Factsheets

A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—direct and indirect—associated with an individual, organization, product, or event¹ across all stages of its lifecycle: from material extraction and manufacturing to use and disposal. Common GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Because these gases differ in how strongly they trap heat, emissions are expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e), using each gas’s global warming potential (GWP) as a conversion factor (See Greenhouse Gases Factsheet).¹ The U.S. per capita carbon footprint (17.6 t CO₂e/yr) in 2023 was more than twice the global average (6.6 t CO₂e/yr).²

Sources of Household Emissions

Household consumption indirectly accounts for over 70% of total U.S. emissions.^3,4 An average U.S. household has a carbon footprint of 48 t CO₂e/yr,³ 30% of this is from transportation.⁶³ 16–20% of household emissions are from overseas production—household goods (China), fuel (Canada), and food (Mexico).⁴

Average U.S. Household Emissions per year⁵

Image

Transportation (Personal Transportation Factsheet) 

• The average passenger car emits 0.67 lbs of CO₂e per mile driven.⁶ Over its lifetime, a gasoline car emits about 66,000 lbs of CO₂e—84% comes from driving.⁷ In 2022, cars and light trucks generated 16% of total U.S. emissions (1.03 Gt CO₂e).⁸ See Electric Vehicle Factsheet for GHG emissions from ICEVs and EVs.
• In 2019, annual per capita miles driven reached 9,937.⁹
• Fuel economy rose 40% from 2005–2023, reaching an average of 28 mpg by 2024.⁶ Driving at the speed limit boosts fuel economy by 7–14%, every 5 mph over 50 is equivalent to paying an additional $0.27–$0.54/gal.¹⁰
• Commercial aircraft emitted 130.8 Mt CO₂e in 2022; emissions vary by aircraft type, trip length, and load.⁸ A domestic flight emits 0.41 lbs of CO₂e per passenger mile.^8,11
• Domestic air travel fuel efficiency (passenger miles/gal) rose 112% since 1990 due to increased occupancy.¹¹
• Rail transportation emitted 35.6 Mt CO₂e in 2022, 2% of U.S. transportation emissions.⁸

Household Energy (See Residential Buildings Factsheet)

• Each kWh generated in the U.S. emits 0.8 lbs of CO₂e.12 Coal emits 2.25 lbs/kWh, petroleum 1.43, and natural gas 0.86.⁸
• Nuclear, solar, wind, and hydro produce no CO₂ but have upstream emissions from material production and infrastructure (e.g. solar cells, nuclear fuels).¹³
• Residential electricity use generated 582.2 Mt CO₂e in 2022—9.2% of U.S. total.⁸ Heating and cooling account for 41% of energy used in U.S. residential buildings in 2024.¹⁴
• Electricity used washing clothes emits 2.6 Mt CO₂e/yr.^15,16 Switching to cold water for just one load per week can cut household emissions by 70 lbs of CO₂e/yr.¹⁷
• Electronics in standby mode account for 5–10% of residential energy use—costing the average U.S. home $100/yr.¹⁸

Goods and Services

• The average American buys 53 clothes items a year,¹⁹ producing emissions equivalent to driving almost 3000 miles.^20,21 The U.S. has the highest fashion carbon footprint at 132 Mt CO₂e/yr—90% of these emissions occur overseas.²²
• A piece of furniture emits 9–270 kg CO₂e,²³ 50-80% is from materials. Buying refurbished cuts emissions by up to 85%.²⁴
• Health care is the most carbon-intensive U.S. household service, emitting 1,692 kg CO₂e per capita in 2018—the highest among industrialized nations. 70% of emissions came from supply chains (pharmaceuticals, medical devices).²⁵
• Using streaming services for 12 hours daily can account for over 50% of an individual’s GHG emissions.²⁶

Food (U.S. Food System Factsheet)

• Agriculture is responsible for 50% of CH4, 66% of N₂O, and 3% of CO₂ emissions.²⁷ Food makes up 10–30% of a household’s emissions, often more in low-income households.⁸

