Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- PART ONE EARTH'S CLIMATE HISTORY AND OUTLOOK
- 1 Salient Events of Climate History
- 2 Human and Climate Interactions
- 3 Greenhouse Gases
- 4 Emitting Economic Sectors
- 5 Forecasts of GHG Emissions and Global Temperatures
- 6 Potential Impacts of Climate Change
- PART TWO CLIMATE POLICY CHOICES
- Appendix: Discount Rates in Climate Analysis
- References
- Index
4 - Emitting Economic Sectors
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 June 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- PART ONE EARTH'S CLIMATE HISTORY AND OUTLOOK
- 1 Salient Events of Climate History
- 2 Human and Climate Interactions
- 3 Greenhouse Gases
- 4 Emitting Economic Sectors
- 5 Forecasts of GHG Emissions and Global Temperatures
- 6 Potential Impacts of Climate Change
- PART TWO CLIMATE POLICY CHOICES
- Appendix: Discount Rates in Climate Analysis
- References
- Index
Summary
An understanding of the economic activities responsible for emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) is essential for assessing the potential for emission mitigation and the likely costs of such policies. Emitting activities are pervasive throughout the economy, involving nearly all types of production and use of energy, as well as agriculture, industrial processing, and waste management, as discussed further in this chapter.
OVERVIEW OF THE ENERGY SECTOR
In 2005, total anthropogenic emissions of GHGs were estimated at about 44 Gt of CO2e (CAIT, 2010). GHG is emitted with energy use, other industrial processes, deforestation, agriculture, and waste management. Approximately 55% of total emissions were from the production and use of energy. When energy is derived from nuclear, hydroelectric, or other renewable resources, no substantial GHG is emitted. Combustion of fossil fuels, however, produces about 80% of the world's energy. (Unless otherwise specified, data in this chapter are from IPCC, 2007, WG3.)
Energy use can be attributed to three broad sectors of final demand: buildings, industry, and transportation. In 2004, about 40% of the world's energy was employed for the lighting, space heating, water heating, and cooking in residential and commercial buildings (including the energy consumed in creating the electric power used). Another one-third of the world's energy was used by industry, including iron and steel, other metals, chemicals and fertilizers, petroleum refineries, cement, lime, glass and ceramics, and pulp and paper.
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- Information
- Climate Policy FoundationsScience and Economics with Lessons from Monetary Regulation, pp. 64 - 81Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011