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🌅 How the U.S. Reduced Emissions While Growing Its Economy
Sunrise Stat
November 19, 2025
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SOURCE
WHAT TO KNOW
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell by 0.2% in 2024 while the economy grew by around 2.7%, continuing the decoupling of emissions and economic activity seen in recent years. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are now 17% below 2005 levels, the U.S. benchmark under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
WHY IT MATTERS
Since the first U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in 1990, the U.S. population has increased by around 28% while the economy has roughly doubled (adjusting for inflation). As emissions from activities like transportation, industry, and agriculture have remained roughly constant, emissions from electricity generation—once the nation’s largest source—have fallen by almost 30% since 1995 as Americans have ditched coal in favor of natural gas and renewables.
CONNECT THE DOTS
Still, uncertainty lies ahead as the construction of new data centers—largely to support the growth of AI—may come with significant growth in emissions and electricity demand. Other research shows generating a single 100-word email using an AI model like ChatGPT requires roughly 17.5 ounces of water, a little more than one standard water bottle (16.9 oz).