15 gC) = 1 gigatonne C = 3.664 billion tonnes of CO2
Please note: The methods used to estimate the historical fluxes presented below differ from the carbon budget presented from 1959 onwards. For example, the atmospheric growth and ocean sink do not account for year-to-year variability.
Uncertainties: see the original papers for uncertainties
Cite as:
Fossil fuel combustion and cement production emissions: Cite as: Boden, T. A., Marland, G., and Andres, R. J.: Global, Regional, and National Fossil-Fuel CO2 Emissions, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A., doi 10.3334/CDIAC/00001_V2017, 2017; available at: http://cdiac.ess-dive.lbl.gov/trends/emis/overview_2014.html
Land-use change emissions as average of two bookkeeping models: Houghton, R. A. and Nassikas, A. A.: Global and regional fluxes of carbon from land use and land cover change 1850-2015, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 31, 456-472, 2017; Hansis, E., Davis, S. J., and Pongratz, J.: Relevance of methodological choices for accounting of land use change carbon fluxes, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 29, 1230-1246, 2015.
Atmospheric CO2 growth rate: Joos, F. and Spahni, R.: Rates of change in natural and anthropogenic radiative forcing over the past 20,000 years, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 105, 1425-1430, 2008.
The ocean CO2 sink is the average of the two diagnostic ocean models: DeVries, T.: The oceanic anthropogenic CO2 sink: Storage, air-sea fluxes, and transports over the industrial era, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 28, 631-647, 2014; and Khatiwala, S., Tanhua, T., Mikaloff Fletcher, S. E., Gerber, M., Doney, S. C., Graven, H. D., Gruber, N., McKinley, G. A., Murata, A., Rios, A. F., and Sabine, C. L.: Global ocean storage of anthropogenic carbon, Biogeosciences, 10, 2169-2191, 2013.
The land sink is the average of several dynamic global vegetation models that reproduce the observed mean total land sink of the 1990s.
The budget imbalance is the sum of emissions (fossil fuel and industry + land-use change) minus (atmospheric growth + ocean sink + land sink); it is a measure of our imperfect data and understanding of the contemporary carbon cycle.

