Global Carbon Budget 2022

A newer version of this dataset is available. The latest version available on Openclimatedata is 2024.

Published: November 11, 2022

Citation: Friedlingstein et al., Global Carbon Budget 2022. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4811-2022

Data: Global Carbon Project. (2022). Supplemental data of Global Carbon Budget 2022 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. Global Carbon Project. https://doi.org/10.18160/gcp-2022

Changelog:
  • 2021 total anthropogenic CO₂ emission (including the cement carbonation sink) of 10.9 ± 0.8 GtC/year (40.0 ± 2.9 GtCO₂)
  • for 2021, fossil emissions increased by 5.1 % relative to 2020 to 10.1 ± 0.5 GtC/year (9.9 ± 0.5 GtC/year when the cement carbonation sink is included)
  • 2021 global atmospheric CO₂ concentration: 414.71 ± 0.1 ppm
  • remaining carbon budget for a 50 % likelihood to limit global warming to 1.5, 1.7, and 2°C has reduced to 105 GtC (380 GtCO₂), 200 GtC (730 GtCO₂), and 335 GtC (1230 GtCO₂)

Ocean CO₂ sink (positive values represent a flux from the atmosphere to the ocean)

All values in billion tonnes of carbon per year (GtC/yr), for the globe. For values in billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (GtCO₂/yr), 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
Methods: The ocean sink (uncertainty of ±0.4 GtC/yr on average) is estimated from the average of 10 global ocean biogeochemistry models and 7 fCO₂ data products that reproduce the observed mean ocean sink of the 1990s. Watson et al. (2020) not used for the fCO₂ data products average.
Cite as: Friedlingstein et al. (2022) (see summary tab).
Prior to 1990, the GCB ocean sink estimate is calculated from the GOBM multi-model mean with an offset applied. The offset is calculated as the half of the difference between GOBMs and data products in the period 1990-2001 (inclusive). This ensures no artificial jumps occur in 1990 when the data products are used to estimate the sink in conjunction with the GOBMs.
Note: the surface ocean fCO₂-based data products are adjusted for a pre-industrial steady state source of CO₂ from rivers (of 0.65 GtC/yr) to be comparable with the ocean model results and to satisfy the definition of the ocean carbon sink used in the Global Carbon Budget.
Cite individual estimates as:
Global ocean biogeochemical models:
  • CESM2 Long, M. C., Moore, J. K., Lindsay, K., Levy, M., Doney, S. C., Luo, J. Y., et al., 2021. Simulations with the Marine Biogeochemistry Library (MARBL). Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 13, e2021MS002647, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002647.
  • NEMO3.6-PISCESv2-gas (CNRM) Berthet, S., Séférian, R., Bricaud, C., Chevallier, M., Voldoire, A., & Ethé, C. ( 2019). Evaluation of an online grid‐coarsening algorithm in a global eddy‐admitting ocean biogeochemical model. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 11, 1759– 1783. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS001644
  • FESOM-2.1-REcoM2 Hauck, J., Zeising, M., Le Quéré, C., Gruber, N., Bakker, D. C. E., Bopp, L., et al. (2020). Consistency and Challenges in the Ocean Carbon Sink Estimate for the Global Carbon Budget. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.571720
  • NEMO-PISCES (IPSL) Aumont, O., Ethé, Tagliabue, A., Bopp, L., & Gehlen, M. (2015). PISCES-v2: an ocean biogeochemical model for carbon and ecosystem studies.
  • MOM6-COBALT (Princeton) Liao, E., Resplandy, L., Liu, J. and Bowman, K. W.: Amplification of the Ocean Carbon Sink During El Niños: Role of Poleward Ekman Transport and Influence on Atmospheric CO 2, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 34(9), doi:10.1029/2020GB006574, 2020.
  • MRI-ESM2-1 Nakano, H., Tsujino, H., Hirabara, M., Yasuda, T., Motoi, T., Ishii, M., and Yamanaka, G.: Uptake mechanism of anthropogenic CO₂ in the Kuroshio Extension region in an ocean general circulation model, J. Oceanogr., 67, 765–783, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-011-0075-7, 2011.
