Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption: two approaches compared

The paper compares two approaches to estimating national energy sector greenhouse gas emissions, finding that while global CO2 totals for 1988 are within 2% of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's estimates, national-level results vary by over 10% for 52 out of 139 countries. These discrepancies are attributed to differences in energy statistics, the treatment of bunker fuels, and the handling of non-energy products. Additionally, the study includes CO, CH4, and N2O emissions from fossil fuel combustion, which contribute an additional global heating effect of approximately 8% compared to CO2 emissions.

• For 1988 CO2 emissions, the study's results are within 2% of the world total estimated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, yet they differ by more than 10% for 52 of the 139 countries analyzed.
• The variations between the two estimation approaches are caused by the specific energy statistics employed, how bunker fuels are treated, and the management of non-energy products.
• The inclusion of CO, CH4, and N2O emissions from fossil fuel combustion adds a global heating effect equivalent to about 8% of the contribution from CO2 emissions.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (1993). Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption: two approaches compared. https://www.sei.org/publications/estimating-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fossil-fuel-consumption-two-approaches-compared/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption: two approaches compared. 1993. https://www.sei.org/publications/estimating-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fossil-fuel-consumption-two-approaches-compared/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption: two approaches compared |date=1 June 1993 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/estimating-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fossil-fuel-consumption-two-approaches-compared/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute1993estimating, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption: two approaches compared}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {1993}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/estimating-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fossil-fuel-consumption-two-approaches-compared/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }