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International Analyses

Non-CO₂ greenhouse gases are a significant contributor to climate change. Figure 1 shows the global contribution of human-related greenhouse gas emissions to the enhanced greenhouse gas effect since Preindustrial times. Approximately 30 percent of the human-induced greenhouse effect can be attributed to the non-CO₂ greenhouse gases. EPA collects data on international historical and projected greenhouse gas emissions and estimates the costs of reducing these emissions, and has issued several analytical reports on international emissions projections and mitigation opportunities for the non-CO₂ greenhouse gases.

Figure 1: Global Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2004

Figure 1: Contribution of anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases to the enhanced greenhouse effect from preindustrial to present (measured in watts/meter2).
Contributions are: Carbon Dioxide 69.6%, Methane 22.9%, Nitrous Oxide 7.1% and High-GWP Gasses 0.4%

Reference: IPCC 4th Assessment Report:Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report

Note: Other CO₂ includes cement production and natural gas flaring.

EPA reports on this page have undergone an external peer review consistent with the guidelines of the EPA Peer Review Policy. Comments were received from experts in the private sector, academia, non-governmental organizations, and other government agencies. See the Acknowledgments sections of the individual reports for a list of reviewers. You may download a copy of the EPA Peer Review guidelines.

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

Preliminary Draft Global Mitigation of Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases Report (March 2012)

EPA has updated its global non-CO₂ mitigation report, last published in 2006. The preliminary draft provides marginal abatement curves (MACs) for the landfill, coal mining, nitric and adipic acid, and wastewater sectors. This new analysis incorporates updated mitigation technologies, costs, and emissions baselines with an updated modeling approach. The results of this analysis are marginal abatement curves (MACs) that reflect aggregated breakeven prices for implementing mitigation options in a given sector and region with more detail than available in the previous report. The MACs allow for improved understanding of the mitigation potential for non-CO₂ sources, as well as inclusion of non-CO₂ greenhouse gas mitigation in economic modeling of multigas mitigation strategies.

This report summary and data set is a preliminary draft and will be finalized after a peer review process is completed. EPA is releasing this report summary and data as a draft to allow for review and further development before being finalized. Readers are encouraged to provide comments on the report summary and data to EPA.

Download the preliminary draft marginal abatement cost (MAC) summaries here:

Coal MAC Summary (March 2012) (PDF, 3 pp, 208 KB)
Landfill MAC Summary (March 2012) (PDF, 3 pp, 296 KB)
Nitric and Adipic Acid MAC Summary (March 2012) (PDF, 3 pp, 195 KB)
Wastewater MAC Summary (March 2012) (PDF, 3 pp, 225 KB)

Download the data annex (WinZip format containing Zipped XL Spreadsheet files, 337K).

For questions, or to comment on the preliminary draft summary, contact Shaun Ragnauth (ragnauth.shaun@epa.gov)

Draft Global Non-CO₂ Emissions Projections Report: 1990-2030 (August, 2011)

EPA has released a new draft update in 2011 to its global non-CO₂ emissions projections, last published in 2006. The draft report provides estimated projections to 2030 for emissions from more than twenty emissions sources. The gases included in this report are methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated greenhouse gases (HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆).

Global non-CO₂ emissions are projected to increase significantly between 2005 and 2030 unless further actions are taken to reduce emissions. Between 1990 and 2005, methane recovery and other mitigation efforts have decreased the rate of growth, but total emissions of non-CO₂ greenhouse gases have nonetheless increased. Economic and production growth will continue to drive emissions increases in the future unless additional mitigation actions are adopted.

The report has been reviewed by external expert reviewers from the private sectors, academic institutions, and other government agencies. EPA is releasing the report as a draft to allow for further review and development before being finalized. Readers are encouraged to provide comments on the report to EPA.