  • MICOM-HAMOCC (NorESM-OCv1.2) Schwinger, J., Goris, N., Tjiputra, J. F., Kriest, I., Bentsen, M., Bethke, I., Ilicak, M., Assmann, K. M., and Heinze, C.: Evaluation of NorESM-OC (versions 1 and 1.2), the ocean carbon-cycle stand-alone configuration of the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM1), Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 2589-2622, 2016.
  • NEMO-PlankTOM12 Wright, R. M., Le Quéré, C., Buitenhuis, E., Pitois, S., & Gibbons, M. J. (2021). Role of jellyfish in the plankton ecosystem revealed using a global ocean biogeochemical model. Biogeosciences, 18(4), 1291-1320. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1291-2021
  • CESM-ETHZ Doney, S. C., Lima, I., Feely, R. A., Glover, D. M., Lindsay, K., Mahowald, N., Moore, J. K., and Wanninkhof, R.: Mech- anisms governing interannual variability in upper-ocean inor- ganic carbon system and air–sea CO₂ fluxes: Physical cli- mate and atmospheric dust, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. II, 56, 640–655, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.12.006, 2009.
  • MPIOM-HAMOCC6 Lacroix F., Tatiana Ilyina, Moritz Mathis, Goulven Laruelle, Pierre Regnier: Historical Increases in Land-Derived Nutrient Inputs May Alleviate Effects from a Changing Physical Climate on the Oceanic Carbon Cycle. Global Change Biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15822, 2021
fCO₂ data-products:
  • CMEMS-LSCE-FFNNv2 Chau, T. T. T., Gehlen, M., and Chevallier, F.: A seamless ensemble-based reconstruction of surface ocean pCO₂ and air–sea CO₂ fluxes over the global coastal and open oceans, Biogeosciences, 19, 1087–1109, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1087-2022, 2022.
  • JMA-MLR Iida, Y., Takatani, Y., Kojima, A., and Ishii, M.: Global trends of ocean CO₂ sink and ocean acidification: an observation-based reconstruction of surface ocean inorganic carbon variables. J. Oceanogr. 77, 323–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-020-00571-5, 2021
  • LDEO-HPD Gloege, L., Yan, M., Zheng, T., and McKinley, G. A.: Improved Quantification of Ocean Carbon Uptake by Using Machine Learning to Merge Global Models and pCO₂ Data, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 14, e2021MS002620, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002620, 2022.
  • MPI-SOMFFN Landschützer, P., Gruber, N., and Bakker, D. C. E.: Decadal variations and trends of the global ocean carbon sink: decadal air-sea CO₂ flux variability, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 30, 1396–1417, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GB005359, 2016.
  • NIES-NN Zeng, J., Nojiri, Y., Landschützer, P., Telszewski, M., Nakaoka, S.: A Global Surface Ocean fCO₂ Climatology Based on a Feed-Forward Neural Network. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 31, 1838–1849. https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-13-00137.1, 2014.
  • OS-ETHZ-GRaCER Gregor, L. and Gruber, N.: OceanSODA-ETHZ: a global gridded data set of the surface ocean carbonate system for seasonal to decadal studies of ocean acidification, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 777–808, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-777-2021, 2021.
  • Jena-MLS Rödenbeck, C., DeVries, T., Hauck, J., Le Quéré, C., and Keeling, R. F.: Data-based estimates of interannual sea–air CO₂ flux variations 1957–2020 and their relation to environmental drivers, Biogeosciences, 19, 2627–2652, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2627-2022, 2022.
  • UOEx-Watson Watson, A. J., Schuster, U., Shutler, J. D., Holding, T., Ashton, I. G. C., Landschützer, P., Woolf, D. K. and Goddijn-Murphy, L.: Revised estimates of ocean-atmosphere CO₂ flux are consistent with ocean carbon inventory, Nat. Commun., 11(1), 1–6, doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18203-3, 2020.

