Top 5 Industries Leading Carbon Emission / Environmental Pollution

Industrialization boost the economy of world, but carbon emission is no less than a bane that concerns us all. If we didn't control it now, it will destroy the mankind.

Carbon is the most dangerous gas for human nature and industrialization increase the carbon emission in atmosphere. Carbon dioxide emissions or CO2 emissions are emissions stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement; they include carbon dioxide produced during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels.

There are a lot of industry which emits carbon di oxide but today we will talk about the top 5 industries that contribute in carbon emission and environmental pollution.

These five industries are

1. Electricity generation and Heat production Industry

2.  Agriculture

3. Transport

4. Industrialization

5. Buildings

1. Electricity Generation and Heat Production Industry

Introduction

The burning of fossil fuels for energy production is single-handedly the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions. In a report published by the United National Environment Program (UNEP), the “supply and use of fossil fuels accounts for about three-quarters of mankind’s carbon dioxide emissions.” The energy created from the combustion of fossil fuels is used to produce heat, electricity and generate power for homes, offices, manufacturing and construction, among others. The images below from the showcases the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses emitted for energy production vis-a-vis other sectors.

Advances in alternating-current (AC) technology opened up new realms for power generation (see sidebar “Tesla and the War of the Currents”). Hydropower, for example, marked several milestones between 1890 and 1900 in Oregon, Colorado, Croatia (where the first complete multiphase AC system was demonstrated in 1895), at Niagara Falls, and in Japan.

History

History of Steam Engines Rooted in Coal

The 40-MW Lakeside Power Plant in St. Francis, Wisconsin, began operations in 1921. This image shows the steam turbines and generators at Lakeside, which was the world’s first plant to burn pulverized coal exclusively. Courtesy: WEC Energy Group

 

Global Impact

Emissions from the world’s power plants reached their highest ever level

The biggest increase in CO2 emissions by sector in 2021 took place in electricity and heat production, where they jumped by more than 900 Mt. This accounted for 46% of the global increase in emissions, since the use of all fossil fuels increased to help meet electricity demand growth. CO2 emissions from the sector neared 14.6 Gt, their highest ever level and around 500 Mt higher than in 2019. The People’s Republic of China (hereafter ‘China’) accounted for almost all of the global increase in electricity and heat sector emissions between 2019 and 2021. A small decline from the rest of the world was insufficient to offset the increase in China.

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have significantly increased since 1900. Since 1970, CO2 emissions have increased by about 90%, with emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes contributing about 78% of the total greenhouse gas emissions increase from 1970 to 2011.

Global CO2 emissions from the industry and buildings sectors rebounded back to their 2019 levels, driven by increases in both advanced economies and emerging market and developing economies.

 

Impact in Pakistan

About 76.1% of total Pakistan's CO2eq emissions come from the energy industries, with the largest proportion among the greenhouse gas Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP, 2019).

Recently, electricity and gas have risen by 17.7%, mainly because of the significant growth of gross value added by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and energy-related companies (Lin and Raza, 2019).

2. Agriculture

Introduction

Agriculture, livestock-raising, deforestation and the conversion of forest lands all contribute to substantial carbon emissions. AFOLU impacts on carbon emissions are two-fold. For example, the clearing of forests for conversion into agricultural lands resulted in the decreased number of trees which can absorb carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, animal agriculture releases not just carbon dioxide but other greenhouse gases. According to Skeptical Science, “producing beef releases four times more greenhouse gases than a calorie-equivalent amount of pork, and five times as much as an equivalent amount of poultry.”

History

(24% of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions): Greenhouse gas emissions from this sector come mostly from agriculture (cultivation of crops and livestock) and deforestation. This estimate does not include the CO2 that ecosystems remove from the atmosphere by sequestering carbon in biomass, dead organic matter, and soils, which offset approximately 20% of emissions from this sector.

From 1990 to 2010, global agricultural emissions increased 8 percent. They are projected to increase 15 percent above 2010 levels by 2030, when they will amount to nearly 7 billion tons per year.

These increases are mainly driven by population growth and changes in dietary preferences in developing economies. Agricultural emissions growth will be greatest in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which will account for two-thirds of the increase in overall food demand over first half of the 21st Century. The production of vegetable oils and animal products – products with a high GHG intensity – are expected to grow the most amongst agricultural outputs.

Global Impact

Farms emitted 6 billion tonnes of GHGs in 2011, or about 13 percent of total global emissions. That makes the agricultural sector the world’s second-largest emitter, after the energy sector (which includes emissions from power generation and transport).