fossil fuel and industry

1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2
4
6
8
GtC

land-use change emissions

1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
GtC

atmospheric growth

1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
0
1
2
3
GtC

ocean sink

1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

land sink

1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
0
1
2
3
4
GtC

budget imbalance

1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
-2
-1
0
1
2
GtC

Unit GtC/year

Yearfossil fuel and industryland-use change emissionsatmospheric growthocean sinkland sinkbudget imbalance
1750--−0.0776-0.0899-
17510.0030-−0.0740-−0.5300-
17520.0030-−0.0706-−0.2655-
17530.0030-−0.0676-−0.1654-
17540.0030-−0.0640-−0.3290-
17550.0030-−0.0581-−0.0173-
17560.0030-−0.0502-0.4296-
17570.0030-−0.0403-0.5238-
17580.0030-−0.0284-−0.0657-
17590.0030-−0.0142-−0.5439-
17600.0030-0.0019-0.1169-
17610.0030-0.0201-−0.5798-
17620.0030-0.0405-−0.5256-
17630.0030-0.0628-0.3960-
17640.0030-0.0873-0.4049-
17650.0030-0.1124-−0.3008-
17660.0030-0.1353-0.3770-
17670.0030-0.1560-0.2839-
17680.0030-0.1745-0.3225-
17690.0030-0.1906-0.0522-
17700.0030-0.2046-0.1261-
17710.0040-0.2165-−0.3476-
17720.0040-0.2260-−0.0608-
17730.0040-0.2332-0.0055-
17740.0040-0.2383-−0.2034-
17750.0040-0.2425-0.0145-
17760.0040-0.2485-0.5048-
17770.0040-0.2563-0.6363-
17780.0040-0.2661-−0.0185-
17790.0040-0.2777-−0.2054-
17800.0040-0.2915-0.3199-
17810.0050-0.31480.0743−0.5995-
17820.0050-0.34830.0822−0.3024-
17830.0050-0.37880.08950.7455-
17840.0050-0.40600.10210.7029-
17850.0050-0.42950.1042−0.0309-
17860.0050-0.44940.11670.5943-
17870.0050-0.46580.12390.4441-
17880.0050-0.47870.13110.5164-
17890.0050-0.48800.13300.2533-
17900.0050-0.49370.14020.4999-
17910.0060-0.49590.1471−0.1722-
17920.0060-0.49440.14900.1141-
17930.0060-0.48930.15570.0038-
17940.0060-0.48080.15750.2266-
17950.0060-0.46870.16380.2534-
17960.0060-0.45470.16500.7859-
17970.0070-0.43950.16580.9361-
17980.0070-0.42190.16670.2910-
17990.0070-0.40200.16720.0293-
18000.0080-0.38050.17280.5626-
18010.0080-0.36170.1732−0.1088-
18020.0100-0.34240.1734−0.0305-
18030.0090-0.32180.17370.9147-
18040.0090-0.30020.17360.8128-
18050.0090-0.27730.17360.0834-
18060.0100-0.25330.17350.7248-
18070.0100-0.22810.17310.6186-
18080.0100-0.20180.17290.5600-
18090.0100-0.17430.17260.5391-
18100.0100-0.14560.17250.5883-
18110.0110-0.11580.1669−0.2004-
18120.0110-0.08480.16630.1678-
18130.0110-0.05260.16570.1740-
18140.0110-0.01930.16020.0368-
18150.0120-−0.01460.15960.2683-
18160.0130-−0.04430.15880.6968-
18170.0140-−0.06760.15810.8402-
18180.0140-−0.08480.15750.1447-
18190.0140-−0.09560.1521−0.1767-
18200.0140-−0.09990.15120.4861-
18210.0140-−0.09820.1507−0.2960-
18220.0150-−0.08990.1496−0.2849-
18230.0160-−0.07530.14400.6010-
18240.0160-−0.05450.14340.6271-
18250.0170-−0.02730.1424−0.0231-
18260.0170-0.00610.14150.4862-
18270.0180-0.04320.14080.4891-
18280.0180-0.06830.14010.5609-
18290.0180-0.08820.13510.2779-
18300.0240-0.10640.13460.3291-
18310.0230-0.12230.1340−0.1598-
18320.0230-0.13650.13350.0654-
18330.0240-0.14860.13360.1978-
18340.0240-0.16050.1337−0.0047-
18350.0250-0.17940.13400.2688-
18360.0290-0.20540.13410.7167-
18370.0290-0.23700.13470.7108-
18380.0300-0.27410.1356−0.0233-
18390.0310-0.31610.1365−0.1039-
18400.0330-0.36120.13290.4255-
18410.0340-0.40890.1390−0.4820-
18420.0360-0.45450.1404−0.1167-
18430.0370-0.47950.14150.8369-
18440.0390-0.47930.14270.8646-
