US carbon emissions on rise again

Pressure on the US government to pass legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions is set to increase, after the release of official government figures warning that carbon emissions will bounce back this year.

The US Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) latest Short-Term Energy Outlook says that economic recovery means carbon emissions will rise over the next two years, making it harder for the US to meet its proposed target of cutting emissions by 17 per cent on 2005 levels by 2020.

The report, the first to include monthly forecasts for carbon emissions, found that US carbon emissions fell by 6.1 per cent last year, led by a nearly 11 per cent fall in coal-based emissions. "Declines in energy consumption in the industrial sector, a result of the weak economy, and changes in electricity generation sources are the primary reasons for the decline in CO2 emissions," it said.

However, it predicts that economic recovery will contribute an expected 1.5 per cent increase in CO2 emissions this year. "Increased use of coal in the electric power sector and continued economic growth, along with the expansion of travel-related petroleum consumption, leads to a 1.7 per cent increase in CO2 emissions in 2011," it continued.

At the United Nations Copenhagen climate change summit in December, the US pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 17 per cent below 2005 levels within 10 years, and the administration is attempting to formalise the target through a climate change bill currently being debated by the Senate.

However, even after the rebound in carbon emissions the report predicts that emission levels in 2011 will still be lower than annual emissions from 1999 through to 2008, partly due to the slowness of the recovery and partly as a result of increased US renewable energy capacity.

The news is likely to increase pressure on the government from environmental groups and green businesses to fast-track the passage of its controversial emission cap-and-trade legislation.

The proposed bill is facing stiff opposition from Republicans and some Democrats, while the administration's backup plan to regulate carbon emissions through the EIA is also facing Republican opposition and the threat of legal challenges.