The 10 countries with the largest agricultural emissions in 2011 were (in descending order): China, Brazil, United States, India, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Democratic Republic of Congo, Argentina, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Together, these countries contributed 51 percent of global agricultural emissions.

agriculture is a major part of the climate problem. It currently generates 19–29% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Without action, that percentage could rise substantially as other sectors reduce their emissions. Additionally, 1/3 of food produced globally is either lost or wasted

Impact in Pakistan

Agriculture sector emitted 174.6 million tons (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-equivalent) emissions, of which 89.8 Mt is methane (CH4) and 83.7 Mt is nitrous oxide (N2O). Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were found to be 1.07 Mt of CO2-equivalent. Emission from agricultural soils constituted 45.5% of the total agricultural emissions followed by 45.1% from enteric fermentation and 6.5% from livestock manure management. The rest of 1.7% of the emissions were from rice cultivation followed by 1.1% from burning of crop residue. Historical emission trends showed that the agricultural emissions grew from 71.6 to 174.6 Mt of CO2-equivalent from 1994 to 2015, a 143.8% increase over the period of 21 years. Emissions baseline projections were found to be 271.9, 314.3 and 362.9 Mt tons of CO2-equivalent under BAU, FS and ECP scenarios, respectively.

One of Pakistan’s key economic sectors, agriculture contributes 18.9% of the country’s GDP in 2021 (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics).

According to results of Sui and Lv (2021) the increase in agriculture inputs in crop production, leading to agricultural CO2 emissions increasing with a growth rate of 36.2%

3. Transport

Introduction

Transportation (14% of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions): Greenhouse gas emissions from this sector primarily involve fossil fuels burned for road, rail, air, and marine transportation. Almost all (95%) of the world's transportation energy comes from petroleum-based fuels, largely gasoline and diesel. Distribution of carbon dioxide emissions produced by the transportation sector worldwide in 2020, by subsector The global transportation sector is a major polluter and in 2020 produced approximately 7.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Passenger cars were the biggest source of emissions that year, accounting for 41 percent of global transportation emissions.

These gases are ejected directly into the atmosphere, and due to the presence of a large number of automobiles (17 million vehicles were sold in the U.S. in 2018), the emissions quickly reach an alarming level.

The EPA’s launch set the precedent for progressive legislation targeting industries like power generation, manufacturing, and transportation. 

History

The United States began tightening emission and fuel consumption norms in the early 1970s with the passage of the Clean Air Act, which was followed up with the establishment of the EPA.

Another big culprit of carbon emissions is the transportation sector. According to a report, road transport is responsible for 72 percent of the sector’s carbon dioxide emissions, marine shipping producing 14 percent and global aviation 11 percent of emissions. Plus, there are still indirect emissions as a result of the transportation of goods.

In recent decades, global CO2 emissions from passenger cars have increased and peaked at 3.2 billion metric tons in 2019. Car emissions fell in 2020, but this was only due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Medium and heavy trucks are the second- largest polluters, accounting for 22 percent of transportation emissions. Although this was half the emissions of passenger cars, there are considerably fewer trucks on the road, showing just how polluting global road freight is. In 2020, heavy-duty truck CO2 emissions totaled almost two billion metric tons.

Global impact

The United States is by far the largest producer of transportation emissions worldwide. Between 1975 and 2007, U.S. transportation sector CO2 emissions increased 56 percent to over two billion metric tons. Although emissions began to decline in the following years, they increased again to reach 1.9 billion metric tons in 2019. Much like the rest of the world, COVID-19 impacted U.S. emissions, causing them to plummet to almost 300 million metric tons in 2020.

Pakistan impact

Pakistan - CO2 emissions from transport

In 2021, CO2 emissions from transport for Pakistan was 56 metric tons. Over the last 50 years, CO2 emissions from transport of Pakistan grew substantially from 3 to 56 metric tons rising at an increasing annual rate that reached a maximum of 20.35% in 2007 and then decreased to 14.99% in 2021.

4. Industry

Introduction

Accounting for 22% of greenhouse gas emissions is the industrial sector. Industrial activities include manufacturing, refining, food production, etc. and they emit greenhouse gases when fossil fuels are utilized on-site for heat, power or chemical processes.

Moreover, this figure does not include the indirect emissions industrial processes cause. If you were to add the electricity these processes consume, the figure would rise to 29%, making this sector the second biggest contributor to climate change.

History

In 1990, industries emitted about 2300 million metric tons of carbon dioxide whereas, in 2016, the figure was below 2000 million metric tons, despite an increase in industrial activity.

The industrial sector that includes mining, manufacturing, and construction has produced as much as 21 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in 2014. According to a report, the five industry categories of paper, food, petroleum refineries, chemicals and metal/mineral products are responsible for contributing the most greenhouse gases. This is because the use and combustion of fossil fuels are essential to the various steps of manufacturing and industry processes. As an example, the conversion of limestone in the cement industry requires the combustion of fossil fuels in order to generate heat.