18450.0430-0.45640.14420.0171-
18460.0430-0.42150.15010.5781-
18470.0460-0.37690.15120.5168-
18480.0470-0.32310.15720.6703-
18490.0500-0.25930.15830.4070-
18500.05400.68780.18870.16420.5615−0.1726
18510.05400.69180.12550.1655−0.01670.4715
18520.05700.69670.06950.17160.26510.2474
18530.05900.70190.00950.17290.08060.4978
18540.06900.7047−0.03880.17430.18190.4563
18550.07100.7067−0.06340.18080.14070.5196
18560.07600.7108−0.06320.18230.60900.0586
18570.07700.7174−0.05280.18900.8420−0.1838
18580.07800.7229−0.03630.19560.20930.4322
18590.08300.7257−0.01380.1976−0.02670.6516
18600.09100.69640.01480.19970.43940.1336
18610.09500.68700.05090.2070−0.39050.9147
18620.09700.68290.09460.2190−0.13510.6014
18630.10400.68070.14610.22640.7941−0.3819
18640.11200.67870.20670.22880.6390−0.2838
18650.11900.67930.27370.2365−0.03170.3198
18660.12200.67570.33430.24400.6445−0.4251
18670.13000.67390.38520.25210.5522−0.3856
18680.13500.67250.42650.25970.5308−0.4096
18690.14200.67270.45830.26800.4255−0.3371
18700.14700.74220.48080.27110.5648−0.4276
18710.15600.77160.49460.2791−0.13620.2900
18720.17300.79150.49650.28780.1991−0.0190
18730.18400.81130.48570.29590.20900.0047
18740.17400.82670.46220.30460.22380.0101
18750.18800.84170.43060.31310.3403−0.0543
18760.19100.85410.40960.32180.8305−0.5168
18770.19400.86430.40410.33550.9028−0.5840
18780.19600.87320.41380.34430.4225−0.1114
18790.21000.87880.43710.35280.10960.1893
18800.23600.87650.46770.36150.6782−0.3949
18810.24300.89040.50350.3703−0.10190.3615
18820.25600.89980.54460.37900.01260.2195
18830.27200.91100.59130.38720.9404−0.7359
18840.27500.92000.64620.39571.0468−0.8937
18850.27700.92820.71850.40400.1988−0.1161
18860.28100.93190.78210.40720.8634−0.8397
18870.29500.93590.82070.41530.7026−0.7077
18880.32700.94040.83800.41860.9309−0.9201
18890.32700.94610.85140.42620.6398−0.6443
18900.35600.97880.86220.43390.7477−0.7090
18910.37201.00540.86010.43640.1532−0.0723
18920.37401.02090.84290.44390.5722−0.4641
18930.37001.03190.81130.45140.6062−0.4670
18940.38301.04380.77210.45930.4228−0.2274
18950.40601.05440.72630.46160.6321−0.3596
18960.41901.06270.66400.46931.2479−0.8995
18970.44001.07300.58960.47721.1404−0.6942
18980.46501.07770.53110.47980.47070.0612
18990.50701.08120.49570.48770.47520.1297
19000.53401.11900.48170.49110.7200−0.0397
19010.55201.14850.48310.49930.09420.6239
19020.56601.16650.49800.5024−0.25880.9909
19030.61701.18310.52490.51101.3642−0.6000
19040.62401.19710.56350.51971.6332−0.8953
19050.66301.20790.60820.52320.30460.4350
19060.70701.21530.64110.53191.1964−0.4472
19070.78401.22600.66800.54101.2823−0.4812
19080.75001.22810.68770.54951.0529−0.3120
19090.78501.23820.69940.55820.7692−0.0036
19100.81901.21470.70660.56191.2117−0.4466
19110.83601.20800.72400.57030.41980.3300
19120.87901.19690.75450.57400.55660.1909
19130.94301.19040.78780.58220.66970.0936
19140.85001.17020.81390.58510.8289−0.2077
19150.83801.15980.83440.59390.37050.1991
19160.90101.15120.84610.59701.1449−0.5357
19170.95501.14630.84690.60491.7592−1.1098
19180.93601.14510.83440.61270.8534−0.2195
19190.80601.14540.80790.6160−0.01680.5442
19200.93201.19740.77420.62371.1293−0.3979
19210.80301.22690.74790.63181.2052−0.5550
19220.84501.25040.73180.63430.56390.1653
19230.97001.26130.72550.64221.4059−0.5423
19240.96301.27080.72720.64460.29760.5644
19250.97501.27760.73220.65200.84350.0249
19260.98301.28190.74450.65410.10750.7587
19271.06201.28730.76040.65601.1391−0.2062
19281.06501.28820.77850.66270.17730.7347
19291.14501.28620.78950.66400.61510.3625
