Carbon pollution down nearly 2% in US – but not enough to meet Biden’s goal

Climate-altering pollution from greenhouse gases declined by nearly 2% in the United States in 2023, though not fast enough to meet Joe Biden’s targets, a new report finds.

The decline, while “a step in the right direction’’, is far below the rate needed to meet the president’s pledge to cut US emissions in half by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, said a report on Wednesday from the Rhodium Group, an independent research firm.

“Absent other changes″, the US is on track to cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 40% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade, said Ben King, associate director at Rhodium and lead author of the study.

The report said US carbon emissions declined by 1.9% last year. Emissions are down 17.2% from 2005.

To reach Biden’s goal, emissions would have to decline at a rate more than triple the 2023 figure and be sustained at that level every year until 2030, he said.

Increased economic activity, including more energy production and greater use of cars, trucks and airplanes, can be associated with higher pollution, although there is not always a direct correlation. The US economy grew by a projected 2.4% in 2023, according to the Conference Board, a business research group.

Last year’s relatively mild winter and continued declines in power generation from coal-fired plants drove down emissions in the US power and buildings sectors, the report said.

At the same time, transportation sector emissions rose, led by a continued rebound in airplane travel and increased gasoline consumption as road traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, the report said. Higher domestic oil and gas production also led to a small increase in industrial emissions.

While carbon emissions declined overall, “some ominous signs also began to