Industry (21% of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions): Greenhouse gas emissions from industry primarily involve fossil fuels burned on site at facilities for energy. This sector also includes emissions from chemical, metallurgical, and mineral transformation processes not associated with energy consumption and emissions from waste management activities. (Note: Emissions from industrial electricity use are excluded and are instead covered in the Electricity and Heat Production sector.)

Global impact

Nearly 30 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from industry, including indirect emissions from the sector’s electricity consumption.

Oil and gas production is the largest manmade source of methane in the United States.

In January 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order directing federal agencies to review actions taken during the previous administration.

Almost a quarter (23 percent) of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come directly from industrial sources, such as manufacturing, food processing, mining, and construction. These direct emissions result from diverse processes, including the on-site combustion of fossil fuels for heat and power, non-energy use of fossil fuels, and chemical processes used in iron, steel, and cement production.

Pakistan impact

Energy has become a fundamental parameter used to regulate a country's economy. Issues about climate change have caused global agreement on the necessity for mutual action to lessen carbon dioxide emissions (CO2Es) [2]. The objective of the Paris agreement is to bound global temperature below 2 °C until the present century. Attaining this aim needs a 50% (%) decrease in global annual CO2Es and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions by 2050, net-zero emissions by 2055–2080, and net-negative emissions, subsequently [3]. Because the industrial sector is liable for 30% of the worldwide GHG emissions, the decarbonization of the industry is estimated to play an essential role in meeting the Paris Agreement (International Energy Agency [4].

Pakistan is the most pollution-affected country in South Asia, contributing 0.87% of the global emissions in 2016 [5]. According to the Statistical Review of World Energy [6], Pakistan's CO2Es was 198.3 million tons of CO2 in 2019. Based on oil, coal and gas, the industrial sector is the highest energy-consuming sector, which has consumed energy by 37.1% during 2019 [7]. The industrial sector is accountable for above 49% of Pakistan's CO2Es. During the past two decades, coal has been the primary energy source in the industrial sector because no other energy source is low-cost and plentiful than coal [8]. Thus, CO2Es from the industries rose from 17.21 Mt to 95.2 Mt during 1990–2019 [9]. Rising energy demand to endure economic development is the primary factor, raising CO2Es [10]. Moreover, Pakistan's industrial sector share in the gross domestic product (GDP) remained at 19.29% [15].

5. Building

Introduction

The penultimate sector on our list is the commercial and residential sector, which comprises households and businesses.

Together, they account for approximately 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. As was the case with the industrial sector, the commercial and residential sector is responsible for direct as well as indirect emissions.

Residential activities such as cooking, heating, using an air-conditioner and poor treatment of waste contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Commercial activities are similar to residential activities, except each commercial unit carries them out on a larger scale, but commercial units are lesser in number, offsetting the operations against the residential sector.

This main sources of greenhouse gases for this sector are electricity consumed, energy used for heating and cooling, refrigeration, and so on. Data shows that as much as 3.38 million giga-grams of carbon dioxide was released by this sector in 2010.

History

Buildings (6% of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions): Greenhouse gas emissions from this sector arise from onsite energy generation and burning fuels for heat in buildings or cooking in homes. (Note: Emissions from electricity use in buildings are excluded and are instead covered in the Electricity and Heat Production sector.)

Emissions from this sector have remained reasonably constant over time. CO2 emissions from 1990 to 2016 have stayed around 750 million metric tons.

Global Impact

If we were to include the indirect emissions as well, the commercial and residential sector tops the list, being responsible for 32% of GHG emissions in the U.S.

The built environment generates 40% of annual global CO2 emissions. Of those total emissions, building operations are responsible for 27% annually, while building and infrastructure materials and construction (typically referred to as embodied carbon) are responsible for an additional 13% annually.

 

Pakistan impact

Direct emissions 10% STATUS OF DECARBONISATION Building emissions occur directly (burning fuels for heating, cooking, etc) and indirectly (grid-electricity for air conditioners, appliances, etc. In the decade to 2019, the share of total CO2 emissions from Pakistan’s buildings, has remained fairly stable at 10% and 15% respectively. As the country’s total CO2 emissions have risen substantially since 2015, emissions from buildings have likewise increased. References: own evaluation based on Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform, 2018; Ministry of Housing & Works, 1990 Reference: own evaluation based on Ministry of Housing and Works, 2013 Source: Enerdata, 2020 Building emissions: 5-year trend (2014-2019) Building-related emissions per capita reflect increasing income levels, climate conditions (leading to high use of air conditioning during heat waves), low energy efficiency in buildings, and also the high ratio of square footage per person. Pakistan has increased this level by 17.6% (2014-2019).