The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled its latest annual "Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks" ("GHG Inventory") on April 11 according to a news release.

This report offers a comprehensive national-level overview of greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2022. In 2022, net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions reached 5,489 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, marking a 1.3% increase from 2021. This rise primarily stems from heightened energy consumption in 2022, reflecting the ongoing economic recovery post the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. However, emissions have shown a 17% decline since 2005, attributable to various factors such as energy market dynamics, technological advancements like energy efficiency enhancements and the carbon intensity of energy sources.
Joseph Goffman, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, emphasized the meticulousness of EPA's annual greenhouse gas inventory process.

"Through a rigorous development and review process, EPA annually refines and strengthens our greenhouse gas inventory, producing a comprehensive tally of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks," Goffman said in the release. "Reflecting input from hundreds of experts across the government, academia, industry and consulting, the "GHG Inventory" report is a model for high-quality and transparent national GHG accounting."
The latest release of the "GHG Inventory" incorporates significant enhancements, including updated estimates for oil and gas emissions and the integration of long-term research findings into methods for estimating emissions and sinks from forested land.

The "GHG Inventory" encompasses seven primary greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride. Alongside monitoring U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, the report calculates carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere through carbon uptake in forests and vegetation.

This impartial and policy-neutral report, compiled annually since 1993, is submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. EPA collaborates with numerous experts from federal agencies, state governments, research institutions, and industry associations to prepare the report. Developed countries are required to provide national inventories to the UNFCCC each year by April 15.

To encourage public engagement and input from researchers nationwide, EPA conducts an annual public review and comment process for the "GHG Inventory." The document is made available on the EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions website and announced through Federal Register Notice for a 30-day review period. Comments received after the closure of the public comment period are considered for the subsequent edition of the annual report. The public review for this year's report occurred from February 15 to March 15, and comments received are accessible on the docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0004. Responses to comments will be published on EPA's website within 2-4 weeks following the report's publication.

For more information about the "GHG Inventory," visit www.epa.gov.