GCB

GCB

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

1 sigma uncertainty

1960
1980
2000
2020
0.4
GtC

Unit GtC/year

YearGCB1 sigma uncertainty
19590.97500.4000
19600.95900.4000
19610.80530.4000
19620.89520.4000
19631.05980.4000
19641.21320.4000
19651.32070.4000
19661.27610.4000
19671.12710.4000
19681.18260.4000
19691.27470.4000
19701.12550.4000
19711.21360.4000
19721.48140.4000
19731.35140.4000
19741.31050.4000
19751.25870.4000
19761.42370.4000
19771.50370.4000
19781.54070.4000
19791.48760.4000
19801.73650.4000
19811.72310.4000
19821.88870.4000
19832.00810.4000
19841.86830.4000
19851.77530.4000
19861.82600.4000
19871.91720.4000
19881.79330.4000
19891.81900.4000
19902.01470.4000
19912.12400.4000
19922.26740.4000
19932.22030.4000
19942.01270.4000
19951.99810.4000
19962.00570.4000
19972.15570.4000
19982.20030.4000
19991.96590.4000
20001.91140.4000
20011.81880.4000
20022.17330.4000
20032.31430.4000
20042.27480.4000
20052.32880.4000
20062.42540.4000
20072.36470.4000
20082.38160.4000
20092.53580.4000
20102.51090.4000
20112.55470.4000
20122.62280.4000
20132.64750.4000
20142.78290.4000
20152.84660.4000
20162.98160.4000
20172.85480.4000
20182.94720.4000
20192.99480.4000
20202.99810.4000
20212.87950.4000

Individual Models

CESM_ETHZ

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

CESM2

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
GtC

CNRM

1960
1980
2000
2020
0.5
1
1.5
2
GtC

FESOM2

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
GtC

IPSL

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

MPI

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

MRI

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

NORESM

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
GtC

PLANTOM

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

PRINCETON

1960
1980
2000
2020
0.5
1
1.5
2
GtC

Multi-model mean

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
GtC

Model Spread (sd)