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 2021³³

Image

• Production accounts for 68% of food emissions; 27% comes from retail, restaurants, and wholesale. Transport accounts for just 5%—dietary choices have greater impact.^28,62
• Meats like beef produce 36 times more GHG per g of protein than plant-based products;²⁹ most energy from feed is lost, and ruminants like cows emit CH₄ through manure.³⁰ Chicken produces 4.2 g CO2e/kg, 7 times less than beef.³¹
• High-emission diets (top 20%) emit 8 times more GHGs than low-emission diets (bottom 20%), accounting for 46% of dietrelated
  emissions.⁵
• Changes in U.S. eating habits cut diet-related GHG emissions by over 35% from 2003–2018.³²

Sources of Institutional Emissions

Capital and Infrastructure

• Capital assets cause 75% of emissions for the richest 10%.³⁴
• Embodied carbon from construction materials accounts for 11% of global carbon emissions.³⁵ Every $1B spent on infrastructure generates 1 Mt of embodied carbon.³⁶
• U.S. commercial buildings emit 725 Mt CO₂/yr.37 Data centers alone emit 105 Mt CO₂e/yr,³⁸ projected to double by 2030.³⁹ See Commercial Buildings Factsheet.
• Industrial machinery production accounts for 8% of global CO₂ emissions.⁴⁰

Military

• Militaries contribute 5.5% of global GHG emissions,⁴¹ mostly from supply chains and procurement, not operations.⁴²
• NATO’s military activities in 2023 resulted in 233 Mt CO₂e. The U.S. accounts for ⅔ of these emissions.⁴³
• Rearmament efforts risk breaching the Paris Agreement—below 1.5 °C warming—by 2027. A 1% GDP increase in NATO military spending raises emissions by 200 Mt CO₂e/yr.⁴⁴
• If NATO meets the 2% GDP military spending goal by 2028, its military’s carbon footprint would be 2 Bt CO₂e/yr—surpassing emissions from all but the top 3 countries (China, India, U.S.)⁴³

Global Emissions and Development

• To stay below 1.5 °C warming, world emissions must fall to 2.3 t CO₂ per capita by 2030.⁴⁵ This requires countries like the U.S., Canada, and Australia to cut emissions by 80%.²
• The U.S. and Canada emit twice as much per capita as other G7 countries. Countries with similar population to the U.S. (Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia) emit 2 times less CO₂e/capita.²
• Fossil-exporting Gulf States like Qatar and UAE are outliers, exceeding 30 t CO₂e/capita.²
• The world’s richest 10% emit 24 t CO₂e/capita. The richest 1% make up 15% of global emissions (74 t CO₂e/capita), while the poorest 50% account for 7% (just over 1 t CO₂e/capita).⁴⁵
• By 2030, the world’s richest 10% will emit 9 times the sustainable per capita level. The richest 1% will emit 30 times the target. The bottom 50% will emit about 1 t CO₂e/capita.⁴⁵

GHG Emissions per capita by GDP per capita^2,46

Image

Solutions and Sustainable Actions

Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

• Walk, bike, carpool, use transit, or drive best-in-class vehicles.⁴⁷
• Make your house more energy efficient. Through 2032, get tax credits covering 30%—up to $3,200/yr—for energy-efficient upgrades, plus another 30% for clean energy systems like solar, geothermal, and batteries.⁴⁸ Continued availability of these credits depends on congressional action.⁴⁹
• Switching from incandescent to LED bulbs saves $200/yr.^50,51
• Unplug devices or switch off power strips when not in use.¹⁸
• Purchase secondhand, reusable,⁵² or low-emission products to reduce waste. See Municipal Solid Waste Factsheet. Many brands now disclose their products’ carbon footprints.^53,54
• Reduce meat consumption²⁸ and cut food waste: compost scraps, and donate excess.⁵⁵ See U.S. Food System Factsheet.
• Reducing snacks, ready-made food, and soft drinks can cut emissions as much as switching to a plant-based diet.⁵⁶
• Cook at home—restaurant delivery can double emissions.⁵⁷
• Meal kits may lower GHGs by 33% per meal compared to instore shopping.⁵⁸
• Solar-reflective roofs can cut home cooling demand by 27%.⁵⁹ Using reflective roofs on U.S. commercial buildings could offset 22 Mt CO₂e/yr,⁶⁰ equal to shutting 6 coal plants/yr.⁶¹

Carbon Footprint Calculators

Estimate your personal or household greenhouse gas emissions and explore the impact of different techniques to lower those emissions:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• The Nature Conservancy
• Global Footprint Network