Download the full report here: Draft Global Anthropogenic Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 1990-2030 (PDF) (182 pp, 1.49MB) Download report appendices (PDF) (108 pp, 3.8 MB) Download data annex (ZIP) (1.55 MB)

For questions, or to comment on the report, contact Jameel Alsalam (alsalam.jameel@epa.gov), or Shaun Ragnauth (ragnauth.shaun@epa.gov)

Global Mitigation of Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases (EPA Report 430-R-06-005)

Since non-CO₂ greenhouse gases can be relatively inexpensive to reduce compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂), EPA has focused on incorporating international non-CO₂ greenhouse gas mitigation into analysis and policy discussions. EPA prepared a global cost analysis of all non-CO₂ greenhouse gases. The basic methodology - a bottom up, engineering cost approach - is the same as was followed in the Energy Modeling Forum report as described below, unless otherwise noted. The results of this analysis are marginal abatement curves (MACs) that reflect aggregated breakeven prices for implementing mitigation options in a given sector and region. The MACs allows for improved understanding of the mitigation potential for non-CO₂ sources, as well as inclusion of non-CO₂ greenhouse gas mitigation in economic modeling of multigas mitigation strategies. The MAC data sets can be downloaded in spreadsheet format using the “Data Annexes” link below. The final report based on this analysis can also be downloaded using the links below.

Download the full color version of the report:

Global Mitigation of Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases (PDF) (438 pp, 5.8MB)

Download the individual sections of the report:

Cover & Table of Contents (PDF) (28 pp, 720K)

Executive Summary (PDF) (6 pp, 153K)

Section I: Technical Summary (PDF) (30 pp, 311K)

Section II: Energy (PDF) (46 pp, 450K)

Section III: Waste (PDF) (28 pp, 290K)

Section IV: Industrial Processes (PDF) (222 pp, 3.6MB)

Section V: Agriculture (PDF) (78 pp, 840K)

Download the section appendixes:

Section Appendices (PDF) (132 pp, 4.1MB)

Guide to Appendices (PDF) (1 p, 14K)

Download the data annex:

Data Annexes (WinZip format containing Zipped XL Spreadsheet files, 5.4MB)

Guide to Data Annex (PDF) (1 p, 13K)

Report to Energy Modeling Forum (June, 2003)

The first USEPA non-CO₂ mitigation cost study was a global analysis of methane and nitrous oxide abatement. The work was conducted as part of a larger study conducted by the Stanford Energy Modeling Forum on Multi-gas Mitigation and Climate Change:

International Analysis of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Abatement Opportunities: Report to Energy Modeling Forum, Working Group 21 (PDF) (9 pp, 76K)
Appendices

Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases 1990-2020 (EPA Report 430-R-06-003) (June, 2006)

This report (PDF) (274 pp, 4MB) provides historical and projected estimates of emissions from over 90 countries and eight regions for all major non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emission sources. The gases included in this report are methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and the high global warming potential (high GWP) gases. The high GWP gases include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆). Historical estimates are reported for 1990, 1995, and 2000 and projections of emissions, including the achieved effects of sector-level climate policy measures at the time of this report, are provided for 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Historical and future trends are shown by region and by gas.

The data by country, region, and gas can also be found in the Appendix Spreadsheets (WinZip format containing Zipped XL Spreadsheet files, 361K).

Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Developed Countries: 1990-2010 (EPA Report 430-R-01-007) (December, 2001)

This report presents emissions and baseline projections of the non-CO₂ gases from major anthropogenic sources for all developed countries. This report provides a consistent and comprehensive estimate of non-CO₂ greenhouse gases that can be used to understand national contributions to climate change, mitigation opportunities and costs, and progress under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The gases included in this report are the direct greenhouse gases reported by parties to the UNFCCC: methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and the high global warming potential (high GWP) gases. Historical estimates are reported for 1990 and 1995, and projections of emissions in the absence of climate measures ("Business As Usual") are provided for 2000, 2005, and 2010. Historical and future trends are shown by region and by gas.

Complete version of Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Developed Countries: 1990-2010 (PDF) (132 pp, 1.6MB)

For more information on the scope of the analyses above please contact Shaun Ragnauth (ragnauth.shaun@epa.gov).

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