1960
1980
2000
2020
0.22
0.24
0.26
0.28
0.3
0.32
0.34
0.36
0.38
GtC

Unit GtC/year

YearCESM_ETHZCESM2CNRMFESOM2IPSLMPIMRINORESMPLANTOMPRINCETONMulti-model meanModel Spread (sd)
19590.96781.16900.56971.10400.80750.65350.86281.08120.94840.32970.84940.2652
19600.94981.16540.44891.06610.68760.63130.95881.06030.90430.46120.83340.2579
19610.69890.97980.28600.93120.56580.54110.76580.98730.72720.31370.67970.2537
19620.77191.05320.40820.92230.59390.62190.93871.15730.82210.40620.76960.2584
19630.91591.06860.61841.02240.79210.78381.12371.34041.06900.60770.93420.2344
19641.06291.19600.80761.30350.95620.95261.04171.44641.29390.81521.08760.2161
19651.20891.29240.96681.18771.04040.96841.25771.62541.57280.82971.19500.2587
19661.14201.24880.92891.21580.93350.91121.11371.62951.52770.85321.15040.2643
19670.91601.17220.67111.16690.82760.90910.91561.44451.32560.66571.00140.2652
19681.06701.27860.63431.11400.92280.89391.15661.49651.21350.79221.05690.2524
19691.16501.32400.84351.12810.96690.85071.25461.59161.42630.93971.14900.2527
19700.94511.20640.66271.16720.79510.82950.99161.47261.11820.81020.99980.2431
19711.03111.29780.64581.21830.82121.02431.17261.52461.26510.87871.08800.2599
19721.39111.50121.10601.33441.18041.04121.59751.78471.49101.13021.35580.2419
19731.22611.40960.79921.36651.00551.04301.16151.83471.29991.11171.22580.2810
19741.02521.38400.73441.34560.97561.07181.23451.77471.31580.98721.18490.2900
19750.95521.31940.67661.15370.83481.19161.19351.71871.41370.87371.13310.3092
19761.19921.40380.91071.24280.98591.15151.54451.88381.61461.04421.29810.3094
19771.32221.39320.98991.38091.14711.24031.52651.95481.67051.15571.37810.2820
19781.39321.48861.06911.50201.21521.28511.50041.90681.60641.18321.41500.2425
19791.31631.44701.20531.31711.16441.06091.63941.75791.62031.09071.36190.2449
19801.59431.66241.51651.81421.45851.33681.68642.04591.61621.37721.61080.2111
19811.54131.73681.26961.83031.40761.38661.70942.07191.62611.39471.59740.2459
19821.74931.84321.47681.92541.54081.48941.93542.13402.04101.49521.76300.2484
19831.92641.88261.61202.09651.73291.45322.07832.32202.01991.70071.88250.2605
19841.59441.85501.47621.98061.48411.59501.67232.27801.96681.52421.74270.2667
19851.55941.82541.20841.75671.37521.53991.70432.25911.97871.28971.64970.3240
19861.53241.77381.40651.89281.49141.53371.83232.29211.89451.35421.70040.2893
19871.73651.82121.69571.84591.65551.48252.09232.22611.90141.45871.79160.2432
19881.68451.90361.22991.97401.52861.50031.62722.13421.60931.48521.66770.2676
19891.51951.88301.35111.79911.38581.65721.85722.25921.86721.35471.69340.2948
19901.71351.85331.47631.92921.55791.61402.02522.27621.95811.49621.79000.2622
19911.87051.94071.77642.04831.62511.60282.10222.31232.00501.71571.89990.2260
19922.07662.08811.87362.19641.83621.96262.19222.56432.20491.92622.09210.2146
19932.00862.07751.92582.24951.87241.88552.22112.55132.18481.84972.08260.2223
19941.80561.99691.42502.09771.72051.66331.93812.40131.84471.66321.85560.2715
19951.85962.05631.57322.17081.78571.63912.06412.30441.75861.73371.89450.2416
19961.82872.10871.57542.21791.73781.65891.98612.23741.87551.78221.90090.2298
19972.04572.17511.85952.15201.94891.57472.41312.32842.06841.88272.04490.2440
19982.07272.16951.80672.42412.01911.50762.34212.36352.19632.04922.09510.2776
19991.71372.11991.38792.23921.56421.80041.99002.41052.19921.71071.91360.3292
20001.63282.02231.41612.04331.60041.77522.02302.38952.04711.56021.85100.3008
20011.62181.91171.20531.85641.59451.58702.07502.30262.02401.49171.76700.3251
20022.10682.16311.78842.38652.03371.83692.35002.54562.07691.94022.12280.2447
20032.23182.30651.80162.39461.98581.88572.40702.68662.18682.11572.20020.2668
20042.12182.24091.74182.28671.93191.91052.37392.58672.16461.93922.12980.2540
20052.21992.31431.80802.38882.03011.84232.39392.61372.01552.06172.16880.2607
20062.23592.42071.79022.47492.05921.99022.59792.72872.40242.17322.28730.2907
20072.16692.37811.81632.59402.11841.95002.34692.65782.20132.14772.23770.2633
20082.09692.38951.71552.39711.97452.03882.56992.76382.38822.06722.24020.3142
20092.24502.34791.98572.39922.08071.95962.53782.64382.36412.13272.26970.2299
20102.19002.38731.89292.45332.09781.93042.45982.61992.30702.18522.25240.2368
20112.14002.47471.87512.70842.12892.10132.58782.78692.51192.22872.35440.3005
20122.35502.56312.04822.51152.23612.06412.79582.93292.68482.24022.44320.3043
20132.37012.53651.96042.65562.24222.12892.63482.93692.64272.27072.43790.2946
20142.42612.57192.26962.81272.40142.31272.81373.00002.82562.31022.57440.2670
20152.59212.67032.35982.76782.44852.32562.98273.11802.86152.26772.63940.2920
20162.62412.77372.35403.04692.54572.29242.78673.07902.77442.44922.67260.2694
20172.46312.71711.96412.76302.24382.30522.72273.02612.73632.30972.52510.3198
20182.51122.77052.24132.90012.31792.26902.80973.00912.81722.29522.59410.2974
20192.48722.77292.21752.89022.17312.21692.85073.05312.65012.41772.57290.3160
20202.50222.81232.32372.87131.99522.38072.80462.97422.59502.44222.57010.3012
20212.26722.74572.01692.73741.87742.52652.81363.09022.49992.24572.48210.3802

Data-based Products

CMEMS-LSCE-FFNN

1960
1980
2000
2020
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
GtC

Jena-MLS

1960
1980
2000
2020
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
GtC

JMA-MLR

1960
1980
2000
2020
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
GtC

LDEO-resid

1960
1980
2000
2020
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
GtC

MPI-SOMFFN

1960
1980
2000
2020
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
GtC

NIES-NN

1960
1980
2000
2020
2
2.5
3
3.5
GtC

OSETHZ-GraCER

1960
1980
2000
2020
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
GtC

Watson

1960
1980
2000
2020
2.5
3
3.5
4
GtC

Average data-products (excl. Watson.)