19301.05301.34880.79050.66550.72360.2221
19310.94001.38970.78990.6669−0.15211.0250
19320.84701.41330.78840.67240.69580.1037
19330.89301.44100.78610.67310.64290.2319
19340.97301.46040.78210.67360.93370.0442
19351.02701.47810.77360.67390.57770.4799
19361.13001.49600.75770.67390.25860.9358
19371.20901.50620.73780.67380.39800.9057
19381.14201.51320.71340.67340.50630.7622
19391.19201.51580.67100.67331.29670.0669
19401.29901.54290.60610.67330.75990.8026
19411.33401.56630.52260.66800.30521.4045
19421.34201.56160.42930.66830.80271.0032
19431.39101.55400.33390.66881.00610.9362
19441.38301.54390.25930.6699−0.18852.1863
19451.16001.53250.21430.67120.59701.2100
19461.23801.52280.20310.67830.43001.4494
19471.39201.51210.21500.68111.23620.7718
19481.46901.49600.24990.68901.04470.9814
19491.41901.47050.30290.69310.57821.3154
19501.63001.55150.36210.70251.91970.1971
19511.76701.59860.41850.71230.80981.4250
19521.79501.61720.47930.7284−0.07242.2768
19531.84101.64520.54740.74461.11641.0778
19541.86501.67380.62200.75680.94701.2129
19552.04201.69860.69920.76972.01840.2534
19562.17701.73100.77440.78332.6124−0.2621
19572.27001.75780.86980.79300.80151.5635
19582.33001.78891.01970.8078−0.05712.3485
19592.45341.81061.17470.83370.51611.7395
19602.56841.67261.30970.88491.39400.6523
19612.57971.60761.43420.91640.60511.2316
19622.68511.56681.54970.94301.34830.4108
19632.83271.51381.65850.95980.87780.8505
19642.99381.46391.76170.95701.40060.3384
19653.12941.41771.86070.97660.42321.2866
19663.28751.37601.95631.04261.27840.3862
19673.39271.35482.04881.09051.6284−0.0201
19683.56541.35372.13801.11482.5306−0.8644
19693.77901.36272.22521.17940.50431.2329
19704.05181.32232.31001.23930.44181.3829
19714.20571.28462.39241.24882.4624−0.6133
19724.37341.24732.47301.27391.04800.8259
19734.61061.21932.55121.36861.46070.4495
19744.61891.17932.62711.40744.0718−2.3082
19754.59221.14792.70001.39632.4373−0.7936
19764.85831.13052.77021.42612.9578−1.1653
19775.00971.10622.83701.48751.41790.3735
19785.06601.06922.89871.56472.8181−1.1462
19795.34781.04252.95461.60661.53620.2928
19805.29151.08583.00361.65770.51941.1966
19815.12751.09573.04641.69722.2744−0.7948
19825.08301.10763.08401.71161.5549−0.1600
19835.06261.14963.11771.75590.21651.1221
19845.24481.18603.14801.81012.8323−1.3596
19855.40191.20393.17431.84442.6407−1.0535
19865.56661.24173.19671.86772.2512−0.5074
19875.70751.27913.21561.90490.31761.5485
19885.91731.29663.23091.98961.89020.1032
19896.04651.32343.24252.02993.5177−1.4202
19906.05401.32173.25192.01122.3416−0.2291
19916.12161.33283.26142.01042.14360.0390
19926.05761.34803.27351.99452.01320.1245
19936.04621.34893.28961.96662.8852−0.7463
19946.15011.34463.31061.99831.48620.6995
19956.27931.33093.33522.07921.64280.5530
19966.42001.30563.36152.12733.1406−0.9038
19976.52711.78013.38752.14192.9848−0.2071
19986.54611.22753.41192.20671.34480.8102
19996.53131.20163.43292.28083.7048−1.6858
20006.70271.31583.44902.27003.9868−1.6873
20016.86081.17783.46112.27442.4070−0.1039
20026.95801.33823.46942.33000.90901.5879
20037.33261.38703.47402.41132.31440.5199
20047.69311.33613.47552.45713.4636−0.3669
20057.98441.2140-2.48651.6069-
20068.26611.2540-2.53893.1216-
20078.42801.0725-2.55462.7924-
20088.69971.1284-2.56433.7088-
20098.60351.5735-2.59402.7728-
20109.02471.4189-2.64813.0994-
20119.37701.3553--4.2544-
20129.53041.5991--2.4894-
20139.60911.5421--3.2675-
20149.69051.6015--3.8033-
20159.67871.6232--1.8378-
20169.73671.3001--2.5772-
20179.86721.3884--3.7822-