1960
1980
2000
2020
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
GtC

sd data-products (excl. Watson.)

1960
1980
2000
2020
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5
GtC

Unit GtC/year

YearCMEMS-LSCE-FFNNJena-MLSJMA-MLRLDEO-residMPI-SOMFFNNIES-NNOSETHZ-GraCERWatsonAverage data-products (excl. Watson.)sd data-products (excl. Watson.)
1959-0.7551--------
1960-0.7745--------
1961-0.5867--------
1962-0.6473--------
1963-0.8965--------
1964-0.9448--------
1965-1.0560--------
1966-0.9372--------
1967-0.7780--------
1968-0.8894--------
1969-1.0582--------
1970-1.0070--------
1971-0.9422--------
1972-1.2221--------
1973-1.1567--------
1974-1.0678--------
1975-1.0087--------
1976-1.2064--------
1977-1.4853--------
1978-1.4383--------
1979-1.4977--------
1980-1.8033--------
1981-1.6598--------
1982-1.8716--------
1983-2.0086--------
1984-1.8274--------
1985-1.8493--------
1986-1.9914--------
1987-2.0439--------
1988-1.7537--------
1989-1.6318--------
19901.83841.75883.14842.54882.03292.12732.22062.70212.23930.4777
19911.88332.12923.09632.81782.14132.06322.30612.64672.34820.4416
19921.89802.52182.96243.18162.22501.84862.46162.74492.44270.5033
19932.01282.25072.83032.96262.23341.71662.50002.77382.35810.4409
19942.04091.88372.77262.30592.12011.67952.38492.64282.16970.3581
19952.01901.92372.74302.18731.88531.61812.33482.64872.10160.3634
19962.02691.93242.68742.28061.86611.64462.33622.61562.11060.3484
19972.15972.29332.75482.54032.05491.61032.45262.78022.26660.3732
19982.04612.69352.80022.62881.76201.76892.43882.68172.30550.4412
19991.89972.27002.66051.97351.49021.60892.22492.27512.01820.4043
20001.91372.03802.45422.13521.50361.52512.23262.29941.97180.3545
20011.91491.54742.40741.97851.48491.55312.20742.28681.87050.3581
20022.11592.52042.60262.27711.86301.70672.48132.63072.22380.3439
20032.21932.81012.84492.66962.13481.81612.50442.75952.42850.3847
20042.20332.73402.78622.72922.19871.80792.47962.86302.41980.3657
20052.28952.41722.85153.02652.36971.87962.58733.04202.48880.3787
20062.37272.59472.94952.82902.52521.97112.70163.26102.56340.3236
20072.39962.37572.86052.57972.58571.95362.68693.27232.49170.2893
20082.38312.39472.77782.78472.70301.99972.61823.33552.52300.2842
20092.57582.91822.90983.20712.95422.09572.95283.66902.80190.3617
20102.59622.83612.88673.16442.92282.06792.91273.60392.76950.3513
20112.51142.82432.81343.16732.96042.08212.92643.67442.75510.3563
20122.57312.83182.89283.07003.08682.20782.95433.83072.80240.3138
20132.66962.92743.02832.98712.93942.45052.99764.00812.85710.2153
20142.79063.15653.12293.27832.99762.51133.08244.07722.99140.2601
20152.98202.87023.30843.09623.20512.75913.15624.04943.05390.1939
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20173.00253.22633.46473.09723.19603.04973.25534.25003.18450.1551
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20193.11893.50503.67943.54733.26983.35663.43904.07673.41660.1863
20203.18723.41883.81663.53393.21373.49333.31913.88903.42610.2169
20213.13342.83973.59413.22793.32923.50053.31393.65333.27700.2480